Buying Advice Backhoe or fel "claws"

[the fat kid]

I have to dig up quite a bit of earth but only have to go a foot deep. Should I spend the extra on a BH or are the claws for the FEL doing the trick just fine. I've never seen these in action so I'm completely curious what they can actually dig

 

[budlite]

I can't answer your question but am curious myself. As you probably know, a backhoe is multiple times the cost of a toothbar, which is what I suppose you mean by claws. You will get more useful response if you specify what you are trying to accomplish, the volumedirt you are moving, how far, how often you might do this in the future, etc. The stock response is "rent a small trackhoe" for a one-time or limited use.

 

[the fat kid]

I will be expanding my driveway about 45 feet and 30 feet wide. Also 600 square foot walkway! I'd like to dig around my aboveground pool and deck and replace all the crushed stone ect....,
I'm thinking about redoing my rock wall too. However I don't need to dig anything deeper than maybe a foot

 

[Rancher Ed]

I would get the tooth bar for the loader and skip the backhoe. Depending on how hard your soil is maybe also get a boxblade with rippers. You could then set the ripper 4-6" deep and drive over where you are digging which would loosen it up before using the loader. You could even use the boxblade to pull the loose dirt into piles before using the loader to move, load, or what ever you are doing with the dirt.
The loader on these tractors are pretty powerful and can dig pretty well. For example I have used the loader on our kubota M7040 to dig a lot of 12-18" deep trenches and have also dug two large 5' deep, 7' wide, 15' long holes and it doesn't have a tooth bar.

Seeing what you just posted, I would definitely get the boxblade. This would let you pull the dirt away from the pool and could be used to maintain the driveway.

Ed

 

[crash325]

A back hoe is a costly item, but worth every penny. Once you have had one, you will never be without it. It has so many uses that after having it for 2 or 3 years you will still be finding new ones.

Digging around you pool with the FEL is not a good idea. Chances are you will damage something.

A foot deep isn't much, but how wide a ditch do you want?? I don't have a tooth bar, if digging is tough, its time for the back hoe, loosen up every thing and it load easy.

 

[nybirdman]

I'll second the tooth-bar/box blade combo.Can do a lot of work with just these two.If you go with box blade,get a medium duty.

 

[Reg]

A tooth bar on a loader bucket can rip sod, best to drive the tractor backwards for this.
The more weight you can put to it the better (-:

A fully dumped and floated bucket with no tooth bar can also rip up sod when going backwards,.
Just remember that the bucket cylinders are fully extended and if you catch something going fast those cylinders will probably take the brunt of it.

A stump bucket can serve some of the tasks of a backhoe, just SOME, not all.
SO much cheaper.

You can save your FEL from tweaks by using a box blade, just don't PUSH with it - don't DIG while pushing, though light pushing to back fill with loosened dirt is OK.

 

[Grandad4]

I would get the tooth bar for the loader and skip the backhoe. Depending on how hard your soil is maybe also get a boxblade with rippers. You could then set the ripper 4-6" deep and drive over where you are digging which would loosen it up before using the loader. You could even use the boxblade to pull the loose dirt into piles before using the loader to move, load, or what ever you are doing with the dirt.
The loader on these tractors are pretty powerful and can dig pretty well. For example I have used the loader on our kubota M7040 to dig a lot of 12-18" deep trenches and have also dug two large 5' deep, 7' wide, 15' long holes and it doesn't have a tooth bar.

Seeing what you just posted, I would definitely get the boxblade. This would let you pull the dirt away from the pool and could be used to maintain the driveway.

Ed

Ed is exactly correct. We have a BX with FEL and toothbar plus a good medium duty 4ft box blade. That's an effective combination for doing the kind of work you describe. Probably don't need a backhoe for those types of things. You are limited by the weight of the machine, or the lack of it, and it takes a little patience and skill to get a "dig" like that started, but once you get all the sod removed, it goes faster.

Speaking of skill, the smaller your equipment, the more important operator skill becomes. For example, using either the boxblade or the FEL to strip a layer of packed soil requires very fine adjustments that involve a learning curve. So don't expect to leap out of the phone booth like tractor superman 30 minutes after the tractor is delivered. But keep at it and you'll soon find it's amazing what you can accomplish.

 

[boggen]

for the driveway, boxblade / rear blade. ((check other driveway threads in the "projects" forum)) to see what others have done / been recommended.

boxblade above for sure. to help level things out and get everything smooth. can also help ya get some ditches going on driveway.

rear blade, dealing with snow. to help dealing with inital building ditches, pulling things around to finish up a driveway.

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around the pool i would say backhoe.
around sidewalk i would also say backhoe.
footer for a rock wall. i would say backhoe again.

the backhoe is just so much easier to control and fine tune movement in narrow tight space and up near an object. and it allows you to dig down deep right up near an on object. though if ya digging near swimming pool it would be highly suggested to drain pool. more so if above ground pool.

once ya get backhoe controls down. you can get in there and get a nice clean footer trench dug. with min amount of using actual hand shovels to clean the trench up before pouring the footer.

i am one of them folks that would say get backhoe regardless. they come in handy for to many things.

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a tooth bar, (i am assuming what you are referring to as a claws) is always nice to help the FEL to dig. but for what you are wanting to do. the sacrificers (spikes that stick down into the ground) can help rip things up and make it much easier FEL work.

if ya go with backhoe the backhoe can do fairly quick loosening of dirt so it is easier FEL work. though if using backhoe, an extra minute or to of pilling dirt can make that FEL work go quicker.

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there is multi ways to go about things, but what you are asking to do. it would be worth while to get the different attachments / implements. for a given project. at least it would be for me. the difference in frustration and time of not having the right tool for the job and doing your best with what ya got been there done that. and in that, i would encourage ya to invest in the multi implements / attachments. more so if you have other things that they can be used for around the property.