Is a backhoe on a ck20s worth the price?

[malk315]

Derek-

This was one of the most entertaining "story" posts I've read on here... I was laughing big time -- great story. So true too -- especially the "idiots" and the "techs".

My brother works for Sea and Shore Contracting who have all kinds of toys including 2 Kubota mini-ex. I do the IT on the side for their computers and when I need a mini -- I let the owner know we're taking one home. No idiots to deal with and w/ my brother operating the dirt and rocks fly out of the trench in no time!

Not sure what I'd do if I didn't have that resource...

I would buy my backhoe again in a heartbeat! There's always the "just rent an excavator, it's cheaper" comments on these "Should I buy a backhoe" threads. I thought about it long and hard before ordering my tractor and rented a Yanmar Vio27 min-ex plenty of times for work.

Say I wake up in the morning and decide to remove a few stumps or dig a drainage trench. Before my purchase, I would have to call the rental yard and ask if they had the mini-ex available (most of the time, NO), IF they did then I would have to wait until after 9am, get in the truck and get gas since it was 45 mins each way, drive to the rental yard, fill out 3 pages of paper work, copy my license, hook up the trailer, wait for them to load the mini-ex while my truck is getting thrown around because they're idiots, then re-strap it myself because they're idiots then finally drive home wasting more gas and time.
Once home, I would have to unstrap and unload, remove the stump(s), dig trench, etc... while watching the hour meter since I was charged and arm and a leg for anything over 8 hours. After completing the task, I would reload the mini-ex, strap it down, make sure there is no new scratches on it (not joking!), waste more time and gas driving it back to the rental yard, wait for an hour for a "tech" to unload it and check it over trying to find any new scratches (not joking) then proceed inside to read me over the 3 page contract and charge me $200 for the 8 hrs plus $50 per hour over 8. Finally, I leave and drive home with an empty gas tank and empty wallet for a couple of stumps or a trench.
Time spent: ALL DAY
Cost: Mini-ex-$250, Gas in truck-$50, Cost of my time lost driving around and dealing with "techs"-$300+

Fast forward to after my tractor purchase. I wake up in the morning deciding to remove a few stumps or dig a trench. Have my coffee, walk outside, start the tractor, remove the stump(s), put tractor away and go inside.
Time spent: 2-3 hours
Cost: $10 worth of diesel
Aggravation saved: PRICELESS!

If your going to actually use it and not just buying it for one or two small jobs then it's well worth the money. Especially come resale time.

 

[Dmace]

Derek-

This was one of the most entertaining "story" posts I've read on here... I was laughing big time -- great story. So true too -- especially the "idiots" and the "techs".

My brother works for Sea and Shore Contracting who have all kinds of toys including 2 Kubota mini-ex. I do the IT on the side for their computers and when I need a mini -- I let the owner know we're taking one home. No idiots to deal with and w/ my brother operating the dirt and rocks fly out of the trench in no time!

Not sure what I'd do if I didn't have that resource...

Thanks!
It's nice having a resource like yours. I work for a large highway construction company and would love to be able to take home any number of excavators, dumps, trailers, etc... but they really frown on that due to insurance...
I'm sure they wouldn't notice me hitch up the gooseneck and JD 110 for the weekend. I'll just coast out of the yard then take off quickly! :thumbsup:

 

[Milton Burro]

Thanks everyone - I keep going back and forth on it. I've got about 13 inherited acres of at least 20-30 years neglect that I spend what time I can spare cleaning up.

Got rock?

I was in the same boat as you a couple of years ago. I bought a grapple. It was a lifesaver in cleaning up overgrown brush, saplings, fallen dead trees. Like having ten strong guys working for you, but funner.

 

[TripleR]

I was not going to post, but why not. Not everyone finds a back hoe essential or even worth the money. It depends on your property and intended tasks. If I had to choose between a smaller back hoe equipped tractor and a bigger more powerful tractor with a FEL, I would go with the bigger tractor any day.

We have owned a Case back hoe for many years and after the first couple of years in which we used it quite a bit, it has spent most of its time in a shed and now we don't even keep it running. It was bought used and has paid for itself as we didn't pay much for it in the first place.

We rent an excavator on the rare occasion we need one and the inconvenience is really of no consequence as we plan ahead.

Yes, it would be nice to have the money to keep one on hand, but the money is needed elsewhere and the need is not there. If money was no object, I would have l lots of stuff sitting around just in case I woke up one morning and felt like using it.

In order to determine if it is "worth it", one must look at their actual needs vs wants. We have several hundred acres on three farms and no need for one, so for us renting is the way to go. Some people with small acreage will have enough projects to keep the busy, so it will be money well spent. There simply are no universals when dealing with some things.

Just for the record though, I can hardly go to the dealer without casting an eye at the TLB's and my dealer has a good used one right NOW; needs/wants.

 

[Not Retired Yet]

After a lot of thinking, listing what I need done, and really looking over the property and seeing what backhoe work there is to do now, I decided I would be better off with a larger tractor and more implements. Thanks everyone!