Paying for itself.

[GrantMO]

Jim,

One of the best arguments for owning a BH or similar implement is convenience. Owning means you can do your projects on your schedule, like starting Sunday afternoon when the rental places are closed. You can also let friends and neighbors borrow it, have it on hand for those emergencies like when the drain tile doesn't drain etc. For the infrequent project, renting makes sense though.

 

[jinman]

Grant, you went right to the heart of my argument. No one can argue with the "convenience" factor of owning a backhoe. Yesterday as I drove by my NH dealer on the way to my farm, I saw three 555Ds sitting on his used equipment lot and I actually caught myself touching the brake as a "knee-jerk" reaction to wanting to stop and look at them. The only thing that has stopped me from buying a backhoe or dozer is the thought of the amount of time it would sit idle as opposed to the amount of time I'd actually use it. I'll just have to admit I am spoiled to those big backhoes and I'm waiting to find the right deal to buy one. Until then, I'm a renter. With good rental yards around, I have the other point of convenience that is big on my list: the choice of equipment. I can choose the right equipment for the job, big or small. That's pretty important too. And really...choice is kinda what this whole discussion is about. ...and this website for that matter./w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

JimI

 

[cowboydoc]

Well depending on how you look at it add another $2000, cost to have the job done, or $575, cost of hoe rental to the money saved with the hoe. I got 41 stumps removed this weekend. The ones 6" and less took me about 10 minutes each to take out. I had about 28 of those. The bigger ones took a little time, about a half hour each. The bigger ones were from 14" to 30". Really had to keep tearing at the bigger roots to get them broken in two and had to finesse the bucket to keep getting a chunk of the bigger ones. With regards to questions about tearing up the tractor I would have to say no way. It is set up so that when you get ahold of something and it won't pull it up there was no distortion in the tractor at all. I really pushed the backhoe getting ahold of some of the stumps and it didn't have the power to bend anything. Not that it didn't get the job done but it's not like the backhoe has so much power that it's going to tear something up when you get ahold of something that won't move. It's nothing like running a big hoe that's for sure, but for what it is it works out pretty nice.

 

[jinman]

Sounds like you're getting down to business CB-Doc. What are you doing with the stumps? ...hauling to a gully? ...burning? I bet you put the FEL end of that tractor to work moving them. I think you are making great progress and getting your money's worth out of that hoe. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

JimI

 

[cowboydoc]

Hi Jim,
I still have some piles from when I cleared this 25 acres that I live on. I have a grain wagon that I just load load them into as I go and then go dump it by one of the old piles and then use the loader to push them on top of the pile. I'm trying to dress this place up a little more as I put it on the market. If it sells I'll build another house over on that 113 acres I bought with the new barn. Who knows I asked what I wanted for this place so it may or may not sell. I bet a grappling bucket would be nice for the FEL or one of those thumbs for the hoe. It was a pain have to get off and get the stumps in the bucket.

 

[Hillbilly]

Doc,
Could you help me "juggle " some numbers,I need help convincing my wife what a wothwhile investment all this green stuff was.

 

[jinman]

It's always just one more attachment I need....and one more...and one more...makes those implement dealers happy.

/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif$$$/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

...thats two happy guys walking away with your money./w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

JimI

 

[cowboydoc]

Sure just have your wife call my wife and my wife can tell your wife all my sob stories about why I need this and that and you won't have to! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Hillbilly]

Thanks Doc,
I new you could help!!!

 

[LazyK]

Doc...I like your style! Thanks also for your advise re: arena details.
Remember the credit card commercial..."A backhoe:$3300...chrome ear muffs w/air conditioned hard-hat:$325...A happy husband and hard-working tractor ownerRICELESS!

Lazy K - Chip

 

[cowboydoc]

Did the advice work out for you Chip? I hope it helped. Like your analogy there on the backhoe, haha. My wife is actually pretty dang good about things. I can't complain one bit about her, she's my one in a million. She does get on me now and then but I have spent alot on this little 4600.

 

[Alan L.]

I rented a tiller to put in about 3000 sq feet of turf. The tiller was only $55 a day - a good deal. But the Kubota dealer I rented it from (a Befco tiller) is 25 miles away. I had to go get the tiller on my trailer, fill out the paper work. Took about 90 minutes of daylight to do that. Used the tiller maybe 2 or 3 hours, but ahd to actually put the sod down before it dried out. Couldn't get the tiller back in time and kept if over the weekend. Charged for 3 days = $165. Then the dealer accused me of causing a harmless dent in the tiller that was clearly already on it before I rented it.

A royal pain in the a$$, and I could have put hat $165 toward a tiller of my own. Wish I had.

Alan L., TX

 

[LazyK]

Doc Richard...re: arena grooming, your tip to me on cross hatching the surface with my box-blade teeth not so aggressively deep was a big help in eliminating the woop-de-doos in my covered arena. I have been scarifying the sub-surface, plowing soft the material too deeply. Coupled with long periods between arena watering and dragging the floor too fast with a chain harrow, I was wash-boarding the nice soft DEEP sand into peaks and ruts. Now, after a 2-3 inch deep drag with the box blade teeth, the surface has homogenized to a not-so-deep consistency that my customers are happy with...'specially them Dree-Sage people. Thanks fer the adviserations.

Lazy K - Chip

 

[jdkid]

Hi ya
yep i'll side with ya's on the convenience but there are 2 sides to the story .as most of ya know i work on a big farm (partner owns it) now years ago i worked on "we need"must have"there's work for it" so we had all the toys mowers balers plows tillers seeddrills etc etc 2 tractors all up 1/2 mill dollars in gear now on our new farm i'll have 200 000 dollars in gear .ok i can't do all i did but 300 000 on overdaft at 12% add's up fast +for 36 000 ya can get alot done with out turning a key ,in NZ alot of people are now useing contractors and putting captal money in to stock (cows sheep not blue chip) fert and better grasses ie things that make money .but in alot of you guys cases with smaller places (sorry i say part time )haveing the gear to suit your time frame ie weekends after work etc etc is a wise move pitty most are so far away from each other as 1 off kind of gear or only used part of the time can't work on others places ie cowboydoc's back hoe works at jinman's and jinmans post driver (pick a tool) dose cowboydoc's post driveing .conveniece is not the right word when ya hays good to go it look's like rain and the contractor rings ya up and say's "i'm broken down and will not be there till tomorrow"
catch ya
JD Kid