Backhoe vs Tractor with backhoe

[paulsharvey]

I'll throw this up as another option. Get a compact utility tractor, with a loader, and something like this. These Chinese mini hoes are getting pretty common for homeowner and lawn care guys, and they are dang cheap (compared), and assembled basically from off the shelf components (standard cylinders, pumps, a Briggs engine, ect)

 

[mike69440]

Exactly right. If I got a tractor, I'd want something that can handle moving feld trees as well as installing and maintaining a small food plot/garden

Got a question,
Is your 6 acres a miniature version of our 17 Acres before we did the terraforming or is it a nice piece of workable land?
See my thread: Busy Wife This Weekend
to give you you some idea of what I'm referring to.
Next question, do you farm, or just maintain, & improve property.
Answer that, and that determines what equipment you need.

 

[nch77]

I found its better for me to rent a decent sized mini ex for when I need it, not invest in a backhoe. The mini ex is much faster and easier to use, and I don't have to maintain it.

The prices are insane though, if I ever buy an excavator it is much cheaper to get a 50k lb machine compared to a mini.

 

[Mark_G]

I have just under 6 acres, gravel driveways, mature woods, etc. I have a 30HP Kioti CK30 with a backhoe etc. The tractor is a champ, I am amazed at the trees I can lift and drag with it. If I can't,then I can after using a good quality chainsaw! I did clear a bit of land a few years ago for a garden, but just hired in a crew to push the trees down, that is a job for a large loader, nothing I will own for my property. While I did have some trenching projects that more than paid for the backhoe in the past (french drains all around the house down to a pond we have, plus ran water and conduit for power out away from the house, most of the time (years at a time) the backhoe just sits. Renting a dedicated unit may well make more sense most of the time. What I use most is my bucket, box blade, rake, but one of the most used are just chains to pull logs and pull out small trees. I did pick up a tiller, but have yet to mount it (I need to cut it's driveshaft this week) for the garden I cleared, and I have an auger to put up fence poles. If I were to get a different piece of gear instead of the tractor, it would probably be something more like a Bobcat, as it has most of the same implements available. WIth having trees get something that will get through your property. My tractor "fits" what I have. I do have a pond and at some time in the future I will need to muck it out. That will also be a job to rent something far bigger than I would want to own, some sort of extension bucket or large excavator that can reach in far enough (I don't want to breach my damn to clean it). A tractor day to day is the best tool for me. Some implements are available for rent, and that is the best approach for many odd jobs that come up rarely, or until I need them more regularly (like the tiller).

 

[Wobblin-Goblin]

On our farm, we have a bunch of tractors and equipment to do all the things and chores that need to be done. From digging holes and trenches, to handling material (we have a small screening plant to make screened loam), to just whatever. The best thing we have for digging holes and trenches is our mini excavator, but the problem with that is it takes forever for the mini to get to the further reaches of the farm. If you're just digging one hole or pulling one stump, that's a lot of wasted time crawling along. The only other thing we have with a hoe on it is our 1953 Ford Jubilee. While we still use it occasionally and it does the job, the hoe is slow and a little on the weak side.

So that left me with a decision: do I buy a tractor large enough to have a capable loader and backhoe attachment...or just buy a yellow backhoe and be done with it?

I ended up buying a 2007 John Deere 410J with relatively low hours. Its loader outclasses even the upgraded loader on my MF 4707, and the backhoe is a beast. Plus, I get a nice cab with heat and A/C and don't have to climb out of the tractor to use the backhoe, I just swivel around and go to work.

One option I looked hard at was the Kubota M62. The downsides to that were:

A. You almost have to buy new because there aren't many used ones for sale and they are all going for nearly what a new model goes for.

B. No cab.

C. The loader on the M62 is only slightly more capable than the loader on my 4707. I didn't want to spend big bucks to only "slightly" improve on the loader.

 

[mikennh]

i have 20 acres in New Hampshire and a John Deere 1025R. It came with the loader, backhoe and mid mount mower. All the attachments are very quick removal and install. I used the backhoe for a few drainage trenches, and after that it pretty much sits in storage. (I do use it for logging once a year). I have the front snowblower, but if I had to do it again I'd get the rear mount, as it replaces the loader in the winter, which is great for pushing piles back. Front forks are essential and can be switched from bucket to forks in seconds. Attachments on the compacts are endless. Box blades, tillers, land planes, anything that will attach to a 3 point hitch. There are loads of low hour tractors on Marketplace. It seems at one time everyone had to have one of these tractors because it was a cool thing to have, and then they found they had little use for it. A heated cab is a great option for snow removal but it is an expensive option, and some cabs prohibit the backhoe mounting. I have over 500 hard hours on my 1025R, it's a smaller tractor, but it has done everything I've ask of it.

 

[djefferis]

You have left out a part of the equation - budget !

It’s like saying what’s better to haul things - a Mack or a 3/4 ton truck. Obviously one is “better” but it comes down to need/budget.

The best answer likely lies somewhere in the range of TLB or TL and renting a mini or possibly tractor/loader and buying one of the Chinese minis with a Briggs Stratton engine that are flooding the market right now.

Rarely is it worth the cost of 2 pieces of “name brand” equipment for a small property owner not using the machines daily for more than a project. A TLB is a Swiss Army knife - it does a little of everything - but again a dedicated machine does the job better/faster in general on larger jobs. Is time or money a priority here ?

The Chinese units out there can be had for less than the cost of the cheapest backhoe attachment - but know what you’re buying. It will likely need periodic “fixes” and it will have less support than a “name” manufacturer. Of course at 5500-6k - that’s probably a 1/3 of the price of the cheapest mini sold by “name” companies and is based on similar designs.

Renting is per use the highest cost - but if you’re going to use it 2 weeks and then set - it’s the way to go. Unless you have a list of weekend projects and time is broken up so you can’t do it all in a short period of time - it’s the best for many. A TLB is a good alternative for the hobbyist and they tend to hold value used - but new you are pushing 30k for the smallest units - that’s a lot of $$ when it’s not too difficult to find clean used tractor loaders of similar size for half that.

 

[Martin Roper]

Silly question, but here it goes.

Which would be most ideal for a 6 acre property with long driveway, mature trees, snow removal, and making and maintaining a small veggie garden. A midsize backhoe with loader or a midsize tractor with backhoe and loader?

You would be much better in my opinion to have a 360 tracked digger, 2.5 / 3 tonne, so much easier to use, they come in for every thing, you will find uses you haven't dreamed of. The day of the back hoe has gone.

 

[Drew Loker]

A midsize backhoe with loader or a midsize tractor with backhoe and loader?

I have a similar scenario (except for snow). I got a BX23…with FEL and BH. Also got an underbelly 60” mower and 4’ Tiller.

I have been pleased with the FEL and BH. However, the “chore” of removing the BH to use the mower, not to mention me putting the mower on successfully, resulted in my selling the mower. It was really time consuming and difficult. I am sure I would have gotten faster, but I felt that as I got older, it would be more challenging. And to have a tractor sitting there with the mower attached, and not wanting to take the mower off (and really the FEL) to put the BH on would really undermine the usefulness of the TLB. So I got rid of the mower while it was still practically new.

But I am about to do the same thing with the tiller also for the same reason. And I am ok with just having a TLB. The tractor is useful and works well for lots of jobs…planting trees, moving mulch, digging ditches, etc.

 

[captainbars]

Faced the same question recently and went with a 55hp TLB for my 7.5 acres. It does everything I want and is quick attach loader and backhoe.
For my ground in western Arkansas we have a lot of rock so the extra weight and power helps dig stumps or waterlines etc. The TLB gives you a lot more versatility with the use of added implements like box blade, post hole digger, etc. all which I use.
So it's back to your question, what do you need to do with it?