Backhoe Who regrets their Backhoe Decision?

[DAP]

People are not seeing the forest through the trees.

Lately, and probably due to the time of year, there seem to be a lot of 1st time tractor owners asking legitimate questions about tractors, pricing, implements, owning and operating.

If category #3 people start giving advice to newbies in general, you're could vey well have a lot of disilliussioned new tractor owners on TBN. It's easy to make assumptions about individuals here on line.

All of this assumes one of the main goals of TBN is not only to disseminate information, but to disseminate GOOD information.

I was waiting for Bob to post to this thread cause I knew in advance his viewpoint. I belive he is right on the money even though I have a desire for a BH.

Even for peeps with lots of stumps, rocks and drainage requirements, NEED becomes a fuzzy word.

Life will go on with that stump right where it is. Same for that rock over there. In most cases. Having a way to get rid of it yourself, easily, sure is a nice to have. But they aint usually show stoppers.

If a stump, a needed ditch or a rock presents a tough problem, then owning a BH is only one option. Renting one is another. Service swapping yet another. Etcetera.

We can't assume everyone possesses the same skills, desires or economic reach.

Its easy to image a new tractor owner asking themself whether or not they NEED or SHOULD GET something like a BH. Its an obvious question everyone considers usually.

I know an individual who actually fells trees just so he can use his hoe to play at the rootball. Interesting hobby. He goes out and 'creates the need' to justify the money spent. It's his money, but it's not an example of sensibility usually. Especially if one is confused about this issue as it pertains to their first venture into ownership and usage.

The backhoe is an industrial idiomatic invention - an descendent of the steam shovel. The homeowner/farmer can become 'industrious' with one even though he is not in an industrial setting. Whether its sensible or not is another matter entirely - driven mainly by the largish cost for one as an attachment to a tractor.

Most of us are not contractors whe depend on a machine like a hoe for sustenance. If the price fo a hoe rivaled say the cost of a loader or an adequate tiller, then the dynamics of the question change yet again.

Hat's off to ya Bob for the straight poop. The uninformed will get better informed faster with your contribution.

 

[shade2u2]

Bob, OkieDon, OkieG, & now DAP,
Points very well put... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">(
BTW, the more I read of this thread, the more I am convinced that I had it right in my earlier post; it's a purely individual value judgment - anyone who is uncomfortablel spending the $ on a backhoe, shouldn't and should rent instead and accept the inconveniences that that entails. )</font>


Well let me chime in one more time. I don't have money flowing out of my ears, but I only buy what I can afford to pay for so I don't finance my tractors, cars, or toys, I pay for them. And I paid for my BH. I just found it to be incapable of doing efficiently the real work that needed to be done. Sure, it would have dug the 40' by 4' by 5' trench in the side of the hill that I dug this weekend with the trackhoe. But while it took me 5 or 6 hours to dig that, and another smaller trench, it would have taken me MUCH longer to dig it with the TLB with its bucket being LESS THAN 1/2 the capacity (14" versus 24" wide, and not as deep), and its reach being only 55% of the reach (7' versus 12'). And with the lesser reach, I would have parked the tractor ON TOP of my wife's prized daylilly border instead of being able to dig right over the top of it leaving most of it in perfect condition. And the 5 or 6 hours I spent would have probably been translated into 20 hours plus of digging, plus I would have had to recreate that daylilly bed again too.

So I think it is really a "right tool for the right job" sort of thing. I just think that most small backhoes are simply not the right tool for the jobs I tend to need to get done. And I think many BH users probably find they can get their jobs done, just as I could have done, but I value my time more than I value my BH. So for me, I'd rather spend money to save me time, than spend money to have a toy that is inadequate for my tasks. That said, it justifies why I spend nearly $10,000 on a glorified lawn mower a couple months ago, it saves me well over an hour a week in mowing! That is a good tool!!! I added the FEL to my TC24 despite having an FEL on the B2910 because sometimes a smaller unit is a faster unit. I added the slip scoop to the Ventrac becuase while its capacity is much less than a garden cart or than either FEL, it will take a load of landscape blocks onto places on my property that no other tractor can get into. So I like my tools, IF THEY WILL DO WHAT I NEED DONE. I just won't buy another BH now that I realize what they WON'T do and how SLOW they are at getting medium & large projects done.

 

[polecat]

my only regret is not having one ..i've been told that my cut will handle a 9' 3ph mounted bhoe..i know that will pu a lot of strain on the 3ph but i have somany stumps and rocks thaat it is unbelievable..2 yrs ago a buddy of mine had one of those jobs that goes on the ball of a truck and thats allit is ...a hoe ..i could not beloieve the speed in whiich i dug the base for our front porchand the size of the rocks that it would lift!!!i couldnt even put my arms round some of them!!!i know that a 9' er on my cut would way out perform that little 10 hp job..even a little terraa mite i rented 2 yrs ag o was awesome but the thing had no powerena d no 4 wd!! i am most definitely that hoe up here in rock heaven would b worth its weight in gold!!!!
TODD up here in liddl ol rock he!!

 

[uhmgawa]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The convenience of having the backhoe available for use when I want it is worth something to me...a lot actually.)</font>

Aside from the more routine uses for a BH I've found it
invaluable for extracting the tractor on more occasions
than I'd care to remember. Once you have dug the rear
wheels in deep enough to be creating a differential imprint
in mud that BH gets really handy.

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

Speaking for myself and my situation the backhoe was one of the best investments I have made... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[DUMBDOG]

After reading all of the posts on this site, the reality of a backhoe on a CUT did not appeal to me. Thought about building one, even picked up the plans from Cadplans for one. After having a extemely lucky streak in the market last year I purchased a used JD510D, yes it is overkill for most of my uses, in fact it scares the **** out of me when I operate it.

We are in the process of putting in over 2500 feet of 3 inch irrigation pipe, I have a friend that operates equipment for a living and after watching him last night lay down a trench for some of the pipe, it is a true art form. Realized that some of the ways that I was digging, there is a lot better way of doing them.

Do not use the machine a lot, however there are still a lot of stumps to dig, a lot of dirt to move, so who knows, when most of this is done if I will keep it or not. However it will outwork the CUT with the loader by many times.

So I do not regret the decision to buy it as it has many uses and is the right tool for the job some of the time and when not is stays parked.

 

[OkieG]

<font color="blue"> If category #3 people start giving advice to newbies in general, you're could vey well have a lot of disilliussioned new tractor owners on TBN....All of this assumes one of the main goals of TBN is not only to disseminate information, but to disseminate GOOD information.</font>

Speaking as a person of the 3rd kind, you almost hurt my feelings by your comment. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif What, I don't give good information?? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif But, hey, I'm over it now.

I am thrilled to give tractor advice to any TBNer in those limited areas where I feel qualified. I don't feel like level-headed Bob Skurka's advice is necessarily any better on a tractor topic just because of our differing thoughts on backhoe ownership (I don't mean it Bob, /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif- /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif, really.)
And certainly, we all realize that admitting our personal bias is not the same as an endorsement for others to follow. I'm not advising anyone to buy a BH for the reasons I did, which, by the way, were not completely frivolous. To a new tractor shopper, I recommend starting out as a People 1-2 person. Buy it if you need it. Don't buy if you don't. But whatever you do, don't buy the implement first, then the tractor. Oops, where am I? For a moment there I was in philosophical crisis. Oh yes, and distinguish need from want. Let your People 3ness blossom in it's own time, when you can relax your definition of need if you choose to, and know you'll enjoy it. It's not fair to discount advice from us Type 3s just because of our personal choices. Or, on the other hand, maybe you're right.

OkieG

 

[rockyridgefarm]

Having the hoe sure comes in handy for tire service, nice to be able to lift all four wheels off the ground if you want to rotate the fronts to the rear... Wait that's on my Jeep... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Seriously it makes a handy tractor lift....

 

[Henro]

DAP,

We could apply your logic to the need to have a tractor or even a lawn mower or anything that interferes with the natural course of nature.

Why not just let nature take over? Who needs a tractor anyway? Or a lawn mower? If grass was supposed to be there it would be there on its own, right? And if it was supposed to max out at 3.5 inches it would do that on its own...

Bob Skurka is right on the money because he is talking about his own needs/wants/desires.

Personally I have concluded that I don't really need a tractor/back hoe/loader/brush hog/mower/rake/dirt scoop/boom pole/sub soiler/box blade...

Everyting is dependant on how I want to mold nature to suit myself...

<font color="blue"> If category #3 people start giving advice to newbies in general, you're could vey well have a lot of disilliussioned new tractor owners on TBN. It's easy to make assumptions about individuals here on line. </font>

No argument here. I would suggest we all think about whatever assumption we may make though. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif We might also hope that new tractor owners have minds of their own as well, and that they are able to digest info and make personal decisions that suit their own personal needs the best.

The backhoe does cost more than the loader, but it is still cheaper than the tractor. And all the tractor does is provide power to work the implements...and carry them to the work location...

It just all depends on one's percieved needs and financial situtation I think. Whatever is good for one is not necessarily good for the next...