Buying Advice First Tractor

[Diggin It]

I don't really understand why every one of these threads has to go into the buy/rent schpiel, but since this one has ...

Two points:

Buying a BH new with the machine will cost less than trying to add one later.

Are you close enough to a town with a rental place (or more than one) that will always have a BH available when YOU want it at a price YOU think is reasonable, and do YOU have a way to transport it or are you dependent on them to deliver and pick up??

 

[Rmart30]

Hello all this is my first post I have read many post as a non member but just signed up. A little backround of what I am looking for and hoping some people can shed some light and direct me to the best choice for my needs based on your experience.

I live in New England small property right now under an acre but wife and I are looking to build on 5+ in the near future.

I am only interested in a Kubota mainly Subcompact. I am torn between BX2380 and BX23S.

My needs are light digging, mowing, moving dirt and mulch, possibly snow removal. I am not sure if the backhoe is worth the cost my father has a Mahindra with a backhoe and says he always finds uses for it. On the other side My grandfather and uncle both have JD's and neither have ever had a backhoe with the 40 acre property. They always said if you plan the job you can rent it for a day.

Has anyone bought a subcompact with the backhoe and regretted the extra almost 5K for lack of use or just to small for a given task and needed to get bigger equipment?

Thank you for you help.

Unless I lived somewhere remote and with more than 10 acres to reclaim and upkeep myself i would never ever buy a backhoe attachment.
A full size backhoe will do more work in a day than a week of a micro tractors backhoe work. Whats your time worth? Plan out your tasks and as you quoted plan the job and rent one for a few days and knock it out.
If any trenches need dug in the future I can tell you (excluding rock filled land) that a ride on trencher will trench more and faster than a micro backhoe and they will rent for about $225 a day.. half that for a walk behind trencher. The last 300 ft 24" deep i trenched on a ride on took me about 20ish minutes to do and i wasnt even on the machine. Set the cruise and point it in the right direction.


"advertised rental rates" down here which (like car sales) are actually higher than what a salesman will rent them for.

36" walk behind trencher $200 a day.. probably closer to $125ish

ride on trencher $325 ($250ish for a weekend)

9500# mini X... pretty decent size is $350 ($250ish weekend) $1000 a week

backhoe with cab, AC and 4x4 ... 8000 lb front bucket lift capacity. is advertised at $300 day, $1000 week and $2000 a month. ($1600ish) on the monthly


Full size backhoes are the "bargain" of the rental world. Mini X's are the "in thing" and bring a good rate.

if a backhoe attachment is $5k like you said. Myself id spend $1600 and rent a backhoe for a month, or even less and keep the $3k price difference in my pocket.