First decision: CUT vs construction backhoe

[Coach v]

And the coach is a newby and I've got 50 years experience. He's looking for advice; not answers.
rScotty

Yupp, definitely a newbie. I have about 30 hrs on the skid steer in the 1st pic, 8 hrs on a case 580, and limited (1 or so hrs) on b21, mini ex, front loader, farm tractor).

I guess it comes down to a $10-15k 2x4 construction backhoe or a $25-35k l45 or jd 110.

 

[rScotty]

What is the deal with the Kubota l48? They seem to run less expensive than the l45 and l39.

I don't know that there is anything wrong with them. They just sort of got left behind when Kubota brought out the M59 at the end of the l48 model run. And the M59 has a lot more features. But that doesn't make the L48 a bad machine. It's got pretty much the same engine as the M59 but without the turbo, and a similar transmission but without the addition of the two-speed electo/hydraulic split shifter kind of rear axle. The M59 is just a tiny bit larger and has more hydraulic capability.

We bought our M59 iin 2008, and the l48 was one we considered. There was even one on the lot for about 45K. I ran it and it seemed fine. But the M59 was 52K and clearly a step up in lots of ways & had 5 years 0% financing. I ran the l48 and frankly might have gotten it except I'm a fairly large guy with big feet and couldn't spin the seat around backwards to the backhoe position without standing up and half stepping off the tractor. That probably wasn't a big deal, but my wife had her eye set on the M59. So I did the wise thing and didn't argue. Today she loves "her" M59 and is proud she chose it. Who would want to change that?

But if I saw a good L39 or L48 I wouldn't hesitate. The L39 are pricy because their size is just so darn handy and they are really overbuilt. So maybe the L48 was sort of caught in the middle between two more popular models. I don't hear any problems, though. Maybe someone else knows more.

Check out that old 60 page TBN post on M59s?? There was one guy who had an L48 & posted a lot then.
I'll look and see if I have some L48 literature.
rScotty

 

[rScotty]

Yupp, definitely a newbie. I have about 30 hrs on the skid steer in the 1st pic, 8 hrs on a case 580, and limited (1 or so hrs) on b21, mini ex, front loader, farm tractor).

I guess it comes down to a $10-15k 2x4 construction backhoe or a $25-35k l45 or jd 110.

The JD110 is a beautiful machine and I wish they still made it. But they don't, they did have some mechanical problems and weren't quite heavily enough constructed...., and parts are expensive.But the concept was terrrific. But they are older now and I'd stay away unless you find a really clean one with low hours. Even then I concluded that the Kubota is a better machine. In fact, all the Kubota TLBs are a lot like second generation JD110s. Sad JD didn't stick with it.

Uh...I see you looking at the L48 and the L45 both. The L48 was first, from 2000-2009 with a 3 speed HST, then the L45 from 2009 to 2016 (and had HST+ tranny; the good one), and now it is the L47. All good as far as I know. For some reason the mid-size TLB just never sold as well as Kubota TLBs both smaller and larger.
rScotty

 

[rScotty]

Just for comparison, here is a good closeup view of the M59 and JD310 backhoe buckets. Originally I thought that both were 24" buckets but now that I look closer at the photo I think that I have the 12" wide bucket on the M59. I'm kinda guessing because 24" buckets on both have 5 teeth and that bucket on the M59 bucket looks to have only 3.

Anyway, what I'm trying to show comes through. You can compare how heavily they are built, how the depth of "bite" differs, pin size, tooth size etc.

And I guess I just proved to myself that from the side it's hard to tell backhoe buckets apart. Even when they vary in width a lot, the profile from the side doesn't change much at all. From the side both the M59's 12" and the 24 inch wide buckets look the same.
rScotty

Oh, and here's a picture showing both the M59 and the L45. We were talking about that earlier...
rS

 

[fried1765]

I don't know that there is anything wrong with them. They just sort of got left behind when Kubota brought out the M59 at the end of the l48 model run. And the M59 has a lot more features. But that doesn't make the L48 a bad machine. It's got pretty much the same engine as the M59 but without the turbo, and a similar transmission but without the addition of the two-speed electo/hydraulic split shifter kind of rear axle. The M59 is just a tiny bit larger and has more hydraulic capability.

We bought our M59 iin 2008, and the l48 was one we considered. There was even one on the lot for about 45K. I ran it and it seemed fine. But the M59 was 52K and clearly a step up in lots of ways & had 5 years 0% financing. I ran the l48 and frankly might have gotten it except I'm a fairly large guy with big feet and couldn't spin the seat around backwards to the backhoe position without standing up and half stepping off the tractor. That probably wasn't a big deal, but my wife had her eye set on the M59. So I did the wise thing and didn't argue. Today she loves "her" M59 and is proud she chose it. Who would want to change that?

But if I saw a good L39 or L48 I wouldn't hesitate. The L39 are pricy because their size is just so darn handy and they are really overbuilt. So maybe the L48 was sort of caught in the middle between two more popular models. I don't hear any problems, though. Maybe someone else knows more.

Check out that old 60 page TBN post on M59s?? There was one guy who had an L48 & posted a lot then.
I'll look and see if I have some L48 literature.




I think the L48 will be a great play machine (for me).
Two weeks ago I bought a 2006 model, from an original owner, with 250 total hours.
32K....not cheap, but exceptionally low time.
4 remotes, hydraulic QA loader bucket pins, backhoe QA bucket.
Looks new, except for some areas of fading paint.
Needs seat repair.
I will give it a partial repaint.

 

[Coach v]

So, where is the best place to look for a used backhoe? Equipmenttrader, machinery trader, Craigslist?

 

[rScotty]

So, where is the best place to look for a used backhoe? Equipmenttrader, machinery trader, Craigslist?

First of all, figure out what you are looking for. Not model, but is it condition or price? My own preference is for low hour excellent condition and and I figure that Im going to pay top dollar but I save over the price of new. I don't mind if a conscienscious owner puts the first 600 hours on my new-to-me machine. In fact, I could even see that as an advantege. Even more so if he took ten years to put on the hours.

last two real good deals on tractors I ran into were at the dealership chatting to the sales manager - not just any salesman. The sales manager is always the person who knows of people thinking of trading good used machines in so that they could get brand new ones. He knows because his salesmen discuss it with him. One tractor I bought (M59 demo coming back from the state fair) & one I should have - a 310 that belonged to a homeowner/hobbyist who had it for many years for doing retirement projects around his place. The 310 owner didn't want to trade it in, he was getting too old and mentioned it to the salesman - now the sales manager - who had sold it to him originally.

The other place is at the coffee shops where rural people hang out. Often in a small town. They sometimes have an old cork bulletin board or maybe a local website just for people in the area who have machines for sale .
rScotty

 

[Rmart30]

In your situation myself id buy a used backhoe and not look back. CUT and these micro tractors with backhoes to me are just aggrevating once you have ran full sized backhoes and trackhoes.

Knock all your tough work out with it and sell it when done and recoup most if not all of your purchase price. A backhoe will shame a tractor (unless its 80hp+) with what it can do and the quickness of it. Once all the hard stuff is done then id buy me a tractor to keep up the maintenance of the property.

 

[ovrszd]

RScotty, I'm curious why you keep pushing him toward a $30-40-50K machine when you know he can't afford that?

For example, I think you should buy a $250K Dozer or Grader to do smoothing work around your place.

 

[ovrszd]

In your situation myself id buy a used backhoe and not look back. CUT and these micro tractors with backhoes to me are just aggrevating once you have ran full sized backhoes and trackhoes.

Knock all your tough work out with it and sell it when done and recoup most if not all of your purchase price. A backhoe will shame a tractor (unless its 80hp+) with what it can do and the quickness of it. Once all the hard stuff is done then id buy me a tractor to keep up the maintenance of the property.

I agree. Buy one within your budget. Only crank it to do tasks that a tractor won't. Minimize wear/tear and potential breakdown. Then sell it to someone just like yourself.