Backhoe on tractor is not true industrial machine. It will get the job done it will take much longer time on large jobs. They don稚 typically have the same hydraulic flow Rate as true industrial backhoe or excavator. You can find well used industrial backhoe for under 20k. I am digging pole barn posts using 35 hp tractor with rail mounted backhoe it digs 6 foot depth but when I hit clay more time is needed to accomplish depth. Putting in perma columns concrete post that attaches to wood pole. Removing the treated post from ground exposure.
What tractor for around $15k has the deepest digging backhoe attachment available???
- Thread starter lewisthepilgrim
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You mentioned trailering house to house. Using a typical car hauler and typical pickup your looking at only 4,000# backhoe and 2,000# car trailer and 6,000 total pounds. This puts you in the range of only a Kubota B26 TLB or an equivalent tractor and frame mounted backhoe. Full size backhoes are HEAVY. Bumping up to a equipment trailer and heavy duty towing vechicle are expensive. To give you a reference point my Kubota L4330 with loader, backhoe and heavy duty buckets are in the 7,000# range. With an appropriate equipment trailer in the 10,000 pound range. An older Ford 555 is 14,000 pounds.
A Kubota B26 TLB is a very capable and durable unit and many businesses use them as a compact backhoe. My neighbor with a sizeable excavating business started it out of HS with a small Kubota TLB. For the frame mounted add on tractor backhoes such as mine it has held up very well.
A Kubota B26 TLB is a very capable and durable unit and many businesses use them as a compact backhoe. My neighbor with a sizeable excavating business started it out of HS with a small Kubota TLB. For the frame mounted add on tractor backhoes such as mine it has held up very well.
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radios1
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full size for safety with what you want. I know a guy that owns a cesspool company and he broke a loader arm putting one in, apparently it was too heavy.. what a weld on that to repair it!..
airbiscuit
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4570Man
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The old full size backhoes are lighter than the new ones but they’re still a good load to move around. The Kubota compact backhoe line ( current models B26, L39, and M62 but there’s probably a dozen discontinued ones ) are by far the best compact backhoe that offers a 3 point hitch. A tractor with a backhoe add on isn’t even close to the backhoe and loader strength.as much as a full size machine would be awesome, I would have trouble trailering it around from house to house. Also they don't have 3 point hitches for a Post hole digger which is a deal killer. But that's a nice hole !
aczlan
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On the plus side, a full-size machine would have enough hydraulics to use a hydraulic auger on the backhoe (in place of the bucket) which would do a much better job at drilling holes...as much as a full size machine would be awesome, I would have trouble trailering it around from house to house. Also they don't have 3 point hitches for a Post hole digger which is a deal killer. But that's a nice hole !
Aaron Z
Richard
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Call me biased but my thoughts are do what you can do to make it work or, put a list down for your priorities because you are going to have to sacrafice something to make it work.
My JCB 1550B will dig a two foot flat bottom at 15 1/2 feet, is that deep enough? I think it weighs something like 18,000 pounds (or was it 16,000???) anyway, it's obviously heavy and a Toyota Tundra isn't likely going to be very useful to move it.
Are you close enough you could simply DRIVE to your location? Put your drinks and lunch in the bucket and hit the road! (maybe along with a couple cans of diesel)
Oh, and I bought my unit (2-wheel drive) for well under your limits. It's not pretty but, runs as smooth as a watch and has plenty of power.
My JCB 1550B will dig a two foot flat bottom at 15 1/2 feet, is that deep enough? I think it weighs something like 18,000 pounds (or was it 16,000???) anyway, it's obviously heavy and a Toyota Tundra isn't likely going to be very useful to move it.
Are you close enough you could simply DRIVE to your location? Put your drinks and lunch in the bucket and hit the road! (maybe along with a couple cans of diesel)
Oh, and I bought my unit (2-wheel drive) for well under your limits. It's not pretty but, runs as smooth as a watch and has plenty of power.
I don't think that it's been mentioned, if you do buy tractor mounted backhoe make sure that it has a subframe. Hanging them off the 3pth arms can be hard on the machine, and break the rear housing off the machine if you work it too hard.
rScotty
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You can certainly buy an older full size backhoe for that $15K price. It will be 2WD and manual shift. It may or may not have a cab. Expect it will be well worn, but the one you want is one that has not been abused. They are out there for that price. I've seen several that I thought were good buys go in that range this year alone.
It will probably need some work....but shouldn't need anything major, and for $15K it should be able to go to work tomorrow. I would look specifically for JD310 or perhaps an older Case. Both have good parts availability and decent support groups.
I am assuming that you have tools and are a competent mechanic. If not now, you will be - and nothing wrong with that.
As for trailering, I wouldn't. If you stick with rural jobs within a ten mile radius you can simply drive it between jobs. Lots of people do.
A full size JD310 will dig to 14 feet and if it has the extendahoe dipperstick it will go 18 feet. Most have accessory hydraulics instead of using a PTO to run things like a post hole digger. But they do NOT have a 3pt hitch or PTO.
rScotty
It will probably need some work....but shouldn't need anything major, and for $15K it should be able to go to work tomorrow. I would look specifically for JD310 or perhaps an older Case. Both have good parts availability and decent support groups.
I am assuming that you have tools and are a competent mechanic. If not now, you will be - and nothing wrong with that.
As for trailering, I wouldn't. If you stick with rural jobs within a ten mile radius you can simply drive it between jobs. Lots of people do.
A full size JD310 will dig to 14 feet and if it has the extendahoe dipperstick it will go 18 feet. Most have accessory hydraulics instead of using a PTO to run things like a post hole digger. But they do NOT have a 3pt hitch or PTO.
rScotty
3Ts
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If you need a 6' deep hole and the backhoe depth is spec'd at 6', it will take you awhile because you will have to move the tractor just a little, dig some, stop, get off and move the spoils back, back up to the other side of the trench and set up, get off and back on the backhoe side, dig some, get off and move the spoils back, etc. Since you're digging an area, there will be a lot of moving the tractor.
A couple of other things to consider:
- what is your soil like? Rocky, clay, sand? You will need to be concerned about the angle of repose to keep it from caving in. So you may have to dig a lot more than you plan.
- what is the strength of your backhoe? Is it strong enough to dig in your soil? This is a combination of the hydraulics and bucket size. Don't get a bucket too big that it can't penetrate the soil.
A couple of other things to consider:
- what is your soil like? Rocky, clay, sand? You will need to be concerned about the angle of repose to keep it from caving in. So you may have to dig a lot more than you plan.
- what is the strength of your backhoe? Is it strong enough to dig in your soil? This is a combination of the hydraulics and bucket size. Don't get a bucket too big that it can't penetrate the soil.
