Thanks for the great advice. I did do some research on the aftermarket backhoes (Woods etc.) and if I buy the 4310 I'll look at one of those. The projects will probably stretch out over the next 3-4 years as I prepare to move out to the property so buying will probably be my best option at this time. I've also gained alot of inforamtion from the other discussion groups. These forums are a wealth of information. It just takes a great deal of time to read them all.