White Shark said:I'll never use a backhoe again if I can help it. Their breakout power is awesome, but I hate most everything else about the machines other than they are easily roadable.
I run a CAT 247B and I'm looking to pick up a Komatsu PC-40 or a CAT 304. I've been renting them, but I'm going to buy one soon. Both are solid machines and you can spec the steel track with composite road liners for the Komatsu. Even so, I've never had a problem with tracks coming off and I've pushed the rubber pretty hard. It sounds like you might have a design issue on that machine for the track to keep coming off. It can happen but every day? Something is seriously wrong there.
A new hoe costs around $90-100K. A new compact track loader and mini-X run about the same together, but you can run both machines with 2 guys and effectively make twice the money as you'd make with a hoe. Around NorCal, the rate for CTL/MTL's or a mini-X's is almost the same as that of a hoe. That, and they are easier to work on and you can trailer one or both if needed.
The other advantage is that you can run circles around a hoe with a tracked skidsteer, and dig in all sorts of crazy places with the mini. The loaders on the skidsteers are pretty good (I can't live without my 4 in 1 combo bucket), and they fit in tight spots.
You can also operate a tracked skidsteer on a Union site without having to hire a Union Operator. Skidsteers can be operated by anyone. They aren't considered "heavy equipment".
I love the breakout power, reach, and force that a backhoe offers and the fact that you can drive it to local jobs, but having run both combos, I'll never use a hoe again if I can help it. They are too limiting and awkward for my liking.
I was talking to a guy at the local CAT dealership and he told me that they've had a lot of guys buy the D and E series hoes (which are great machines), and bring them back to swap for the dual combo of the mini-X and the tracked skidsteer. Guys are going this route for a reason. It's not for everyone, but it works for me.
I've been seeing a ton of fire sales around here. Everyone needs cash in this economy and San Francisco Bay Area to Sacramento is a good place to look. There is a ton of good iron out here going for bargain basement prices. Independents are getting out of dirt work and getting full time jobs at the office to save their houses and the equipment is going for cheap as a result.
You can't go wrong with what you've got, but you might want to at least consider the option I've mentioned. It's a nice way to go and you can even keep them in a residential neighborhood behind a fence if you need to. It's hard to hide a hoe in the yard, much less the trailer....
Good luck.
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My problem is that in the excavating part of my business, I'm a solo act, so there's no one to run a mini-ex and a skidder.
I have reasearched the heck out of a mini-ex with a cab and a 4x4 utility tractor and the cost comes out higher. I have my sights set on a Kubota M-7040 with a cab & loader with only 275 hrs I can steal for $27,500. A used mini ex with cab is gonna run me $35,000. My backhoe was ~$55,000 in great condition with only ~1,000 hrs. Neither of the smaller pieces can do the heavy work like the backhoe, but I do agree there's advantages to the 2 smaller pieces.
The bad part is that the market is flooded with used TLB's, so I'd take a beating on mine even though it's a real cherry of a machine!
I may buy the Kubota M7040 anyway just because it's such a good deal.
