I have been living on the side of a mountain for the last seven years and paying a small fortune for backhoe work...and it got to the point my contractor was leaving his backhoe in my yard for extended periods, and I was maintaining it for him. I am used to heavy equipment, being trained as a truck/bus mechanic some 35 years go, then got into engineering (a BSME and MSE, Industrial) down the pike. I even did a summer as a intern doing hydraulic design. Now I am specialized in industrial engineering support a certain type of manufacturing industry.
But retirement is coming up and I have 30 acres of mountain side to turn into a private park. Backhoe/loader duties will be gravel and pioneer road maintenance, including ditches and grading, including culverts, some through wetland, some up mountains, underground utility installation, water, electric, communication, sewage and such. And of course digging foundations and foundation trenches. I have a root cellar that has been stalled for years. And my sister in law wants to build on adjoining property. I have operated ag tractors, front loaders, fork lifts, but never a backhoe, so that will be a learning experience.
Due to the nature of the soil, lots of black 4" drainage tile needs to go in or else the soil never drains...and of course trees and stumps everywhere!
Now it is time to invest in a used machine, I am thinking about the $25k mark, probably a 60-90 hp machine, at about 15k lbs. And due to the wetness of my terrain, 4x4 is necessary. I have dug out more than one quicksand hole by hand, to drain and refilled with native rock. I am restricting my selection to a "name" brand which in this area would be a Cat, Deere, Case or New Holland. A little maintenance doesn't scare me, I have a 20 ton press, a big air impact wrench and a buddy who works in a shop that makes custom hydraulic hoses. So the cost of replacement hoses is minimal, and I am helping him get parts for a frame swap on his Tacoma pickup. (dealer does all the labor and will install new front struts, tie rod ends, ball joints, belts, ujoints, rear shocks with the new frame if parts are supplied).
I am looking at things like Case 580 series, Cat 420 series, Deere 310 and such. While I don't need much depth beyond 8' feet or so, good breakout for stumps would be nice. I have been attending local auctions, looked at Craigslist and Machinery Trader and roughly know what is out there and how much.
Now my questions are:
Best value in a tractor:
How old before parts become an issue:
And what are the lemons out there to avoid, like a Dynohoe that lacks parts support, or a JCB that needs parts shipped from England or the L - series Kubota that look awfully nice at the dealership, but might not do well digging large stumps.
Thanks in advance for the assistance...and if I can help with my experience let me know...however, the IH branded school busses and medium trucks I was trained on way back when are kind of scare, but if you need a IH 304 or 345 gas motor rebuilt, I am your man.
Howard
But retirement is coming up and I have 30 acres of mountain side to turn into a private park. Backhoe/loader duties will be gravel and pioneer road maintenance, including ditches and grading, including culverts, some through wetland, some up mountains, underground utility installation, water, electric, communication, sewage and such. And of course digging foundations and foundation trenches. I have a root cellar that has been stalled for years. And my sister in law wants to build on adjoining property. I have operated ag tractors, front loaders, fork lifts, but never a backhoe, so that will be a learning experience.
Due to the nature of the soil, lots of black 4" drainage tile needs to go in or else the soil never drains...and of course trees and stumps everywhere!
Now it is time to invest in a used machine, I am thinking about the $25k mark, probably a 60-90 hp machine, at about 15k lbs. And due to the wetness of my terrain, 4x4 is necessary. I have dug out more than one quicksand hole by hand, to drain and refilled with native rock. I am restricting my selection to a "name" brand which in this area would be a Cat, Deere, Case or New Holland. A little maintenance doesn't scare me, I have a 20 ton press, a big air impact wrench and a buddy who works in a shop that makes custom hydraulic hoses. So the cost of replacement hoses is minimal, and I am helping him get parts for a frame swap on his Tacoma pickup. (dealer does all the labor and will install new front struts, tie rod ends, ball joints, belts, ujoints, rear shocks with the new frame if parts are supplied).
I am looking at things like Case 580 series, Cat 420 series, Deere 310 and such. While I don't need much depth beyond 8' feet or so, good breakout for stumps would be nice. I have been attending local auctions, looked at Craigslist and Machinery Trader and roughly know what is out there and how much.
Now my questions are:
Best value in a tractor:
How old before parts become an issue:
And what are the lemons out there to avoid, like a Dynohoe that lacks parts support, or a JCB that needs parts shipped from England or the L - series Kubota that look awfully nice at the dealership, but might not do well digging large stumps.
Thanks in advance for the assistance...and if I can help with my experience let me know...however, the IH branded school busses and medium trucks I was trained on way back when are kind of scare, but if you need a IH 304 or 345 gas motor rebuilt, I am your man.
Howard
First Backhoe...
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