Backhoe or not

[jeff9366]

If your LS bucket is distinctly RIGID you may find a $400 Bucket Spade meets your needs.

I grew up in Seattle. North End Seattle soil is soft.

 

[dwalk19]

buying a XG3025, dealer is offering $2k off the hoe attachment, while I don't need a BH all the time, I have 5acres, not rocks or trees but slowly developing. anyone think I'm crazy for not jumping on the deal?

I've been looking at backhoes for that sized tractors also, all the prices I've got have been around $6000 for the the subframe mount and around $4000 for the 3pt. Hitch style,, so if that's for the subframe mount, id say it's very good, where are you located,, I've checked all my prices in the NY & PA areas,,

 

[tomplum]

My wife has been having a ball with our back hoe on the XJ. SHe's digging out stumps, moving trees and shrubs and anything else she wants. Has the knack does she. Great ballast too...

 

[chuck172]

Most tractor mounted backhoes are underpowered, hard on the tractor frames, and fairly useless in terms of cost/benefit. Had one on my previous tractor, and was the only attachment I sold with it. Most people buying them have never used a real backhoe or excavator, so they don't realize what a piece of crap they have, thus continuing the sale of them.

Spend your money on buying an older, REAL machine, or on the rental of one....you'll be far better off.

Agree 100%

 

[bamboozled]

If you can afford it, buy it.

There have been quite a few times I've been behind a shovel since I bought my tractor that I thought, that extra $50 or so bucks a month would have been worth it to have the backhoe.

 

[WVH1977]

Like bamboozled said, if you can afford it, want it, then buy it. However, I would really take into consideration on the advice from TnAndy. My friend bought an old Ford backhoe for $ 5,000. and uses it all over his farm. It is old, beat up, and leaks, but it runs, is strong and he has no problems digging out stumps, knocking over trees and picking heavy things up. Just don't expect the tractor mounted backhoe to perform like a real backhoe or mini-ex. No matter what you do, just having the equipment you are looking at purchasing is far better than a rake, shovel and pick-ax. You will be happy either way you decide to go.

 

[ning]

I don't have the jobs that make it "worth it" economically - I'm well aware that I can stack up the jobs I need a backhoe for and rent one from the yard.

However - in the wait up to getting enough to make renting actually worthwhile (a 1/2-day rental starts when you leave the yard and ends when you come back, while a full day is 24hrs & up to 8hrs on the machine but costs a bit more), I get sick of all these jobs not-completely-done and I end up going after whatever it is with muscles, sweat and tears... and resultant pain.

This is why in my quest for a tractor, I'm planning on buying a backhoe with it. In fact, for me, it's actually the main point. I can live with stumps here and there, but I don't want to. I can dig the boulders out by hand... slowly... but no. Also, since I decided finally that yes I'm going to buy a tractor for real (I've been on and off the fence there for 15 years), I keep finding jobs that "I'll do when I get the tractor".

So for $3500, I'd go for it, if the setup looks like it'll handle the jobs you can think of today. But then again, I already have a list of things I can use it for; if after all this you still don't have anything that a backhoe would help with, I guess save your money?

 

[oldpilgrim]

You'll never say, "I wish I hadn't bought it" but you'll say over and over, "I wish I had".

 

[Underdog57]

You'll never say, "I wish I hadn't bought it" but you'll say over and over, "I wish I had".

That is a great question to ask yourself!

I wish I had bought one with my tractor 3.5 years ago!

 

[ning]

That is a great question to ask yourself!

I wish I had bought one with my tractor 3.5 years ago!

I haven't bought yet but I kick myself every time I go out on my land with a shovel, mattock, pick, posthole digger, etc... and my son's moving soon and he's got twice my energy so I'm really going to need it.