Question from a future builder

[ryoung99]

I am taking the class March 23-24th but have a decision I have to make in the next couple of days thus would like to get your thoughts.

Currenly I live on 5 acres in NorCal, and need to get a tractor to maintain the property. The question is should I spend the extra money to get the backhoe attachment?

There are jobs I can do around the current house, but would you have found (if at your disposal) a small tractor with backhoe useful in building your place?

Remember small tractors hold their value very well and you can get 80-90% of the purchase price for a used one, thus the cost of ownership is very low based on the convience.

Now with that said, the backhoe attachment is still $6000 thus it is not inexpensive, so your thought would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Rick

[heavyopp]

Rick -- What kind of tractor? What size? What digging depth? Separate seat or same seat just turned around?

Would it be useful? Depends. Most of the time those small backhoe attachments are not worth much. Hows your soil?

They also tend to be very cumbersome on the back of a small machine.

I would never spend $6000 for the attachment unless I had a specific job that was going to pay for it instantly.

You would be much better off buying a used Small hydraulic excavator for not much more than the attachment.

Better yet rent a komatsu pc27 or something this size when you need it. Much better and you will be much happier.

Jer

[ryoung99]

I am thinking about the 2415 Mahindra. Not sure all the specifics for the hoe attachment.

There are jobs around the current house that I can do, I know that if I have to rent, the jobs are most likely to get ignored or subbed out.

The unit (new) with a FEL as well is only $17,500 thus it is not overly expensive based on all the jobs I can do with it (including dragging logs around, picking them up for the saw mill, etc).

Thanks

[heavyopp]

I just checked out your specs.

Don't waste your time on a hoe for that. According to their website they don't even offer it.

TOO SMALL FOR HOE. 24 hp and weighing in under 2000 pounds.

Not going to do squat. You will be dissappointed.

Now I'm not saying it isn't a handy machine to have around. With a loader. 3 point hitch attachments are a dime a dozen.

Don't expect to dig with it. Not even with the front bucket.

It should load loose material. It should pull a mower. It should handle appropriately sized 3 point hitch attachments.

I say "should" because I am not familiar with the brand. I currently have 2 kubotas and have owned half a dozen over 15 years. Excellent small machines but you need to remember SMALL. They are designed for a purpose and they fill that purpose well.

Jer

[ryoung99]

I had the 2615 and it was a great little machine, it did dig (not by constuction standards) but easier than doing it by hand.

My father is very familiar with the heavy stuff, felt it took about twice as long to use the 2615 as opposed to the Case he used to use at the "office".

Thank your very much for the input. The backhoe attachment is not a Mahindra, it is make in Kentucky for the tractor.

With the 2615 I had it was used for moving rock, mowing the brush, and pulling downed trees closer to the house to cut into firewood.

Thus it sounds that I will get the tractor without the backhoe and rent one when needed.

Rick

[Randy42]

I am also taking the class March 23th , 24th ... I have a place in Nebraska and a John Deere 4020 with a 8' loader. I bought it for less than 10k and I feel it has paid for itself 10 times over the first year ...You can pick up attachments for the 3-point cheap at auctions if you keep your eyes open.

[kyle]

Rick,

I'm not a big fan of the small tractors such as Kubota, etc. I know they are convenient for small jobs. I know Kubota does make some larger models but for the most part they are small and light.

For $17,500 you can buy one hell of a used farm tractor. Something that would have a lot more HP's, pulling capacity, better built, and made to last!!! You can probably end up buying one for half that much and still use it for everything and so much more. And finding one with a front end bucket usually isn't too hard.

A family friend use to store his Kubota backhoe (one of their medium sized models) at our farm which we could use. It was ok for a lot of things, digging ditches, hauling gravel, etc. But it was about useless on anything medium to big. Example. We were installing a new pipe under our driveway. Pipe was probably 20ft log, 1/2 inch steel. The Kubota couldn't move it. Not because it didn't have enough power but because it was way to light. We went and got our old John Deere farm tractor (our small tractor) hooked it up....meanwhile the Kubota owner is telling us that tractor won't budge it that we need to get out a bigger one....and away we went. That old John Deere never even hesitated. The Kubota owner was awstruck that the little old 1940's John Deere could do that after all these years so effortlessly. Need less to say he got rid of the Kubota!

When my backhoe (1979 International 3500A) was in the shop I used that little old John Deere to drag my 42ft logs around and it did it with no problem. Now I use my backhoe and pick the logs up to move them. Its your typical construction size backhoe and it does it with no problem. There is no way I would've ever thought of pulling one of those logs with that Kubota let alone lifting it.

For $17,500 you can find a good used construction size backhoe and get a lot more use out of it.

[heavyopp]

You know I missed that.

$17,500 would go a long way toward a larger, used machine.

I've got a mid 80's case 580E I paid 13,500 for some 10-12 years ago.

Jer

[ryoung99]

Ok, you sold me. For the money I was planning to spend I can do better....

what do you think of this unit http://adcache.equipmenttraderonline.com/9/9/3/87712593.htm

The reason I wanted the small tractor was to mow as well, but for another 3,000 I can get a grey market tractor w/o a FEL to pull a brush hog around and save $4,000.

I have not thought about getting two units for less.

It actually makes sense as I would be able to have one at the job site and one still at the house when we start building.

Thanks a bunch for the advice, you guys are great.

Rick

[greenthumb]

If the only pulling attachment you need the tractor for is a 'bushhog', and you already own an atv, consider getting a pull behind mower from kunz engineering. I have the rough cut 'acrease' model and it works great for the commercial mowing I do. It is about 4.5' wide, but if the ground is relatively smooth(few rough spots) I can keep up with a tractor and 6' bush hog. You can save the rest of the money for the big backhoe. ;)

I think the website is www.kunzeng.com

Now if you plan on doing any amount of plowing, tilling, augering, etc, you might want to get the tractor...

[Shark]

If the only pulling attachment you need the tractor for is a 'bushhog', and you already own an atv, consider getting a pull behind mower from kunz engineering. I have the rough cut 'acrease' model and it works great for the commercial mowing I do. It is about 4.5' wide, but if the ground is relatively smooth(few rough spots) I can keep up with a tractor and 6' bush hog. You can save the rest of the money for the big backhoe. ;)

I think the website is www.kunzeng.com

Now if you plan on doing any amount of plowing, tilling, augering, etc, you might want to get the tractor...

That's pretty cool! Definately cheaper than a dixie chopper, as long as you already have an ATV :)

[heavyopp]

Rick, I only have 1 experience with JCB. It's not good.

I had rented with full intentions of buying a JCB skid steer unit with a backhoe. The backhoe was dynamite. The rest of it left something to be desired. I rented it for a month - returned it in 3 days. Underpowered, too havy for the size of the wheels. Just an all around pain to manuever to the place you needed it. The job I needed it for was right on top of a 50 foot slope into a drainage pond.

I've been running machines for 20plus years. Been in all kinds. Only been scared in 1 of them. You guess which 1.

I just don't see many JCB's out on the jobsites. Why???

Gotta wonder why the price is so low on a 10 year old machine with only 2 years worth of hours on it.

If it's close go take a look.

Jer

[ryoung99]

Thanks Jer, it is pretty close.

What I have found is living in an area like Sacramento there are all sorts of options.

Just found the followins that I am also going to go look at (a local farmer retireing);
96 Massey Furguson tractor with bucket $7500
80 Ford backhoe $7500
99 Kubota tractor $4900

If they are in decent shape for what I was going to spend for one small new unit there are three potential units, including a tractor for each homesite.

The good news is all of these items are very marketable when I need to get rid of them.

Thanks again for your assistance.
Rick