L5740HSTC Backhoe worth it or different route

[HappyOne]

I have wanted a backhoe forever. Had the L5740HSTC for a few years I hesitated getting a hoe for it since I would have to get out of the cab to do any work. I am trying to decide if I should even consider it or look for a dedicated backhoe loader or excavator and skidsteer as a replacement. I don't mow much with my tractor except brush hogging. About the only thing I use it for is moving dirt and scraping the driveway.

I am also a somewhat frustrated tractor user in that I cannot make a smooth section of ground to save my life. I often end up with a shovel and rake for finish work. Don't get me wrong. I am just a hobby guy and not trying to earn a living. Just like toys but feel I have possibly reached the end of my big tractor days.

 

[rbargeron]

Like all tools, excavators and skid steers have things they do really well - mowing not being one of them. Adding a backhoe to a L5740HSTC may be the lowest-cost way to get a digger, but it isn't as effective as an excavator. A backhoe attachment for it will be 9ft max, still pretty small. An excavator's great advantage is maneuverability, able to turn in its shadow and move in any direction, from the seat. Maybe rent one a couple times to see what size feels right and go from there?

 

[jeff9366]

I have wanted a backhoe forever. Had the L5740HSTC for a few years I hesitated getting a hoe for it since I would have to get out of the cab to do any work. I am trying to decide if I should even consider it or look for a dedicated backhoe loader or excavator and skidsteer as a replacement. I don't mow much with my tractor except brush hogging. About the only thing I use it for is moving dirt and scraping the driveway.

I am also a somewhat frustrated tractor user in that I cannot make a smooth section of ground to save my life. I often end up with a shovel and rake for finish work. Don't get me wrong. I am just a hobby guy and not trying to earn a living. Just like toys but feel I have possibly reached the end of my big tractor days.

What projects are before you requiring a Backhoe?

Neither a dedicated TLB nor an excavator will be better for you at moving dirt and scraping your driveway. Dedicated T-L-B would require removing the (heavy) Backhoe and installing a Three Point Hitch, then mounting the Bush Hog to mow.

How many engine hours per year do you operate your tractor? What implements are using using with your L5740? How long is your driveway? What material? Complicated driveway drainage? Center crown or flat center?

How much ground do you Bush Hog?

The information you have posted is limited but on that basis I suggest a heavy Landscape Rake with gauge wheels for driveway maintenance and smoothing ~~~if you have a long driveway. Some manual raking may still be necessary for a really finished appearance but not much.


Skid Steers have their own challenges, awkward entry and exit to begin with. No Three Point Hitch, no Backhoe.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I have wanted a backhoe forever. Had the L5740HSTC for a few years I hesitated getting a hoe for it since I would have to get out of the cab to do any work. I am trying to decide if I should even consider it or look for a dedicated backhoe loader or excavator and skidsteer as a replacement. I don't mow much with my tractor except brush hogging. About the only thing I use it for is moving dirt and scraping the driveway.

I am also a somewhat frustrated tractor user in that I cannot make a smooth section of ground to save my life. I often end up with a shovel and rake for finish work. Don't get me wrong. I am just a hobby guy and not trying to earn a living. Just like toys but feel I have possibly reached the end of my big tractor days.

A compact tractor with appropriate implement can usually do a fairly good job on most home, estate and small farm projects. A machine designed for a specific task will almost always do a better job in less time however. In most cases, it comes down to a balance between time, $$$ and storage space.

Before you get a hoe for your L5740, consider this. I've had backhoe attachments for all five of the Kubota's I've owned over the years. Most of the work I do involves mowing 7 acres, grading 1.25 miles of road and brush hogging. In most years, I average 4 or 5 hours of backhoe use. When I was younger, I though nothing of taking the mower off the tractor and installing the backhoe to do an hours worth of work. Now it takes longer for me to swap the implements than it does to do the backhoe work. Although used infrequently, having a hoe is essential for me. So much so that I'm in the process of getting a second tractor which will be dedicated to backhoe and earth moving use.

I think the answer to your question depends on how much time you spend on your tractor doing what you need to do. As said earlier, maybe contracting out the work or renting a machine occasionally would be more cost effective. If you enjoy working with your machine as I do mine, that may affect your decision also.

BTW, in my experience, the best implement for grading and leveling is a good 3pt rake with grader blade and trolley wheel attachments. Also, adding a top & tilt kit will greatly improve the quality of your work.

 

[rScotty]

I have wanted a backhoe forever. Had the L5740HSTC for a few years I hesitated getting a hoe for it since I would have to get out of the cab to do any work. I am trying to decide if I should even consider it or look for a dedicated backhoe loader or excavator and skidsteer as a replacement. I don't mow much with my tractor except brush hogging. About the only thing I use it for is moving dirt and scraping the driveway.

I am also a somewhat frustrated tractor user in that I cannot make a smooth section of ground to save my life. I often end up with a shovel and rake for finish work. Don't get me wrong. I am just a hobby guy and not trying to earn a living. Just like toys but feel I have possibly reached the end of my big tractor days.

I smooth ground by back-dragging with the bucket angled a little down at the front from flat. Enough down pressure to raise the front wheels and steer with the wheel brakes while going backwards. Taper off the angle and down pressure at the endof the pass. That's not unique; I think that method is common. It works surprisingly well, but does depend on the kind of soil. Works less well with rocky ground or sticky dirt. Practice on sand or really dry dirt to see what's possible. For my part, I've yet to master the art of flattening ground while moving forward...guess I'm just a backwards guy.

Speaking of backwards, my advice on the backhoe is to get one and use it for a few years. Make a decision then on whether to keep it. Resale is good on used backhoes so it won't even cost that much. I did that, and discovered that I used the hoe and thumb for picking and placing things about the property enough to make it a worthwhile implement although I never did do much digging. Would have never known that if we hadn't tried one. Ultimately that ended up being so handy that we bought the TLB.
rScotty

 

[HappyOne]

Like all tools, excavators and skid steers have things they do really well - mowing not being one of them. Adding a backhoe to a L5740HSTC may be the lowest-cost way to get a digger, but it isn't as effective as an excavator. A backhoe attachment for it will be 9ft max, still pretty small. An excavator's great advantage is maneuverability, able to turn in its shadow and move in any direction, from the seat. Maybe rent one a couple times to see what size feels right and go from there?

Good points and great idea. Rented a dozer for three weeks a few years back and got the desire to own one out of my system. I do see owing an excavator as a positive. Wont take up much more space than a hoe attachment. I'll rent a few "tools" and see what fits my dirt redistribution obsession.

 

[HappyOne]

I smooth ground by back-dragging with the bucket angled a little down at the front from flat. Enough down pressure to raise the front wheels and steer with the wheel brakes while going backwards. Taper off the angle and down pressure at the endof the pass. That's not unique; I think that method is common. It works surprisingly well, but does depend on the kind of soil. Works less well with rocky ground or sticky dirt. Practice on sand or really dry dirt to see what's possible. For my part, I've yet to master the art of flattening ground while moving forward...guess I'm just a backwards guy.

Speaking of backwards, my advice on the backhoe is to get one and use it for a few years. Make a decision then on whether to keep it. Resale is good on used backhoes so it won't even cost that much. I did that, and discovered that I used the hoe and thumb for picking and placing things about the property enough to make it a worthwhile implement although I never did do much digging. Would have never known that if we hadn't tried one. Ultimately that ended up being so handy that we bought the TLB.
rScotty

I do the same with the bucket, just never satisfied with the end result. A friend came with a similar size tractor and leveled a pad for a new building here. Took him 4 hours to spread, pack and level 7 truck loads of sandy clay. Was so flat the concrete guys just spread half a load of sand for a 30 x 50 building. I really envy people that can operate equipment that well. Just not my superpower. So I hire stuff that matters and leave the mundane drainage ditch, sewer line move, propane line move to my ditchwitch and hand tools. This is where I realized a excavator would have been a huge time saver. Not to mention a lot of fun. Tight space would rule out a hoe on the tractor for some of those projects.

 

[HappyOne]

A compact tractor with appropriate implement can usually do a fairly good job on most home, estate and small farm projects. A machine designed for a specific task will almost always do a better job in less time however. In most cases, it comes down to a balance between time, $$$ and storage space.

Before you get a hoe for your L5740, consider this. I've had backhoe attachments for all five of the Kubota's I've owned over the years. Most of the work I do involves mowing 7 acres, grading 1.25 miles of road and brush hogging. In most years, I average 4 or 5 hours of backhoe use. When I was younger, I though nothing of taking the mower off the tractor and installing the backhoe to do an hours worth of work. Now it takes longer for me to swap the implements than it does to do the backhoe work. Although used infrequently, having a hoe is essential for me. So much so that I'm in the process of getting a second tractor which will be dedicated to backhoe and earth moving use.

I think the answer to your question depends on how much time you spend on your tractor doing what you need to do. As said earlier, maybe contracting out the work or renting a machine occasionally would be more cost effective. If you enjoy working with your machine as I do mine, that may affect your decision also.

BTW, in my experience, the best implement for grading and leveling is a good 3pt rake with grader blade and trolley wheel attachments. Also, adding a top & tilt kit will greatly improve the quality of your work.

I think you might have hit on my biggest issue with the tractor and implements. I don't like swapping them very much as I get older and dealing with hydraulic connections. I have a three point tiller, auger, finish mower, brush hog, grading blade, box blade and powered landscape rake. And top and tilt. Have a 6' grapple for the front. I will often just not do things or just use the bucket and box blade that are attached unless I have a lot of work to justify the swap. Perhaps I am just a implement horder. As to storage space, I have room for several more t(oys)ools.

 

[jeff9366]

I think you might have hit on my biggest issue with the tractor and implements; I don't like swapping them very much as I get older and dealing with hydraulic connections. I have top and tilt.

With the extendable Lower Links and pinned stabilizers on your 'Grand L', plus top and tilt, there is nothing that will make hooking up implements/attachments much easier.

Are you sure your reclining chair is not slowly killing you? I speculate you have lost much of your core strength.

 

[HappyOne]

With the extendable Lower Links and pinned stabilizers on your 'Grand L', plus top and tilt, there is nothing that will make hooking up implements/attachments much easier.

Are you sure your reclining chair is not slowly killing you? I speculate you have lost much of your core strength.

I am far from falling apart. Don't own a recliner either. My diet has been getting better as I get older. Stopped eating things that poop and their byproducts. All whole plant diet with the needed two supplements (B12 and D). Enjoy a lot of activity. Body fat is all but gone. Physically I am in the best shape in 20 years. Its easy to say getting older makes you stop stuff because you cant or it's harder. Honestly its more the complete freedom to decide I don't want to do some things. Pinching fingers, kicking arms and dealing with the oil that insists on dripping from hose connections just got old. I can do it if needed, just prefer not to. Perfect world for me is an air conditioned cab attached to each implement.