Another backhoe question

[Carl_NH]

Since it was logged 8 years ago you some slash and stumps left, but those will be partially rotted and easier to pull. if the new growth trees are 5-8" you might be able to get a dozer with scarifiers for a few days to remove the new and old stumps pretty quickly on a few acres.

But if you want one machine that does it all then get an excavator with a front blade - most of the 10-12 ton machines can do stumps and is not too big.

 

[caver]

I had a new Kioti LB1914 and got it with a Rhino backhoe. Fun but often it wasn't up to the task. The little hoe was strong for its size but would throw the tractor around. I traded that off a few years later for a used Dk40 and not long after found a '92 580K with less than 3k hours on it. My area is hilly and rocky. At times I regretted not buying a low hour used Kubota mini ex. I do like now I can leave the brush cutter on my tractor all summer. Putting that subframe backhoe on and off wasn't hard solo but could easily take me 20-30 minutes.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

A small backhoe can do a lot including digging a 30,000 gallon pool (break the banks and move dirt with front bucket), installing and trenching for inspected/approved septic field, electrical tranches 36" deep to machine sheds, removal of stumps, water lines to gardens, etc....
Stumping I can generally do 5 pine tree stumps per hour, 14" avg. diameter, from freshly fallen trees on a b2620 or an l3301.
Footing for a 2,000 sq. foot shop took half a day.
150' electrical trench down to 36" in sandy soils about 3 hours.
Super nice to have it when and where wanted with no notice or worry of picking up and getting it back to rental shop.
But on the downside it could make you super popular around your village or wherever you live.
Slower than a big bucketed excavator, weaker than a mini ex. but sure valuable to me.
I am well experienced and careful with my stuff. I could do some pretty stupid things with my BH that could wreck stuff but I simply don't push it rather take my time, use my head, and have yet to have O-sh@t moments. We were tought in grade school farming classes smooth is fast, steady is safe, and getting home at end of day is the goal.

Cheers

 

[Wolfy]

My father has a 9000 Woods backhoe on his Kubota, we used to use it alot for digging deck piers. For digging stumps, it is not the right machine. Way too small and you really are beating the tractor for nothing. For your uses, I would look for an older Ford or Case backhoe. Ive seen some steller open cab models go really cheap because nobody wants them. A friend of mine offered to sell me a Ford 3550 which I bought, I put some money in it, but Im in for less than one months rental of a backhoe. At 50 hp and 10,000 lbs its a very nice homeowner size rig, especially with the front forks mine came with. No question excavators are best but not everyone can justify them, plus the front bucket on mine sees as much use as the hoe.

 

[hornett22]

It's very useful. You'll find that there are uses for it you never realized. For example, drainage issues, cleaning out a culvert, planting trees , ripping out bushes, brush, bamboo. I use mine to clean out debris in my creeks when the get filled up with debris. Ever need a water line or to run power to a shed or barn? Dead livestock or large pet?

They're really handy to have. Rentals here are a pain. You'll spend two hours calling around to find a machine. Time to get it. Hope it's functioning 100% which is rare, limited hours allowed, returning it , making sure you fill it with fuel.

No thanks, I'll take the backhoe.

 

[AndyMA]

I'm another who wouldn't have a tractor without. My last 6 tractors have all had backhoes. My current Kubota MX5200 has a BH92. I use it all time for everything the OP mentioned. I even use it with the mechanical thumb to hold logs to cut into firewood lenght.

Andy

 

[ning]

I know the "backhoe or not" subject has been discussed many times here. I have read many of the threads. Love all the knowledge here. I seem to read either:
-Everyone is crazy, mine is great
-Waste of money overall

My question is... if I don't expect the BH to be a mini-ex, and I do my projects SLOWLY and CAREFULLY, couldn't I get a lot done?? Manage expectations, but still:
-Dig trenches for power/water lines
-SLOWLY dig stumps
-Little by little pond
-Little by little root cellar
-Footings for barn/house/shop foundation

I have 6.4 acres of heavily wooded raw land that I will be making into a full time homestead from scratch myself. So the BH would get a huge amount of work.
I am buying a Branson 4820H in March. I was quoted $7,500 for the BH. Ballpark an extra $90/month on the loan payment. In my area, a mini ex for a weekend (still work full time, mostly remotely) is ballpark $400 for the weekend. So, about 19 rentals.

If the BH is CAPEABLE of doing things WITH TIME, I would 100% rather take the time and do my projects right, than rent and rush. Not to mention I work on call all over the country, so even scheduling rental is very difficult.

So I guess my main question is: Is a Branson BH250 actually useful when used correctly and personally (no commercial, so length of projects if more or less irrelevant) or would I be better off with a shovel?

Thank you all.

-Everyone is crazy, mine is great
-Waste of money overall

Both are correct.
If it was all about cash, you'd get more done renting.

If you consider time spent, and being able to use it when you need to, having the backhoe is fantastic.

I use mine a fair amount. So far if you add up all the times I've used it as either half or full day rentals, I might now have just come out ahead vs renting after 5 years.

However, I can dig one hole and be done with it without an extra two hour trip to town, rent, go home, and then again to return it; without taking all that time I can get a lot more done.

Basically for small to medium jobs, though my backhoe is slow relatively speaking - it may take me an hour to do what a mini-ex got done in 15 minutes - but when you add on all the time associated with renting, my backhoe comes out far ahead.

If I had a serious concentrated digging job, for the same reason (my time is precious) I would rent a more appropriate machine for that job.

 

[4570Man]

I used to have a tractor backhoe and I used it a lot. I didn’t realize that it was lacking because it was all that I had and it was better than a shovel. Renting isn’t a very practical option. I’ll rent a tool if I need it like once but much beyond that and I buy my own. I have a mini excavator now that’s obviously a lot better but that’s a different price point. I say that if you can afford the backhoe and think you have a reasonable use you should go for it. If you have any really ambitious projects you might consider buying a mini instead.

 

[redman135]

Hello murraya8922, if you go the owner route on a backhoe or excavtor, 1 way to inprove the stumping ability is to have a "pick/ripper) made for your machine. See "Dirt Ninja" mini ecavator with ripper. This will show you what I am talking about. You can save time by not having to dig dirt, and the single tooth greatly multiplies the diggging force.

 

[dougtrr2]

I think the only project that would be questionable is the pond. Quite some time back the question was raised about using a Kubota BX series for a pond. Someone did the math on the volume of the pond, the volume of a BX loader, travel times etc. When it was all said and done, it cleary made no sense whatsoever to attempt that size pond with a small piece of equipment.

That said, I think your "slow but steady" model on the other projects is definitely worth consideration. Yes, specialized equipment will get the job done faster and better, but that wasn't your question.

I have a backhoe on my BX. I don't use it a lot, but I have never had any regrets for buying it.

Doug in SW IA