Gale Hawkins
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2009
- Messages
- 11,812
- Location
- Murray, KY
- Tractor
- 1948 Allis Chambers Model B 1976 265 MF / 1983 JD 310B Backhoe / 1966 Ford 3000 Diesel / 1980 3600 Diesel
The need for backhoes are often a somewhat contentious, those that need them seem to think everyone would and vice versa. Deciding on "want" vs "need" is often hard. I "want" one, but don't "need" it. Many years ago my dad and brother bought a used one and fixed it up as we had house being built, septic systems going in etc. We "needed" it and it got a lot of use. After the first few years it just sat in the shed and needs a lot of work to get it going gain, so we rent every few years rather than invest the time and money in fixing it; one of those "one of these days" projects whose time never seems to come around.
I have to fight the desire to buy one once or twice a year, even went to look at one a few months ago.
Great post.
We bought our 1983 JD nearly 5 years ago for $7200 and still get a lot of use out of it cleaning up the place and helping neighbors. We did put on a new set of rear tires while not required it did help with traction being a 2 WD machine. We spent about $500 getting front and rear buckets rebuilt and about that much for starter, hoses. It is still old and worn out but runs and works fine. Currently we are in the process of buying some land around the church so that clean up/development project will be on going but when you have an old natural drain ditch grown up 20 foot on either side a back hoe is also to clear it then push it into piles for example.
If money was no object hiring someone with a track hoe and a dozer would be a lot faster but doing it yourself over time lets the project evolve over time and for you to change the outcome. The projects end better than I envision and would have told an operator what I wanted done. Even where to install a drain sewer may change after working on a project over a period of time for example.
Being physically limited due to arthritis the mechanical thumb on the back hoe is a blessing to have around the place.
I our case if I am doing things around the place I would like a backhoe. A FEL and track hoe would be nice but I like being on rubber and driving 10 miles one way is better for me than hitching, loading, etc to move a machine.
There are things that we get done that we would never get done if the backhoe was not parked on the place and ready to start at a push of the button. We are planning on putting in a one acre parking lot at church 1/2 mile down the road and the corn field now has a lot of 6" trees and more wet due to lack of drainage and rising water table. Saturday a guy with a low grade gravel pit (sand and rock but no clay in the mix) two miles away gave us the gravel if I will dig and haul it. That will be about 100+ loads on our 16' flat dump and the gravel being mostly clay free is what we need to go on our soft clay/sand wet low land at this time. In a few years we can come back with dense grade for the most actively used part of the parking lot.
The last owner of our back hoe built their home and developed the drive, barn locations, etc and then sold it for what he gave for it I expect.
$10K with buy a lot of backhoe. If the engine and transmission are solid the rest does not take a lot of skills to keep going.
Selling an old backhoe is not a hard task either.