**** backhoe's are expensive

Sysop · Dec 23, 2018

4570Man said:
Backhoe vs Excavator - YouTube

They did have the mini-ex at a disadvantage having a smooth grading bucket for trenching. Needed teeth for max digging speeds.

Looking4new · Dec 23, 2018

There is no doubt in my mind that a mini-ex is of more use to me than the backhoe attachment on my Kioti. The backhoe is what I could afford at the time and that is what drove me to it. $$$ it all came down to money. And one less machine to maintain.

Agvg · Dec 23, 2018

Sysop said:
They did have the mini-ex at a disadvantage having a smooth grading bucket for trenching. Needed teeth for max digging speeds.

Suppose it's a desperate try in the hope to sell some backhoes, here I live the sale died out in the late eighties, backhoes didn't stand a chance compete against excavators.

4570Man · Dec 23, 2018

Agvg said:
Suppose it's a desperate try in the hope to sell some backhoes, here I live the sale died out in the late eighties, backhoes didn't stand a chance compete against excavators.

I thought it was a pretty funny video. The loaders lack a lot of versatility the skid steers have. What do you use the fill the gap? A mini is a pretty useless one piece unit. They require a skid steer or something else to help. And neither of the excavators you posted earlier are very common here. You’ll have to pay twice as much for that as a 50 series mini or a 15 ton machine.

GSVette · Dec 23, 2018

I have an Case 580E that I wouldn’t be without. I considered a backhoe attachment for my CUT but thought that switching out to do 3 pt tasks would be too much of a pain. As it turns out, I doubt a small tractor backhoe could have dug through some of the decomposed granite that I trenched through while trenching for water /power lines. Having the ~20’ reach of an extenda-hoe also reduces unproductive move time.

Cost-wise, maintaining the industrial TLB is probably higher (particularly depending on age and condition if you buy used)-how much higher I can’t say as my tractor hasn’t need service of a significant type yet-basic fluids and filters aren’t much different. I have had to rebuild a couple of cylinders and the steering control valve as well as a few hoses- wasn’t cheap but not unbelievably costly-some industrial TLB parts are though.

When it came to doing the septic borrowed a friends Volvo excavator-glad I did as the length and number of laterals, length of tightline and 2 large tank installs would have taken a long time with either my Case or a mini-ex.

Each tool has its strengths and weaknesses-the industrial TLB is a compromise as is the CUT mounted backhoe and the mini-ex. You pick the one whose weaknesses are the least objectionable and strengths are the most usable.

Sysop · Dec 23, 2018

GSVette said:
Each tool has its strengths and weaknesses-the industrial TLB is a compromise as is the CUT mounted backhoe and the mini-ex. You pick the one whose weaknesses are the least objectionable and strengths are the most usable.

I agree with that, but I also agree with many tractor backhoe owners; a good operator with a good tractor backhoe "can" accomplish many of the same tasks. Where a tractor backhoe is a winner for many buyers, they are faster than working by hand with a shovel and wheelbarrow, and they are less expensive than the used commercial equipment.

Agvg · Dec 23, 2018

4570Man said:
I thought it was a pretty funny video. The loaders lack a lot of versatility the skid steers have. What do you use the fill the gap? A mini is a pretty useless one piece unit. They require a skid steer or something else to help. And neither of the excavators you posted earlier are very common here. You’ll have to pay twice as much for that as a 50 series mini or a 15 ton machine.

Well, the problem with skid steer is a very limited ability to handle snow or terrain, a wheel loader is much better at this. Skid steer are here seen as a building or construction tool not as an all round machine, the Hitachi on the pic was a 8t, probably the most common class is between 6 - 8t, moves it on a tractor.

4570Man · Dec 23, 2018

That’s what skid steers are. I thought the same was true for most other construction equipment. I still don’t know why they use tractors to pull a mini in road. Trucks have one job and that’s pull loads down the road and you can’t beat them at that. That’s kinda your whole point with the mini excavator.

Agvg · Dec 23, 2018

Has used skid steer and small wheel loaders, as a wheel loader the skid steer doesn't work well. But inside buildings and very tight places they have an advantage.