Backhoe attachment decision

[loweryc]

HELLO FROM CANADA:

Just another hobby farmer from ontario looking for some helpful info.I've owned a John deere 4320 now for 4 years (720 hrs) and I am about to purchase a backhoe attachment for it. I've narrowed the search down to either a Wallenstein GX920 or a John Deere 485 but the price difference is around $4000 dollars. Am I missing something here

 

[jeff9366]

In terms of eventual resale, a John Deere Backhoe on a John Deere tractor will allow you to recover much more of your original investment in both tractor and Backhoe.

 

[boggen]

3pt hitch backhoes. it is normally suggested to get a "sub frame" for your tractor to work with the backhoe. if you don't you are more likely to destroy or damage the 3pt hitch.

i am different than jeff9366, once a machine gets some years on it, and hours on it. things tend to go down rather quickly for resale value. i would rather put more into... over all reach / dig depth, and overall weight it can lift. (keeping within ability of the tractor to handle the backhoe)

the one thing most folks that have a backhoe want, ends up being a "thumb" for the backhoe. there are cheap mechanical (kinda pin on thumbs) that might be adjustable with spots were you pin, and then there are hydraulic version of thumbs that are more expensive.

============
if you are not going to be using a backhoe a whole lot. renting a "mini ex" (mini excavator) and simply saving up jobs over a year or what ever. and go all weekend warrior when renting a unit. can be easier on some folks pocket books.

===========
if you were buying new, getting tractor + FEL (front end loader) + backhoe = more chance of possibly getting dealer to giving a larger discount over all. due to those three items tend to be high price ticket items. being that you already have tractor and purchasing as a later purchase your going to eat some expense.

if you were to be using the backhoe a lot. just buying a TLB (tractor loader backhoe) were you can physically due a 180 in the seat and operate backhoe, can be a major plus. vs getting off tractor and getting on backhoe seat.

===========
goal of above, is more along the lines is were do you want to eat the extra cash, vs how much you will use it? granted most folks like myself find many uses for a backhoe. besides digging / stump removal.

 

[loweryc]

I have considered that eventuality, but I 'm not sure if the $4000 can ever be recovered regardless.We have to assume the loss on the original price, but we are talking 50% of the Wallenstein price, and 25% of the John Deere, and Wallenstein do make solid equipment

 

[deerseeker001]

Welcome from Wisconsin

 

[Briana03]

Welcome to TractorByNet!

We moved your thread to the Attachments forum.

 

[loweryc]

I will install the subframe. I can see how the force transfer would damage the 3pth( working point ). But I did notice the extra pin( or thumb) as u call it on the John Deere, but I'll have to make sure the Wallenstein has it as well. It will only be occasional use,and you are right again,I know I'll find quite a few things I can do with It, and the difference in power compared to a mini ex is substantial. I think I'll have to reconsider

 

[tman1020]

I just went through a similar dilemma as you. I was trying to decide On purchasing a bobcat brand backhoe that matches my tractor or a woods brand backhoe. It was a difficult choice and found that the bobcat one was difficult to find do that they've stopped making this model eventually I did find one at a good price but it had been sitting around for a while out side. I think I could have purchased a woods for close to the same price that would have been brand-new and I think the subframe option for Woods may have been a little more to my liking. As far as resale goes I can't really see where that would make that big of a difference, because you can always market the backhoe separately if you ever choose to resell. Wallenstein will most likely have subframes available for multiple tractors where is John Deere will probably only have them available for their own. However it is nice having matching stuff. Good luck.

 

[boggen]

3pt hitch backhoe with sub frame vs mini ex.

a mini ex can do some major damage, and can get in to some very small tight areas vs a backhoe. due to cost of a mini ex vs backhoe. backhoe normally wins out. that or renting a mini ex. on other hand having a backhoe or something that you can toss onto tractor when ever within a short amount of time and use, gives you ability to use when ever and let projects drag out. (rain for example) and not being crunched for time vs renting a unit. there is to many con's vs pro's between both. you know your land and most likely uses for it (general digging / trenching / stump removal, etc...) figure out what works best for ya.

if you have not actually ran a 3pt hitch backhoe, or a mini ex before, then go out to some dealers in your area and see if you can take some test drives on different machinery, it is about the only way you will get first hand experience of this vs that. many dealerships have some sort of "test pile" or test area to try stuff out.

 

[loweryc]

Thanks for the advice. I have ran mini's before,and backhoes, but not tractor loader backhoes. I hope I'm not too disappointed in the performance, but I do realize the performance will not be the same.

 

[the whispering oaks farm]

I have the LS xr4046HC with backhoe-it is mounted with a sub-frame and one hydraulic line. it does a nice job of digging, almost 8 feet deep. it doesn't have the power of say a Case contractor backhoe but it isn't $100,000 either. I bought it because our septic tank was full and the pumper said it would be at least $2000 just to locate the tank with a backhoe so I bought one instead. it took a half hour to find it. now I can dig out trees,clear ditches, dig small ponds, etc. I use it a lot now that I own one. I did get a package deal but it was around $6000. it sure is handy when you have a broken water line or ? I have a 35 acre farm so there will always be stuff to do. It takes about 10 minutes to install and is very stable. Hope this helps.

 

[loweryc]

Thats similar to my situation, always something around this farm that needs attention, but always 5 things waiting that are more important. My tractor is only 50 HP so I'm a little apprehensive. I hope it's enough. I won't work it too hard.It will not be used to provide an income.

 

[the whispering oaks farm]

Mine is 46 hp and it does well, I wouldn't want a smaller tractor though. Weight plays an important role in it. I fluid filled both the front and back tires. I bought both a 12 and 16 inch buckets and like the 12" bucket best. I have been adding water lines to our fruit trees and planting new stuff in the pastures. I also use it to clean the ditches and culverts in the front along the road. If you have it you will find it very useful for things all around. I am going to dig out an old oak tree that was killed in a storm.

 

[beaglebriar]

Heck my little 1920 is only 32 HP and the only thing I've found that will stop the hoe is solid rock. The backhoe isn't as nice as a mini x but it will pay for itself quickly if you have a small farm.

 

[chuck172]

I'm thinking about adding a backhoe to my kioti ck35. Really confused though. I'm afraid that I'll end up with an expensive toy that isn't strong enough to do what I want. Then there's frame mount vs. 3pt. hitch, woods brand vs. kioti vs. others.
It's a big 10k gamble.

 

[beaglebriar]

I'm thinking about adding a backhoe to my kioti ck35. Really confused though. I'm afraid that I'll end up with an expensive toy that isn't strong enough to do what I want. Then there's frame mount vs. 3pt. hitch, woods brand vs. kioti vs. others.
It's a big 10k gamble.

As far as being a gamble you may be right. I'm happy with my set up it's more than adequate for my needs. Frame mount is the way to go. Thursday I dug a 90 ft ditch in front of my barn it was 2 ft deep on average and it took me a good eight hours. It wasn't an easy dig and a lot of it was working on a side hill. I also had to clean up th removed dirt as I dug which meant a lot of loader work. I figure a pro could do it in half the time but it still would have cost me 600-800 bucks and that's not including the back fill and clean up. So you can save money in the long run if you have enough work to do with it. But 10 grand might be hard to justify

 

[ScottyChip]

Hi there, if you go with the backhoe attachment you will not regret it. I have a Kubota B7510 and bought a woods bh-6000 with sub frame this spring and love it, it's not a mini x, but I didn't expect it to be. Now I do things when I want to, rather then rushing to get the job done with a rented mini x. My tractor is light and the hoe can certainly bounce it around, but the sub frame adds a lot of stability and rigidity. I would never go 3 pt mount. The woods look like original when mounted and does not stick out the back too far. I think you will be pleased no matter which brand you go. Enjoy.

 

[/pine]

Personally I would look around for a used (stand alone) backhoe...in many areas you can find working hoes/loaders for around $5k and up...shop around for the right deal and you can use it for a few years and get your money back selling it down the road...

 

[St3v3n]

I just purchased a JD 5055 and I am adding a Wallenstein GX920. The JD dealer said the 3pt hitch is just fine and that the sub frame mount is not available for the JD 5055E. I looked at the Wallenstein mount applications and it lists the JD 5055E but says 4pt. I'm not sure what that means. Anyone have any experience with it?

 

[rmorey]

I'm thinking about adding a backhoe to my kioti ck35. Really confused though. I'm afraid that I'll end up with an expensive toy that isn't strong enough to do what I want. Then there's frame mount vs. 3pt. hitch, woods brand vs. kioti vs. others.
It's a big 10k gamble.

I had an '04 CK25 with the KB2475 hoe. It was incredible what I could lift (300-400 lb rocks) without a problem. :cool2: The only issue was that when digging trenches, you have to move all the time. It was so useful that when I got the new DK40, I upgraded to the KB2485 because I couldn't imagine not having a hoe on the machine.