Not another HFPB topic!

[Imold]

Well yes it is a thread about the HF Portable Backhoe. I also did a search before posting.

Anyway I turned 59 today and my health is not the best due to a bad heart and a couple other major issues so digging with a shovel is not really a option and renting is a issue due to living rural I would rather put that money towards buying but anyway I have been reading and watching as many videos as possible on portable backhoes but I am mainly interested in the harbor freight one. It is still way cheaper then adding one to the GC1705 and yes if I knew now what I did not know when I bought my tractor I would of bought a TBL model, my bad. Anyway,

There is a guy who put a bigger pump on his and now it is about twice as fast which I really like, I have seen mostly positive feedback on the unit itself along with the minor fixes that are easily done with a small welder so that is not a issue, the Janson is a nice unit but about 1500 more and it says available but back ordered so thatç—´ out of the picture.

I have decided to go with the harbor freight backhoe for 3 grand but I will wait to order it until after Christmas and I will keep a eye out for the rare sale price on it, think it goes on sale once or twice a year for 2800 or around 200.00 off.

Now my next question is do any of you on here still own yours and if so how is it holding out? Or have you sold it due to having to many issues.

Just want honest opinions or direct knowledge on it. It is a part of B-day and X-mass gift to me from wife.

Thanks.

Ok to move if not in the right forum topic.

 

[Roadworthy]

I do not own, nor have I ever seen a Harbor Freight back hoe. Watch their sale fliers. Sometimes they have a twenty five percent off coupon. I'm leery of Harbor Freight stuff beyond hand tools as they do not source any repair parts. I got switches for my wire feed welder from eBay. My neighbor has an after market back hoe that hangs off the three point hitch on his tractor and runs from the tractor's hydraulics. I believe it's from Wallenstein. It was about $3000 but that was fifteen years ago. Backhoes & Skid Diggers | Wallenstein Outdoor Power Equipment

 

[ericm979]

I got a lightly used backhoe specifically for my tractor from my dealer. Someone bought it and didn't need it any more, or it was on a tradein machine and they took it off. It cost significantly less than a new BH. Given how it can move the 4500lb tractor around I don't see how a light trailer model can do much.

 

[bcp]

Have you watched these?

Metsa Man Kellfri - YouTube

Bruce

 

[Imold]

I appreciate the replies.

Have seen a few of those videos and lots of other ones that pertain right to the HF backhoe and a lot that show home built and other manufacturers and I have seen most of the fixes for the HF, rounded out pin holes for stabilizers, cracked bucket, leaky cylinders, replacing the hydraulic pump for a bigger pump to speed the unit up, have also read mixed reviews on line, have heard most the pluses and minuses. So I have done my homework on these unites.

I will basically use it to dig holes for trees, do some trenching for electrical, dig out for my septic and a list of other things, I am well aware of it’s limitations and for 3k I do not think it will be a bust unless I get a lemon. It is way cheaper then having to send my tractor back to have it taken apart to install the main mounting plate and hoe, dealer will not do it so that is the catch 21, you have to buy the GC right from factory with the backhoe installed for warranty. A 3pt hoe is a big no no it voids all warranty and liabilities from what I know.

Living out in a rural area I will never purchase another tractor without a backhoe or one I can add a backhoe onto, I find a lot of things that a backhoe would be good for or at least nice to have on hand.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

How old is your GC? Is it feasible to trade it in for a new TLB? Maybe sell it privately and put that towards a new TLB. Both the SCUT and now the CUT tractor I have have the BH on them. I wouldn't be without one! In the first year I had the SCUT w/ the BH, I saved enough by doing the jobs myself to pay for the hoe.

I think the dealer is giving you a line of BS, telling you that adding a Massey BH to you tractor will void the warranty! Most of the SCUT tractors have the BH added at the dealer. My CUT tractor had the BH added by the dealer. Took a couple extra days to do it before delivering the unit. Sounds like he doesn't want to go through the hassle....

I knew someone who purchased the HF hoe and sold it mid-project because he was hakving trouble with it and it did not perform like he expected/wanted it to. He ended up hiring someone to finish the job. He took a $750 loss in order to sell it.

You are correct, adding a 3 point hoe WILL void your warranty.

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^^^
It clearly states in the paperwork that a 3 pth backhoe will void the warranty. I was already to pull the trigger on a new Massey until I read that. I bought my Kubota the next day.

 

[Imold]

I will be upgrading from my SCUT to a CUT in a few years so the BH will be a big consideration when I do that, it all depends if we buy the 40 acres next to our property, I will be looking at around a 34hp CUT.

I am sure I will not have a problem in a few years selling the HF Backhoe out here, I know some folks that have talked about getting one but nobody wants to be the 1st to pull the trigger, a guy had a DR one that he bought and did what he needed to do and that sold right away and he got just about what he paid for it.

It was mentioned to me that I should get a TLB setup from a few folks but I never listened and now I kick myself.

 

[dodge man]

Why is living rural not an option to rent? In my area they will deliver. You just might pay extra for it. I just thing the HF backhoe is going to be pretty light weight and really limited unless the ground is soft.

 

[Imold]

Why is living rural not an option to rent? In my area they will deliver. You just might pay extra for it. I just thing the HF backhoe is going to be pretty light weight and really limited unless the ground is soft.

It is more of a time issue when renting being it seems like your paying for two hours just for the loading then getting to your home and unloading, it would not be to bad if a person was doing a two/three day rental or even a day rental at least you would have around 6 hours of use.
I know the hardware store has a mini ex but that’s 20 miles away, they don’t include trailer in the rental so that would be extra being I do not have a bigger trailer yet.
The ground around here is sand and basically dirt with some areas having a layer of clay so digging will not be a issue, lot of sand and gravel pits Around my area.

There is also another project I would like to try with it that I have been thinking about for the last 20 years or so that includes a stripped down pontoon boat with at least 21 inch tubes, has to do with repairing rip-rap.

 

[GeneV]

I saw one of those tow-behind deals on youtube, same thing as the HF one, but you don't have to swap the wheels or manually install the stabilizers (they just fold down). That alone makes it way more user-friendly than the harbor fright one, but I'm sure the price is appropriately less user-friendly lol. With that said though, I dunno if I'd buy one of these things new if I was in your shoes. Me, I'd either hunt for a good deal on a woods bh65 (I think that's the one that fits GC tractors), or trade up to the GC1710 altogether. Or...

I was weighing options back when I was tractor hunting, with or w/o the backhoe. One thing I was debating for a scut with only a loader was to get some sort of backhoe attachment mounting on the loader. I saw this vid, for instance: 125r front hoe - YouTube. Titan makes something like this too. One concern would be the weight of the backhoe attachment, and how far out it is, probably the lifting capability ain't all that great compared to a real backhoe. Obviously you'd need a 3rd function valve as well, but hey...all the more reason to get a grapple down the road.

Oh yeh, my very first option I was thinking about was just to get a stump bucket. Obviously not as versatile as a real backhoe. But, I've seen some vids on youtube, people digging short trenches with them, digging holes for trees, etc, all sorts of handy shtuff people do with them. Actually that's where my mind was going, but then I stumbled on my GC1710 private sale, and the rest is history.

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^
As has been pointed out previously, a backhoe will void the warranty on his Massey.

 

[GeneV]

A 3pt mounted backhoe will void the warranty, not a subframe mounted one...you know, like the kind every scut tlb has.

 

[Imold]

Yes I do regret not getting the 1720 TLB after the fact and he did have one on the lot but but but I did not think I would need the backhoe, again it was suggested that I get the one with a backhoe from some members here BUT I did not think I had any use for one, famous last words.

I am sure the HFBH will do me just fine plus it will give me something else to tinker around with.

 

[groundcover]

If you can find a clean mini excavator snap it up , do your projects and sell it . I think I was the last guy in town to buy a mini , so far none of us have reached a point that we have finished projects to the point that we are ready to sell !

 

[nyone]

The problem with any towable or 3pt hitch back hoe is you have next to no breaking force. I use to own a 3pt backhoe. Was hardly worth putting on my tractor. Almost faster just to dig by hand. Few years later i bought a 3,500lb older kubota mico Ex. Its like having an arm that can do everything. Best $8,000 i have spent on a machine. How ever once you get one you will find that your projects never end for it and you can never sell it.

This past summer i built a section of driveway 12x150ft long though a swamp. Swamp so soft it would have been impossible with any machine with tires.

 

[cdaigle430]

in my opinion the HB BH is a great deal for the money and what you want to do with it. My dad has one from Northern Tool and loves it for trenching. I bought my GC2410 with the BH and it was the best money I ever spent.
My BH became the hero one day when the coupler attaching my water line to the well casing broke one winter. Plumber couldnt get a BH for a few days so I used mine to carefully dig all around the well casing-5 feet deep by 10 feet....top 3 inches was frozen. Then one winter my septec tank leach field was thought to be frozen in February. Used two blow torches and the BH to chip away at the frozen soil to remove the ocer. Was a good day cause we found the leach field was blocked by coffee grounds and stuff my wife should not have been putting down there.
As for the broken coupler-it was found that when the plumber replaced the line 2 years before he forgot to replace the coupler so it was free of charge minus my time, wear and tear on BH. He even paid for the moon dust to cover it back up.
I am 100% certain that the HF BH will do the same.

 

[Imold]

If you can find a clean mini excavator snap it up , do your projects and sell it . I think I was the last guy in town to buy a mini , so far none of us have reached a point that we have finished projects to the point that we are ready to sell !

I have thought about that but then it is money spent that could be used for when I upgrade from my scut to a cut with backhoe.

 

[Imold]

The problem with any towable or 3pt hitch back hoe is you have next to no breaking force. I use to own a 3pt backhoe. Was hardly worth putting on my tractor. Almost faster just to dig by hand. Few years later i bought a 3,500lb older kubota mico Ex. Its like having an arm that can do everything. Best $8,000 i have spent on a machine. How ever once you get one you will find that your projects never end for it and you can never sell it.

This past summer i built a section of driveway 12x150ft long though a swamp. Swamp so soft it would have been impossible with any machine with tires.

See above response, a mini ex would be nice. You guys keep this up and I will end up selling one of my Harley’s to help pay for a used mini ex hahaha.

 

[Imold]

in my opinion the HB BH is a great deal for the money and what you want to do with it. My dad has one from Northern Tool and loves it for trenching. I bought my GC2410 with the BH and it was the best money I ever spent.
My BH became the hero one day when the coupler attaching my water line to the well casing broke one winter. Plumber couldnt get a BH for a few days so I used mine to carefully dig all around the well casing-5 feet deep by 10 feet....top 3 inches was frozen. Then one winter my septec tank leach field was thought to be frozen in February. Used two blow torches and the BH to chip away at the frozen soil to remove the ocer. Was a good day cause we found the leach field was blocked by coffee grounds and stuff my wife should not have been putting down there.
As for the broken coupler-it was found that when the plumber replaced the line 2 years before he forgot to replace the coupler so it was free of charge minus my time, wear and tear on BH. He even paid for the moon dust to cover it back up.
I am 100% certain that the HF BH will do the same.

I have a 750 gal septic system and my wife has a tendency to use the disposal way to much, had the system replaced 30 years ago by the seller when we bought the home and it is getting to the point I might have to go to a 1000 gal holding or a mound type septic system being I have no where to put a new drain field due to how close I am to the lake and my property does not have the room to move it so being able to dig out the ground and replace it might be a option but hopefully I will have my home sold in a few years and not worry about it.

Our frost layer in winter is anywhere from 3 feet to 5 feet all depending on the temps we get so I know the HF would not work unless I had a really good way to thaw the ground, that’s where a mini ex would come in handy, last year was the first time I had the line freeze and it froze 2 feet from the tank, it was below zero for a long time and we had a lot of guests over so we used a lot of water with toilets and showers and doing dishes, it was more then usual, now I will pump out before Christmas and then three months after that to keep the tank clean, I never put straw down last year and I think that was also a contributing factor, we did have a lot of rain before the ground froze so that did not help either. The price ya pay for living close to the lake, home was built before all the tuff setbacks came into effect.

I am pretty sure the HFBH will suit me just fine for what my intentions are plus like I mentioned earlier I will do the pump upgrade to speed it up a bit, think it’s around 3-400.00 to do it.