Trying to see the real thing. Towaable backhoe!

[ROUSTABOUT]

Unless your only intended goal is to dig up a line for repair I second the mini x idea. Even the smallest 1 ton model would work circles around the towable backhoe.

Yes. What do you do around behind a house through a 4 ft gate? Plumbers have mini excavators. I work with plumbers on the regular.

 

[Elvin Karl]

Roustabout, thanx. Do you have a recommendation?

 

[Elvin Karl]

bcp,
I checked out MetsaMan. Its interesting how he tore the moorings from his cylinders. They look like they move slow at normal camera speed and normal at triple camera speed.
You give me some to think on.

 

[rademamj1]

I have seen the towed Harbor Freight backhoe at work, and though its an interesting idea, I went with a mini excavator for all my culvert installation jobs. I suppose, if you only have a few jobs a month, it makes good sense.

 

[shooterdon]

My buddy has one. His daughter calls it his "Tonka Toy". I have never seen him use it but he says it does a decent job for small projects. But if you son is going to use it a lot, even a few good reviews by Joe homeowner are not worth much.

 

[Dwellonroof]

Maybe google "Dig-It" or "Go For Digger" I had a Dig-It it run like a zero turn and you could tow it. The utility company has a few of them.

 

[nyone]

Like 3pt hitch back hoes these towable machines dont have any weight to really dig down. You can only scrape horizontally.

 

[Dwellonroof]

My son has a plumbing company in the San Jose CA area. I am considering buying an Harbor Freight towable backhoe or similar for him but I have never seen one up close and personal. I am wondering if any of you are proud owners and live near San Jose and wouldn't mind giving me the grand tour.
Also, have any of you dealt directly with alibaba? I haven't done anything real stupid for a while so.....

So what is/was the verdict??

 

[PILOON]

I once owned a a 'towable hoe'.
Sure can't say much bad about it, Mine was called a 'cricket' as you kind of hopped around to displace it.
I dug 4 ft trenches up to 40-50 ft long with ease. Extracted yard sized rocks and made many a ditch.
Once did a 300 ft trench down a crazy steep hill to fetch lake water that no backhoe could have done.
Paid $1000. earned me 3 x that and sold it for $1000. years later to a friend. He also earned a bundle and sold it, again for $1000. and it is still going strong, well along the way I had reengined it with a clone engine.
Only real downside was travel distances as hopping around is not all that easy and is slow.
Like all things you adapt and learn new tricks.
I also have many hours on mini excavators so can make a good comparison.
Towables have there place. Not for hi production but just fine for occasional jobs.
They were very handy to dig shallow trenches like for water lines or hedge plantings.
In fact they were the tool of choice for many hedge lanscapers due to the minimal rental rates at rental yards.