Lt CHEG
Platinum Member
As I evaluate my purchase decisions I'm also evaluating implements. At first I had no interest in a backhoe, but now I'm starting to have second thoughts. I've priced renting an excavator to do what work will need to be done at my homesite. It looks like I can get a medium sized excavator for about $1,000 a week delivered. I can get the foundation dug in a day for sure and another couple of days could be used for digging the utility trenches for gas, electric, water and sewer. I could also make sure that I have some nice trenches and maybe a couple extra french drains for the driveway. I'd have to take a week off of work to get it all done in that time but it would be sooo much cheaper than hiring all that work out.
The thing that I'm starting to think about it this though. It's expensive to get that piece of equipment delivered, so it pays to get everything done at once. The problem is that I'd like to do some of the work a little more piece mail and also I'm starting to think of some other projects. I'm thinking about doing a full foundation for my large shed/ workshop (approx. 16x30). I'm also thinking that I'd rather do the utilities not all at the same time as well. So I figure realistically I'd still be able to do all the work with no more than $2500 to $3000 worth of rental equipment in the extended time frames. What I'm thinking is that if I were to buy a backhoe for whatever CUT I buy (as long as I go with something at least as big as say a Woods BH80X) and then sell it after I got done with all the excavation I probably wouldn't take more than a $2500 loss over what I paid for the backhoe. Plus, I could do all the work on my own time, no rush, no need to take extra time off of work. Not to mention that I may end up coming up with all sorts of other projects to use the backhoe for, and may end up wanting to keep it anyway.
So, I realize that it would take much much longer, maybe 40 hours or more to dig a foundation for my house with a CUT mounted backhoe vs. an excavator. But is it feasible to dig a foundation with a CUT mounted backhoe? I would want 9 foot basement walls so I figure including floor I'm digging at most 8 feet a the land is very flat. Am I insane to even be thinking about doing things this way? I realize it's more work to have to dig smaller bites with the smaller backhoe and then move the piles around with the FEL, but it would allow me to spread the job out over a whole summer. This would be less stressful for me than having to get everything done at once while the equipment is on site, and would probably save me money in the long run because I'd be running a tractor instead of going out and wasting money on other things. So how many of you have dug foundations with a CUT mounted backhoe before? Just how crazy am I for even thinking about doing it this way? As always thanks in advance for the advice.
The thing that I'm starting to think about it this though. It's expensive to get that piece of equipment delivered, so it pays to get everything done at once. The problem is that I'd like to do some of the work a little more piece mail and also I'm starting to think of some other projects. I'm thinking about doing a full foundation for my large shed/ workshop (approx. 16x30). I'm also thinking that I'd rather do the utilities not all at the same time as well. So I figure realistically I'd still be able to do all the work with no more than $2500 to $3000 worth of rental equipment in the extended time frames. What I'm thinking is that if I were to buy a backhoe for whatever CUT I buy (as long as I go with something at least as big as say a Woods BH80X) and then sell it after I got done with all the excavation I probably wouldn't take more than a $2500 loss over what I paid for the backhoe. Plus, I could do all the work on my own time, no rush, no need to take extra time off of work. Not to mention that I may end up coming up with all sorts of other projects to use the backhoe for, and may end up wanting to keep it anyway.
So, I realize that it would take much much longer, maybe 40 hours or more to dig a foundation for my house with a CUT mounted backhoe vs. an excavator. But is it feasible to dig a foundation with a CUT mounted backhoe? I would want 9 foot basement walls so I figure including floor I'm digging at most 8 feet a the land is very flat. Am I insane to even be thinking about doing things this way? I realize it's more work to have to dig smaller bites with the smaller backhoe and then move the piles around with the FEL, but it would allow me to spread the job out over a whole summer. This would be less stressful for me than having to get everything done at once while the equipment is on site, and would probably save me money in the long run because I'd be running a tractor instead of going out and wasting money on other things. So how many of you have dug foundations with a CUT mounted backhoe before? Just how crazy am I for even thinking about doing it this way? As always thanks in advance for the advice.