How often do you actually use your backhoe? (BX and B size)

[dragoneggs]

Yeah a bit of a luxury but my back thanks me every time I use it! Maybe deferred medical disability? I'm in the pro hoe camp. But as some have mentioned, depends on your projects. Trenches, ditches for rerouting water, digging out small stumps, planting, moving/placing rocks, etc. It is fun. Also as mentioned, you will tackle projects that likely you will not get to if you have to rent. Lots of small projects that you would be breaking your back on are done quickly with pleasure. If you have lots to do on your property and no time table... it is the way to go. Once you get proficient with the back hoe, you will enjoy many DIY projects.

Wife want to buy/plant a tree... I say sure!

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Diggin It]

I was planning on doing quite a bit over the last few weeks. Haven't been able to do much of anything for a few reasons, one of which is waaayyy too much rain. I was trying to stand in one place yesterday and found myself sliding down hill hoping to regain my footing before I fell. Ground is pure muck in many places. I can't even walk in a few spots let alone trying to drive over it with nearly 2,000 pounds. Trying to dig with the BH would be like trying to dig butterscotch pudding.

No sooner than it begins to dry up it starts raining again even when not forecast. They called for a mostly dry 5-6 days which got me to planning some work. By day 3 is was raining most of the day.

Imagine trying to schedule a rental and delivery around that.

 

[fried1765]

I was planning on doing quite a bit over the last few weeks. Haven't been able to do much of anything for a few reasons, one of which is waaayyy too much rain. I was trying to stand in one place yesterday and found myself sliding down hill hoping to regain my footing before I fell. Ground is pure muck in many places. I can't even walk in a few spots let alone trying to drive over it with nearly 2,000 pounds. Trying to dig with the BH would be like trying to dig butterscotch pudding.

No sooner than it begins to dry up it starts raining again even when not forecast. They called for a mostly dry 5-6 days which got me to planning some work. By day 3 is was raining most of the day.

Imagine trying to schedule a rental and delivery around that.

Sounds like a gooey mess down there in Lower Uncton.

 

[California]

What part of the country is Lower Uncton?

 

[ovrszd]

What part of the country is Lower Uncton?

That's a secret...…

 

[Jchonline]

I use mine almost every time I am on the machine. I live in the Rocky Mountains so there are always rocks to pickup, stumps to dig, trees to push over, logs to reposition. The grapple on front and backhoe with thumb on back are really nice.

 

[Richard]

I also use mine about 90% of the time the machine is running. (mine is an Industrial JCB)

I've used it for just about everything listed above.... wife wanted her Petunia's transpolanted, used it for that. She had a fish die, I was going to toss into woods....she wanted it buried so used it for that. Use it to scrape a poisen ivy vine off a tree to work on killing said vine.

Pulled International 1066 with 15' flexwing mower out of the muck

Placed a rock retaining wall on the driveway (rocks about 18" tall, 20" deep and 50/60" length)

Used it as crane to hoist (fluid filled) flat rear tires off International 444

Used it as cran to hoist International 1066 so I could rotate tire and listen for any grinding in gears (none found)

When I have a fire (my fires are QUITE large usually having multiple entire trees in them) I use the machine but usually the hoe to keep machine away from flames....and push things into middle of burn area

Was on a nervously steep slope one day, going sideways.... was VERY unconfortable.... took backhoe and swung it out to the uphill side to act as a counter weight. VASTLY increased the (feel) of stability. Ultimately, never went back to that hill since then!!

I look at it as a Swiss Army Knife....

 

[jeff9366]

Perhaps the question would be better stated:

How often do you cycle from Backhoe to Three Point Hitch implements? Estimate proportion of time tractor is used with each.

In north Florida farm country, with our sandy soil, Backhoes are not seen that frequently.

 

[zoltanthegypsy]

...
How often do you cycle from Backhoe to Three Point Hitch implements? Estimate proportion of time tractor is used with each.
....

I'd call it pretty evenly split into quarters: hoe, box blade, tiller, hog. More or less based on the season, with the hoe strapped on as needed.

Z.

 

[California]

Perhaps the question would be better stated:

How often do you cycle from Backhoe to Three Point Hitch implements? Estimate proportion of time tractor is used with each.

Swapping out the hoe to put on the qhitch for other implements got to be a nuisance. So I bought a second, smaller $3500 Yanmar that I now use 80% of the time and leave the hoe on the YM240. See my photo above, where I pulled the little guy away when I got it too close to the fence.

I use the little one with the implements I originally bought or built for the YM240 - rotary mower, rototiller, rear forks and platform. Photo. As well as the implements that are properly sized for the little guy - spike harrow, land plane, and towing my watering trailer.

If the little YM186D could lift the 3-point backhoe, I could sell the larger YM240 - but no. The hoe is too heavy.