Buying Advice Backhoe loader

[rtimgray]

If you are planning on doing disking and tilling, with backhoe work on the side, I would go with a tractor and backhoe attachment, not a dedicated TLB. I have a Kioti DK 45 with a backhoe attachment. As an earlier poster noted, it is nothing compared to a real TLB like a Ford 755. However, I had bought a John Deere TLB (60's some-odd model) and I could not keep it running long enough to work. I got rid of it and bought the backhoe attachment and couldn't be happier.

Good luck and take care.

 

[powerstroke444e]

I like the tlb of kubota's and john deere's 110. It amazes me the number of things you can do with them. For what your looking to do a l35 or l39 would be well suited but you may get by with b26 all could be found in upper teens or low 20k range used. It all depends on how lone you want to spend doing something.
I have a 5foot bushhog behind my b26 and it don't bother me to hit a small couple acre patch with if its any bigger I use a bigger tractor. For field tile water lines drainage around new construction home or finish grade work I like my b26 but for food plot work I have a m5400. Many times wish I had a bigger tlb but just as many its just right size.

As a personal thing I don't like backhoes added to regular tractors the just don't seem as well done/and hard on the tractor ie the tractor is maxed out just setting there. And yes I have used several just my personal preference.

 

[mjncad]

Or rent a mini-excavator for the few times you need a backhoe. That's what I do.

 

[Martian]

I have a local contractor has a lot of nice, big equipment for his one man company. We've gotten to know each other pretty well over the past ten years as he has been doing work for me on and off. I asked him why do you need a tri axle 10 yard dump truck or a 110 HP backhoe and his answer was short an sweet. He said you can haul a small load in a big truck but you can't haul a big load in a small truck. Same thing with your backhoe. You get a big one you can do little jobs and big jobs but a smaller backhoe will just do smaller jobs. That's why I'm in the same situation with 15 new vacant acres that are heavily wooded and I'm looking to trade in my 3 year old John Deere 3120 with 150 hours for a 20 year old backhoe with 5000 hours.

Plus when you get a dedicated tlb you get a lot more dig depth extendahoe and you dont have to leave the seat to operate the backhoe

 

[Opti-Mist]

Thanks for all the advice. I couldn't spend more than 20k on one. The septic was done by a pro. I would be using it to trench in water lines and pulling a small disc and a tiller. I have a acre and a half of yard that needs to be leveled off so I thought it would be cheaper to just by a tractor and do it all my self than to hire someone every time. I have more time than I do a budget.

For that kind of usage I've used Ford/NH 1710 or 1920 w/loader, a 3-point hitch 7-1/2 foot backhoe, 5' & 7' rear blades, box scraper & landscape rake for the dirt work and a 60" rotary mower for the fields. Works for me.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

There's a reason why CUTs are considered hobby farm tractors.

The jobs are either small and numerous, or large and time consuming.
Hobbies take lots of small steps. And hobbies usually don't require all of it to be done right this minute.

Or you can look at it as a CUT with various attachments is a craftsman's tool, lovingly and painstakingly whittling away at a masterpiece; while a large farm tractor is an industrial tool made for mass production.

NASA got us to the Moon fast by going big, loud, inefficient and expensive. There are smaller, quieter, cheaper and more efficient ways to get there, but they all take a lot more time.