Is an FEL and Backhoe Worth It?

[Mousefield]

I got my Kioti CK35 with the FEL and Woods BH70-X backhoe with 7 position thumb. :thumbsup:
Get the right tools for the jobs you will be doing. Getting one new meant for me they are under warranty and work properly together. Didn't have to worry about used stuff not fitting, enough GPM from the hydraulic pump to run things and so on.

 

[robertwhite]

While I understand some of you have gotten the FEL and then later gotten a backhoe for your particular tractors, I think the real question still needs to be answered.

Does spending for the FEL and the the BH justify the cost or would you have been better off just getting a used dedicated TLB like a Case 580 or similar machine. For the extra $14K a tractor sized FEL and then backhoe would cost, I could get a real nice dedicated full size machine, no?

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I absolutely need the backhoe. Using a zero turn has been discussed, but the land is not perfectly flat so speed would be diminished and buying a ZTR AND a tractor w/bucket kind of defeats the purpose of the tractor.

We are talking about mowing 7+ acres and hogging 7+ acres, plus all the normal chores of a small farm type property.

Robert I think you are on to something getting when thinking about an older TLB. The cons mentioned are valid but just did not seem to equal the pros of us.

As I just posted in the JD thread we just got a 1983 Model 310 B loader/backhoe by accident.

I started looking for a FEL for the 1976 265 MF that belonged to my FIL. The accident part was looking on Ebay/Craigslist/etc the search would bring up all of these $5K-$10K TLB options. Finding a used FEL was not going well and any new one (not the high end ones either) was going to cost $5K+ and there was the sales tax too since we have no farm income.

Where I keep mowed (with bushhog) is steep with a lot of tight points making just the 265 and bush hog tight to turn around in some places. For $2200 more we got the TLB combo and still have a straigh tractor to use.

Yes there are two tractors to keep up but 10 years from now they will bring the same they would today based on the prices of older TBL's we found over the past few weeks of research on line and in person in three states.

We are going to be using the BH about 90% of the time for a while. If one does not need/want a BH then it makes more sense just to have a tractor with a FEL. In fact that is the reason ours was for sale. After three years they had their BH needs met and where just going to get a loader for their newer Kabota.

There are both junk and super TLB's out there in the $5K-$10K range. Because of our hills I wanted one with ROPS which cut out the oldest ones which may have been very good machines.

Robert when I was calling on some customers of our in TX last week in Gonzales I stopped late (after my last call for the day) in the day at a equipment dealer just north of the town on 183 on the way back to I-10. I do not remember the business name but he had been in the business for many many years. I stated I was out of state but just wanted his thoughts on 30-40 year old TLB's expecting him to say I was crazy to get something that old.

Instead he told me to only consider a Case 500 or JD 300 series in that age range because they were good machines but parts and service was the main reason for limiting it to Case and JD. He even looked up in his books to show me the specific model numbers in that age range. The first two in driving range when I got back just so happened to be JD 310 models but I was leaning towards Case 580 because I like the local Case dealer. The second JD 310 seemed to be a quality machine and being a 1983 it was newer than some in the same price range so we pulled the trigger.

Let us know what you do in the end.

 

[toolbox5]

Definatly worth the money , and a fraction of the weight . The prices keep going up so for me i bit the bullet and got one new with machine .I haven't been disapointed , tractor goes in in a couple weeks for new av20h grapple .

 

[Egon]

Look for one of the backhoe dedicated tractor models. Then you have a proper base attachments for the hoe and of course it will have a FEL.

The older commercial backhoes may give you size but they may also require a lot more attention. A lot of the little things like pins and hoses, bucket teeth, wore out seats and the list goes on may need replacement for comfortable operating.

Now, the main thing, it's your money, your decision.:thumbsup:

 

[TripleR]

What a conundrum. We bought a Case backhoe about sixteen years ago as we needed one on a couple of our farms and then I used it around my new home site. After a few years, all our BH needs were filled and it has mostly sat around since then and no longer runs. On the rare occasion we need one, we rent it.

I think I would lean towards your original proposal of a tractor and a dedicated BH. If you finish your projects, you can get most if not all of your money back and if you decide to keep it, it is nice to be able to just hop from one tractor to the next depending on your needs. A friend is a Police Officer who does construction on the side and he just bought another used dozer as he has a need for it and when the jobs are done, he will sell it until he needs one again. He used to have a fleet of vehicles, but the upkeep cuts into his profits when not in use; lots of good used equipment out there.

 

[RalphVa]

I'd never ever buy another tractor without a FEL.

Have limited use for a backhoe. Think unless you do, you'd be better off renting one.

Sorta like any tool. I have no use for a humongous hammer drill, but renting one to drill a bunch of holes in concrete for a safety cover on the pool was well worth it. I spent forever drilling just 4 holes with my own hammer drill but did 20 or so with the humongous hammer drill in less than 30 minutes, AND using the same drill bit. I'd bought a 2nd drill bit for my own hammer drill.

The rental places are quite good. Maybe some day, people will rent their monster big pickup trucks that are useful on rare occasions rather than buying them. Probably about 90+% of the time, a small pickup (smaller than the smallest we have now) would do just fine. The USA will have really progressed when the largest selling vehicle is no longer a big pickup.

Ralph

 

[o2batsea]

Good luck finding a TLB that's "affordable" which isn't totally shot. The usual scenario is that the implement is either so beat to **** that it will cost another 5-10K to get it back in shape, or it has been left sitting so long that it no longer even runs. Why buy a project that will take more work to repair than it's worth? Maybe look for a Terramite or similar.
There are LOTS of used tractors out there with loaders and even some with loaders and backhoes. I found my Kioti DK45 Cab with loader and BH for way less than retail and it had only 120 hrs on it.

 

[Ken45101]

It depends on the individual setup, but one tractor and taking things on and off (like the backhoe) can be a long involved hassle. Enough of a hassle that it may not get used. For example, I used to have a Kubota M4700 tractor with a FEL. It was too much hassle to get it on and off (1-2 hours including the front weights) and it was too much weight on a 2wd unit to leave on all the time. So it sat in the barn 99% of the time. Of course the big mistake there was a FEL with 2wd.

Back about 2004, I bought a Kubota B21 TLB. Convenient to jump on and use at a moment's notice. I put 400 hours on it in 5 years.

I am NOT in the camp that a FEL is so useful. I pretty much only use mine for moving dirt or gravel. For moving firewood or hay, I use a trailer.

Bottom line, it may be more of a hassle to put things on and off than it's worth. Also, on hilly terrain, the BH raises the center of gravity and makes the tractor less stable.

Now is a good time to buy used construction equipment. However, some of the stuff out there may be maintenance headaches....or you might find a good one.

Ken

 

[markrolley]

Don't forget to evaluate the specs of the BH and FEL that can be attached to your tractor. I am now on my third upgrade in due to what I originally purchased being under powered for what I needed to do. (not able to lift enough weight, breakout force not good enough, ect...)
I had first though just because I had a FEL and BH, I would be able to do anything I needed to do. I was so wrong!
If you don't want to commit the cash to the size and strength of what you will need, then rent.
I will say that no matter how small, the FEL has always been a blessing. I would also add you need to get some forks to make the loader a fork truck as well. This has been one of the cheapest things I got but most used. It is great not only for getting delivery items off of a truck, but just carrying stuff around. I keep my other attachments on a skid so moving and storing them is much easier than hooking up with the 3 point. I also use the forks for moving trees and tree limbs that have fallen after a storm. Add a man cage and you have a nice way to trim trees!

Get the FEL with forks and consider a 4n1 bucket. Evaluate the BH specs carefully to see if this pricey piece of equipment will do the job in the time you want.