Kubota BH75A? or not?

rob755 · Jan 9, 2012

Hi, I am wanting to buy a backhoe for my B7800 and have found a discounted price on a BH75A that has been sitting in it's crate outdoors in a coastal town since new, they say 2-3 years. Does anyone have thoughts on if sitting that long exposed to plenty of rain and elements (though crated) would necessarily cause any damage as far as seals etc.? I just don't know much of anything about hydraulics etc. I'd save about $900 vs. buying a brand new, just delivered BH77. I guess the hoes are fairly equivalent? What would you do?? Any and all thoughts shared would be most definitely appreciated! Thanks!

nickel plate · Jan 9, 2012

Rob,
In most all posts here on TBN, they're never too long!
I think there is more room for you to negotiate that price down as it has been out in the coastal weather for a few years. Is the shop willing to open the crate for further inspection? I would like to see if the cylinder rods are either extended or retracted and if extended, they hopefully will have a good slather of shipping grease with no visible rust. I think I would be more concerned with condensation damage in any of the catch water places on the hoe. Most likely that would be cosmetic at best as hoes are usually built out of pretty thick steel.
See if they will open the crate and if all is well, ask them to install and service it on your tractor as part of the price. A couple of years ago I paid around $400.00 to have my Woods BH90-X and subframe assembled and installed.
Is there a subframe in your package? Something else to negotiate.
Is your tractor plumbed for a backhoe? Something else to negotiate.
How many hours do you have on your tractor's hydraulic fluid and filter? That would be another negotiating tool to barter with. I won't go into if its better to change the fliud and filter out before, after or both when installing a new backhoe.
My point is that there is more than just hard cash here to negotiate with.
Good luck and welcome aboard.

rob755 · Jan 9, 2012

Thanks a lot for the replie! The "old" one is a Kubota dealer and would have a full warranty and they want $6300 for the BH75A w/ subframe installed (not including thumb), the brand spanking new BH77 w/subframe installed (no thumb) I got a price from another Kubota dealer of $7400. The older one is further away and I would eat up another $200 +or- for extra fuel and needed overnight accommodations..figuring in coming up with the roughly $900 difference. Any thoughts on possible advantages/disadvantages with the BH77 vs. BH75A? (I did read about the breaking pins on the BH77 that has supposedly been remedied). I guess my savings would further be eaten up by a trip up there to inspect the BH75A prior to hauling the tractor up for the job. At least a very economical car. ??? hmmm Thanks again....!

nspec · Jan 9, 2012

I have a bh75A. I think the price is just a tad high. I'd try to get him down another 500 bucks. For what it's worth, my backhoe has been amazing. I have a mechanical thumb on it, and have built a 6 foot high x 100 foot long rock retaining wall with it. I've moved rocks that are so freakin' big, I have to shimmy them into place by lifting one corner at a time. I've dug oak stumps from trees 12+ inches in diameter. It is very capable, and very durable. It will easily overpower the tractor. The tractor is so light you can just drag yourself around if you don't work smart. It's not a full size machine, but if you work smart, there is almost no limit to what you can do with it.

Okay, all that being said, dollar for dollar, I would consider the curved boom 77 versus my straight boom 75. I don't buy into the curved boom better for digging argument - not with such a small hoe. Maybe better for loading a pickup truck. The reason I like the 77 better is because the boom cylinder is out in the open. The boom cylinder on the 75 is inside the boom. I had to replace a hose that had chafed, and I had to drive out the pins and remove the whole cylinder from the boom to get at the hose. Royal pain in the neck. I thought it all out ahead of time, and it wasn't particularly hard, but it would be a lot easier to just replace the hose and be done with it. Plus, if there were a problem with a hose inside the boom, you wouldn't see it until it was too late. For that reason alone, I think I would buy the 77.