What to buy, what to buy....

[hitek79]

Hey everyone, first post here. Looking for a bit of insight on what single piece of equipment I should purchase. Budget is approx $30,000. Right now I'm leaning to a loader/backhoe. We have a piece of property that we are building on.

We have 700 feet of road that needs to be cleaned up and graveled
.
There are 2 building plots that need cleared/leveled. This involves digging up stumps and large rocks.

Trenching a water line and power line 350 feet

General land maintenance.

Snow removal.

Building out some general landscaping.

I know that backhoe isn't the most maneuverable, but I feel like it's the most versatile. If someone has other thoughts, I'd love to hear them!

 

[jeff9366]

Have two building plots that need clearing and leveling, which involves digging up stumps and large rocks.

This is your controlling application. A construction grade loader/backhoe with a removable Loader and removable Backhoe which can be replaced by a Three Point Hitch is your best choice. Most loader/backhoes have a fixed Loader and fixed Backhoe. Kubota L47 and M62 Loaders and Backhoes are removable and have TPH available.

VIDEO: Comparing Kubota TLB series tractors(B26, L47, M62) - YouTube

 

[Carl_NH]

Rent / Hire Excavator for major site work and stump removal, trenching, and get a TLB for maintenance and $30K range will get you a decent used TLB Kubota L39 L48 type machine if you have time to wait for the right one.

If you are set on doing this yourself, the get an older full sized Case 580/JD 310 size machine for $15-20K then sell it when done and get a smaller machine. The down side of this approach is if something breaks, it could be a $3K+ repair bill plus downtime.