roxynoodle said:
As for the backhoe/trencher, I was interested in it too but I think others are right, that it won't have the necessary strength not connected to a tractor. Course it would be nice to hear from someone who actually owns it whether or not it can do the work.
I built the CADDigger 728 11 y ago. It is larger than the Trencherman,
but it works the same way. Mine weighed less than 1000 lb and yes,
the hydraulics could overpower it, but it was still quite useful. Once a
hole is started, the dipper and bucket could pinch against the back
edge of the hole and be quite effective. Starting a hole on hard ground
tended to just lift the machine. I did some things I could never do
with a tractor, like pull it up a 50% slope to dig a bench for my
5000 gal concrete water tank. (I also bought a chainsaw-powered
winch from HF at that time to help pull it up. It worked fine.)
I had about $3000 in my CADDigger, and I sold it a few years ago on Ebay
for $3000.