Tell me if I'm on the right track (newbie)

[buckeyefarmer]

Not as far as I’m concerned. Tractor backhoes suck compared to real TLBs. Excavators are even better but at the expense of versatility.

If i was running an excavating company, then a TLB might be my choice (in addition to excavators) As a homeowner, a "real" backhoe works fine, especially if you have other needs for the tractor. They all have a place and a cost point, that's why they sell them.

 

[JK22]

Have you considered the MX series? Basically a heavier L without going to the $$$ of the GL. Pricing is surprisingly reasonable on the MX.

You should also look into a land plane with that much gravel to maintain. They look awesome to me.

Kubota MX series walk around and features by Messicks. | MX4800 MX5200 MX5800 - YouTube

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Backhoes for under 50HP farm type tractors are fun to play with, but for real work they are a waste of money.
If you really want a backhoe, go find a good used, full size, dedicated TLB.

Yeah, I think he is joking too!

 

[TheMadOne]

Have you considered the MX series? Basically a heavier L without going to the $$$ of the GL. Pricing is surprisingly reasonable on the MX.

You should also look into a land plane with that much gravel to maintain. They look awesome to me.

Kubota MX series walk around and features by Messicks. | MX4800 MX5200 MX5800 - YouTube

Have you actually priced the MX or Grand L lines lately? The L3560 is cheaper than any MX, the L4060 lists for within a couple hundred dollars of the MX4800.

There are tradeoffs to take into account. If you want most HP per Dollar, MX all the way. If you want weight and 3pt lift, the two smaller LXX60s are equal or better than the MX line. The MX has a higher loader capacity. The GLs have nicer ergonomics.

I feel strongly that the smaller Grand Ls are better balanced when it comes to weight/horsepower than the MX line. The larger two MX machines are turbo charged.

There's arguments to be made for both product lines, which is why they both exist.

 

[JK22]

Have you actually priced the MX or Grand L lines lately? The L3560 is cheaper than any MX, the L4060 lists for within a couple hundred dollars of the MX4800.

There are tradeoffs to take into account. If you want most HP per Dollar, MX all the way. If you want weight and 3pt lift, the two smaller LXX60s are equal or better than the MX line. The MX has a higher loader capacity. The GLs have nicer ergonomics.

I feel strongly that the smaller Grand Ls are better balanced when it comes to weight/horsepower than the MX line. The larger two MX machines are turbo charged.

There's arguments to be made for both product lines, which is why they both exist.

I was comparing to the L, not the GL. I priced out several last night and was surprised that a very well optioned MX 5200 with BH was in the mid $50s. I did the same thing with an L4760 and was in the $80s. Between an L and MX, I think you get more for your money with an MX. The GL is a very nice, very luxe machine. And if money was no object, I’d get a GL without thinking twice.

 

[ning]

As others have said, if you have specific big jobs that require digging, hire those out.

However, I have to say if you're the handy type you're not going to want to hire out or rent for every small digging job. Having a backhoe will pay for itself in that you're actually going to get a lot more done with so much less effort. I used to dig everything by hand, because I needed the hole dug now and not after I stacked up enough small jobs to merit a trip to town to rent a machine for $250. Having the hoe means that when I have a hole to dig it gets done in minutes and my back feels fine the next day - money well spent in my book.

 

[4570Man]

Yeah, I think he is joking too!

A tractor is a far cry from a real TLB. Can you swivel in the seat in seconds with a tractor backhoe? Not. And the real backhoe has you beat several times over in strength. Can you lift nearly 8k on the tractor loader? Can you lift 5,000 pounds to 3/4 reach on the boom? Can you lift 3600 pounds at full reach on the boom? Do you have a 17’ boom? Do you have a full frame machine built from the ground up to support the hoe? Anyone who views the 2 as equals hasn’t ever sat in the seat of a real backhoe. That being said I had a backhoe in my L3240 and it was nice. I definitely got my money’s worth out of it.

 

[TheMadOne]

I was comparing to the L, not the GL. I priced out several last night and was surprised that a very well optioned MX 5200 with BH was in the mid $50s. I did the same thing with an L4760 and was in the $80s. Between an L and MX, I think you get more for your money with an MX. The GL is a very nice, very luxe machine. And if money was no object, I’d get a GL without thinking twice.

I'd like to see the build list for the L4760 that's above 80K. I just went through and selected almost every option I could that was on both the MX5200 and L4760. Came out to $62,272 vs. $68,733. There are entire categories of options in the build sheet for the L4760 that are not available on the MX, but saying that there's a huge gap when comparing equally optioned machines is flat out wrong.

 

[Egon]

Backhoes come in many different sises, small to large. Each sise has a range of work they do well in. A 50 HP tractor would be considered a toy in the eyes of many tractor users.

For the OP working on trails the smaller ones are ideal. Just big enough to be able to dig out a root ball. For his type of work it痴 hard to schedule for rentals as the requirement is ongoing.

[video]https://www.google.ca/search?q=large+cat+tracked+backhoe&client=safari&hl=en-ca&prmd=isvn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiDvqLHgongAhWBct8KHaAnB48Q_AUoAXoECBQQA Q&biw=1024&bih=727&dpr=2[/video]

[video]https://www.google.ca/search?q=small+jd+tractor+backhoe&client=safari&hl=en-ca&prmd=isvn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiniJiRg4ngAhWxUt8KHSApDjgQ_AUoAXoECBcQA Q&biw=1024&bih=671[/video]

Just some comparison for sise consideration!

 

[finn1]

I would point you in the direction of perhaps a skid steer, CTL, or construction backhoe for your use.

Compact tractors have their place, but, in my experience, building or maintaining roads and replacing culverts isn稚 work they are suited for.

Real construction equipment is much more robust than a CUT.