Tractor and Excavator OR Tractor with backhoe...

[dsgsr]

I paid 59K for my M59 out the door, Thats with the front remotes and hydraulic thumb and 3pt arms but no Cab. It's about 1500 more than I could have paid at an other dealer, but that dealer is about 2-hrs away. Changing from backhoe to 3pt arms is not as fast on the 59 as with the Deere machines. Sounds to me you don't need a dedicated TLB like the M59. If you are going to be using the 3pth most of the time, I would get a JD 4720 with a Woods BH90-X backhoe. That is the machine I all most bought.

David

 

[couchsachraga]

I would like to keep it under 60k if possible. That's more than I pay for my car after all by quite a bit!

Why do you prefer the Woods unit to the Deere backhoe? I like the Woods a lot (and when I used to have a Kioti dealer nearby was going to go that route - I prefer Deere, but the Kioti dealer was close and had great service. Unfortunately with the consolidation Kioti's done they are no longer a dealer. I definitely won't be buying a Kioti if that is how the treat their dealers either! (not that Deere hasn't done the same thing, but that's one less "plus" in the Kioti column).

 

[jenkinsph]

I would like to keep it under 60k if possible. That's more than I pay for my car after all by quite a bit!

Why do you prefer the Woods unit to the Deere backhoe? I like the Woods a lot (and when I used to have a Kioti dealer nearby was going to go that route - I prefer Deere, but the Kioti dealer was close and had great service. Unfortunately with the consolidation Kioti's done they are no longer a dealer. I definitely won't be buying a Kioti if that is how the treat their dealers either! (not that Deere hasn't done the same thing, but that's one less "plus" in the Kioti column).

Hard to compare a car to a tractor purchase, apples and oranges. I agree that $60K is alot of money but this is cheap compared to buying a 4520 cab with fel AND a mini excavator in the 5 to 6 ton class. Downsizing from a full size backhoe to a tractor with an ag loader might be too much of a reduction for you. The ag loaders are simply weak by comparison and I suspect you would be unhappy going that light.

I find it rather odd that neither JD or Kubota build a cab type tlb model as that is what I was looking for originally and seems other want the same thing too.

In summary it appears an M59 with Laurin cab and all hydraulic options, hitch is real close to $70-75K. A 4520 cab with hydraulic options, 400cx fel is about $40k+ and a new excavator is roughly $60k in the 5-6 ton size totaling $100K +. this makes the M59 look a little more reasonable imo.

 

[couchsachraga]

Agreed - and I'll be thrilled if I can get a 4520 for 40k in my neck of the woods with cab, FEL, and hydraulic TNT etc....

I find I use the loader on my backhoe rarely- it is overkill for the uses I typically have. It was indispensable building a few roads on my property (moving rocks and stumps, and then loading lots and lots of sand), but for 98% of my uses my current loader (esp. with the grapple rake) which has a capacity of only 1500 lbs to full lift (breakout is around 3700) (all at the pins IIRC) is fine. There have been a few logs I've had trouble loading, but moving up a bit should fix that.

I'll keep looking...and asking questions. Thank you all for your patience!

 

[couchsachraga]

Looking over the specs i was wondering whether I was recalling correctly or not - and I wasn't.

Dynahoe 190 series III is 19,400lbs , breakout is 14,500 pounds. Will dig 19 ft, hoe will lift 3580lb where ever it will reach, can safely move 8k lbs within a limited span (45 degrees of center).

It is definitely overkill for my use these days though! If I could get it further in to the woods (it is 2wd without diff lock, and heavy remember) I could find a few more projects for it.

 

[Martian]

I'm a little late to the party but I would recommend getting a 4520 w/ or w/o a backhoe and renting for the need be times. A Laurin cab is the best aftermarket in the industry but no aftermarket compares to a factory cab.

I don't know how much PTO work you plan to do - but if you don't need any at all I would tell you to look at a JCB MIDI CX - a 50HP tractor but only 25PTO HP, which is just ridiculous, you can't power a 5 foot mower. But the MIDI CX's do have a nice factory cab with removable BH to be able to put a 3PH on. If you'll be using the PTO at all though throw the MIDI out the window.

I would much rather have a 4520 with a 400CX loader and a cab with all the options, it's a much more comfortable operating station. A 448 backhoe will do good but nothing compared to what you're used to. I would rent every time I really needed heavy work but it would work good for trenching and other light work. As far as the loader goes be sure to get the 400CX as it has self leveling so you won't ever accidentally be spilling all your load on the hood.

Any way you go I don't think you could afford new excavator/tractor but a new tractor could work w/ a backhoe and rent for the rest.

 

[couchsachraga]

Afford long term perhaps, willing to spend perhaps no

I'll check in to the Midi - what do they go for? I use a brush hog on the fields and trails once a year, that is my only PTO use. I have 5' unit now, using 28 or so PTO HP.

Thank you... and Merry Christmas Eve!

 

[dsgsr]

When I was shopping, I found the Woods BH much more stout and had a little more reach than the JD 485 BH. If i remember right, it had more ground Clearance mounted also. You will be disappointed with the difference in power between the full size hoe and a Tractor mounted hoe, your least disappointment would be with the M59. I think the M59 has about the power and strength of a 4.5K lb mini-X. Of course it won't have coveted 360 rotation.


David

 

[Martian]

Afford long term perhaps, willing to spend perhaps no

I'll check in to the Midi - what do they go for? I use a brush hog on the fields and trails once a year, that is my only PTO use. I have 5' unit now, using 28 or so PTO HP.

Thank you... and Merry Christmas Eve!

About $55k. Here is one with all of the options on Machinery Trader. There is one on eBay right now as well. I would not feel comfortable running that and I would have to rent a compact to mow. Also the MIDI's are not hydrostatic but a gear transmission. MIDI might not be your best option.
2011 JCB MIDI CX Machines - Loader Backhoes For Sale At MachineryTrader.com

When I was shopping, I found the Woods BH much more stout and had a little more reach than the JD 485 BH. If i remember right, it had more ground Clearance mounted also. You will be disappointed with the difference in power between the full size hoe and a Tractor mounted hoe, your least disappointment would be with the M59. I think the M59 has about the power and strength of a 4.5K lb mini-X. Of course it won't have coveted 360 rotation.
David

I hope that JD comes back with something just to give Kubota some competition or Kubota prices will start to creep up without any competition. No doubt though Kubota pretty well has that market locked right now. No competition for the M59.

 

[20 20]

20 20 - what area are you in? I'm the greater Johnsburg area....

I live south west of you, about 20miles north east of little falls.

When I got the 1st excacvator my wife was ready to shoot me. All the way there and back{picking it up} "what is this good for, what do you plan on using it for once the ponds are done, blah blah blah....." I kept my mouth shut and just went on about my business. Well we've had an excavator for some years now and everytime it comes out of the gagrage she says," this is the best purchase we ever made for the property" :laughing: she also says, "I'm not sure why you didn't get this to begin with". I was once asked if I had to get rid of all my machines except one which one would I keep ? I thought for a bit and if I had only one choice {I own a small dozer tractor SS and 2 excavators} it would be the excavator. Excavators are slow but IMO the versitility in the end makes up for it. I even saw a guy that had put a hitch setup on his excavator and hooked a trialer to it. He had the perfect small operation log/wood trailer set up, he'd cut his wood and use the excavator to load it.

I'm not against any machines just giving my opinion, to each his/her own. I will say a tractor excavator combo is waaaaaayyyyy better then a BH, but there are many variables that have to be weighed. If you don't think you need an ex then go for the BH or try renting an ex and see what you think. I do know for a fact once you have an ex you'll run it WAY more then you would have thought possible.