Backhoe Who regrets their Backhoe Decision?

[Henro]

<font color="blue"> The "cost/benefit" analysis of buying a BH involves a personal business decision as to the deployment of substantial financial resources. </font>

You know MadDog, while I agree totally with your post...I must say to this point...NOT FOR ME! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Guess I'm a strange bird...make that dog...don't want to change the picture again... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif... but I just consider the tractor and anything attached to it my hobby and my personal "county club" membership...Sorry Golfgar4!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif but it's true...

So having a backhoe is not related to the cost at all. We all have ways to spend dollars for pleasure. If the tractor/loader/backhoe/implements had been a business decision I'm afraid I would have ordered coffee instead... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Man, I am so glad I am a master rationalizer... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[GaryInWA]

I only regret I have run out of big jobs to do with my backhoe, I try to find any reason to use it even as a firewood hauler (see picture) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[OkieG]

Woodbeef,
To your comment, <font color="blue"> I must say I'm totally amazed at how popular the backhoes are on CUTs. </font>, I would add, "on TBN".

My smallish to midsized JD dealer had only sold two backhoes in his long career. Perhaps he's an exception, but I tend to think TBN contributors are the exception. I think we demonstrate a certain enthusiasm for the "sport" of tractoring just by the hours we spend in front of the computer reading and posting.

It's really great that tractoring actually gets something done, but that's almost just a bonus. We are the crazy few who really appreciate implements whether they're a necessity or a luxury. I'm not sure I could own an implement and regret having it.

Even though I need my tractor to do lots of work, " <font color="blue"> I just consider the tractor and anything attached to it my hobby. </font> " Right on, Henro. If I really can't use it, or can't afford it, I won't buy it (wife has final say on the "afford" part, which is probably a good thing). But, that still leaves me some wiggle-room regarding implement aquisition, which I have used to good advantage to clutter a corner of our backyard. Some are not used often, but all are indispensible for certain chores which come up form time to time. They are all part of the family, I don't regret any of them.

OkieG

 

[frank_f15]

well said !!!!! i don't have a BH , but there are times i wish i did, but for the no of times i would use it just not practicle. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[OkeeDon]

Perhaps geography and geology have something to do with the decision. I notice a lot of people talking about stumps, rocks and boulders. I don't have any rocks or boulders; just sand. The only stumps I need to remove are pepper trees and small pines; neither have roots that can't be popped easily with a FEL, especially with the root rake I built for my bucket. I trenched 1100 feet a few weeks ago; a rental walk-behind trencher made a 8" wide, 24" deep trench in little time. I don't ever have to go deeper, because I have no frost to contend with. I can do most of the landscape planting I want to do with a post hole digger.

But. let's say I had a need for a backhoe. I considered it; I could have bought a slightly used TC33D with a Bradco backhoe for just a couple of thousand more than my TC18. But then, I looked at the mechanics of the thing. The only way to keep a late model New Holland running is to set the brake. There is no easy way to move the tractor with the hoe bucket. Every time you want to reposition, which would be often with a trench, you have to climb out of one seat and into the other, raise the stabilizers, release the brake and put it in gear, guess at how far to move it, set the brake and put it in neutral, climb off the tractor and back onto the backhoe seat, lower the stabilizers, and dig again for a short time before you have to repeat it all. No thanks. And, that's not even considering the need to take it off and put it on when using 3 point implements...

 

[MadDog]

Bill: Viewing it all in a larger context, I agree with your post, too; mainly because none of the things that I have done, or am planning to do, with the BH (or, indeed with the tractor or any of the other attachments I have) really HAVE to be done at all! After all, until this spring, I had lived the first 64 years of my life without a tractor.....

So I agree, it all boils down to what anyone wants to do with whatever "discretionary" money is available. I have quite a few hobbies, they all cost money of one order of magnitude or another, they are all worth it, from my point of view and "tractoring" is certainly one of them.

 

[Rick Jay]

Henro,

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ... but I just consider the tractor and anything attached to it my hobby and my personal "county club" membership... )</font>

I never thought about it quite like that, but I believe that is an accurate assessment for my tractor use as well. Ah, heck, in 4 years I only have about 110 hours on it....and 25 of those were put on by my cousin when I let him borrow it to do some work around his house and my uncles. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I have never regretted the purchase of the tractor, the loader, the backhoe, the snowblower, the rear-blade...etc...etc. Everything is there when I need it and will probably be there after I'm gone...unless I trade up to that L3130. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif A BH90 sure would be nice.

~Rick

 

[Dave___in___CT]

Hi...


No backhoe regrets for me...

1st one was a 3-point-hitch mounted one on a small farm tractor... 1951 Ferguson TO-30...

Sold it and upgraded to a used '87 Deere 750 CUT with the #7 backhoe...

Sold the Deere last fall and now have a BH90 backhoe on a Kubota L3130 CUT...


As others... the backhoes give me the means to do work I never would have done... never would have hired done... never would have rented a machine for...

...plus... I really really enjoy operating it and the tractor...


Dave...

 

[GerardC]

Just another way to use your Backhoe. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif G.

 

[MossRoad]

That looks like my momma when she would grab me by the ear! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif