If you get the chance to actually operate the BH's you're considering, check out the controls. When you first start out, you'll be making single moves (swing boom, raise/lower, in/out, curl/open bucket), one at a time, but with a good setup and some practice you should be able to make smooth combination moves (i.e. bucket curl + crowd + dipperstick + swing all at the same time). The more refined the control setup, the more productive you can become with your backhoe.