Buying Advice Hobby Digging 5 acres Cheap Gentlemen Farmer

[ovrszd]

Welcome to TBN Missourian.

I'm afraid your budget is limiting you too much.

Assuming you'll keep the little JD, you might want to focus on a larger framed tractor to specifically do loader and/or hoe tasks?

Two years ago I bought a Ford 555A TLB. I paid $6,500 for it and spent an additional $1,000 doing necessary repairs. I've put 250hrs on it. It has easily paid for itself. Very handy tool to have around. Just finished hoeing in 250ft of water and sewer line at my Son's place.

Dredging any pool or pond with a backhoe is marginal at best. You realize quickly how limited they are in reach. My TLB is an extendahoe and is still limited. A SCUT or CUT with a hoe would be nearly worthless for such a task.

I think you need to focus on specific needs/wants and buy toward that.

Remembering a saying my Dad used frequently: "You can have anything you want, but you can't have everything".

 

[Industrial Toys]

I was wondering the other day, why mini exes or bigger, never have extendahoe. Yes, around the FARM, REACH in a hoe is everything. Especially since you are limited to that 180 arc for digging and spoil piles. One acre lot, digging holes for bushes, not so important.

 

[ovrszd]

Excavators generally have a large boom for their platform size. A longer boom would be worthless because of instability.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Some Exes have "very" long Stick options, and without extendahoe, it's out there ALL the time.

 

[ovrszd]

Some Exes have "very" long Stick options, and without extendahoe, it's out there ALL the time.

Yep, based on their platform size and weight.

 

[Jchonline]

I cant comment on the older tractors, but I have some experience with Backhoes. A backhoe with a 14 ft reach is going to probably be too much for a 3 pt hitch. Mine is 14 ft on a 4 ton tractor...not including the weight of the backhoe (2200 lbs).
You are more than likely looking at around 8 ft if you build it as well as the big boys (or maybe better)! Modern backhoes mount to a subframe on the tractor, providing superior strength and balance compared to 3 point mounting.
With an older tractor if you can find one with a subframe mount installed already it might be worth looking into fabrication...but there are a few others on the forum that have done it...years gone by still in the works. Maybe you can get it done faster

 

[herm0016]

1978 Case David Brown 121 Diesel Tractor with loader - farm & garden - by owner - sale

with a similar budget, i found a low hr orphan allis 5020. i have been happy with it and have gotten my monies worth over renting equipment in a single year.

check out this one? I have not seen many hydros in your range...

Tractor - farm & garden - by owner - sale

maybe this cub?


i see a lot of pretty nice tractors for 5 or less without loaders, you could then build the loader.

 

[shooterdon]

With only 5 acres and only one project for the BH, you may be better off getting the excavating work done. BH's add a lot of cost....investing in a better tractor would be my suggestion. Removing and attaching a BH can be challenging or easy depending on the model.

I had a JD855 and it a decent tractor. The 955 should be as well. But I found it too small for my needs.

Plan on spending $1000 the first year for parts.

Good luck!!

 

[McPierson]

Thanks. The Backhoe isn't really available as a part of a package from any of the listings. So that would come later as a project. I agree that it would be undersized and powered for efficient work, but this is a hobby for me not a career. For now it's not a part of the decision.

The Cub you listed is absolutely on my on my watch list. For now I'm really trying to get 4x4 and hydrostat...

 

[Jchonline]

My advice is to be patient, organized, and persistent. It may take you a year to find the right machine. You need to have daily sources that are checked religiously (new estate sales, local want ads, Craigslist (local only IMO), dealers that might have trade ins).