After about two years of on and off looking and comparing the pros and cons of both new and used, I bought a tractor to replace / upgrade my old JD 770 with model 70 loader and Woods BH7500 backhoe. It was a bit of an ordeal to do while still complying with the travel restriction wishes of both my employer and the state of Maine, but I brought home a lightly used John Deere 3039R with a H165 loader last weekend, but no backhoe. I decided that rater than wait for a deal on a complete used TLB setup with a tractor that I wanted, I would just go with the tractor loader combo now, because I really wanted to go with the Woods BH80X backhoe, and the odds of finding that in the combo would be pretty much zero. It seems that most new combos have all factory attachments, probably mostly due to the fact that the zero percent financing is often involved with the initial purchase. The BH80X has 6" more reach than the factory offering, and a lot more digging force, along with being offered with a hydraulic thumb. I'm going to go into this thinking - hoping actually - that it may be the last tractor I buy, so I'm not going to skimp out on something I may regret later If I can avoid it.
Anyways, I was planning on buying the backhoe - most likely new - once I sell the 770 TLB combo. I went out shopping at the local Woods dealer up the road only to find that the BH80X is discontinued for 2020, and the new model that is replacing it is not offered for my tractor because it is a little too powerful. Now it's time to start searching for the backhoe in a clean used or leftover condition. I'm going to compile a list of the local-ish dealers, but I'm worried that this may be too scarce to find leftover / used and I'll have to start blanketing half the country to get one. Have any of you had experiences working with any large-ish Woods dealers that are already set up and comfortable with doing long distance sales and shipping of implements?
My local dealer did have one BH80X left with the hydraulic thumb at what is probably not a bad price, but it's in Kubota orange, and I just can't bring myself to do that without looking elsewhere first. Ideally JD green in color is what I want, but I could be sold on black pretty easily.
Anyways, I was planning on buying the backhoe - most likely new - once I sell the 770 TLB combo. I went out shopping at the local Woods dealer up the road only to find that the BH80X is discontinued for 2020, and the new model that is replacing it is not offered for my tractor because it is a little too powerful. Now it's time to start searching for the backhoe in a clean used or leftover condition. I'm going to compile a list of the local-ish dealers, but I'm worried that this may be too scarce to find leftover / used and I'll have to start blanketing half the country to get one. Have any of you had experiences working with any large-ish Woods dealers that are already set up and comfortable with doing long distance sales and shipping of implements?
My local dealer did have one BH80X left with the hydraulic thumb at what is probably not a bad price, but it's in Kubota orange, and I just can't bring myself to do that without looking elsewhere first. Ideally JD green in color is what I want, but I could be sold on black pretty easily.