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Is it common to rent lease implements

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2003-02-08          48886

This is my first post here, so please be gentle!

I will be buying a new tractor (JD 4310, NH TC33D or Kubota L3430) in the next month or two. This will be my first tractor, and I'm trying to get educated on the topic.

One of the things I want to do around our property is build a series of short retaining walls, around 60 linear feet worth in total. To do this will probably require a backhoe, but once it is done I don't think I'll need the backhoe anymore.

Is it common amongst tractor dealers to rent or lease these types of implements? Or, would I be better off buying, using, and then selling it?


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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2003-02-08          48895

I think most dealerships charge so much per day with a basic minimum charge plus a delivery charge. This would probably still be the least expensive unless this is an all summer project. I've got a 4300 JD w/#48 hoe and #430 loader on the front which is required for front ballast when the hoe is on. I too questioned how much I'd really use the hoe, and even tho it comes off in minutes, I've found it so handy I never take it off, so this winter I bought a 4310 to mow and do other things with. You may want to check around there may be a used hoe to fit your tractor. I think the same subframe fits 4300 thru 4410,tractors then a different subframe is used on the bigger 4000 series tractors. Good luck. ....

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TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-02-09          48908

Other people talk about renting implements. I haven't found any dealer around here that rents them and the equipment rental places don't have 3ph equipment. It may depend on the area.

Even if a rental hoe were available, it would probably be a 3ph type so it could be mounted on most any tractor. There are many discussions in the archives about the risks of damage to compact tractors from 3ph hoes, so some archive reading would be good.

My solution for an immediate need for a hoe and on-going occasional light-duty use was to buy a 3ph hoe that is on the small side for the tractor. Some 3ph hoes aren't too expensive. The least expensive aren't very strong hoes either, which probably is better for the tractor anyway. Rent or buy, a 3ph hoe would be an alternative but the risks should be understood.
....

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BillMullens
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 649 Central West Virginia
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2003-02-09          48920

The most practical solution would be to have everything marked and laid out and just pay a contractor to do it for you. Next would be renting equipment, I'd be most likely to rent a mini excavator from a rental store, I've never seen tractor implements to rent locally. Last would be buying your own. Now, having said that, my solution to a similar problem was to buy a 3ph backhoe. To accomplish all of the work I need done, probably wouldn't take a week of solid work to do it, but I don't have a solid week all together. With my own backhoe(in my case, I built a CadPlans hoe) I can work on landscaping and ditching when I have time. It allows me the flexibility of getting one job done before starting on another. If you buy a new backhoe, you'll lose a considerable amount of money when you sell it. If you find a decent deal on a used backhoe attachment (frequently on ebay), you could use it for a year or so and take care of it, probably not lose any money when you sell it. Like any implement, though, you'll find more and more uses for it. I originally thought I'd sell mine after a couple of years, now don't see that happening for a long time. Please consider Tom's comments about 3ph hoes. We both have them, but they can damage tractors. Be careful.
Bill ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2003-02-10          48987

Thanks to everyone for your comments.

Our retaining wall project requires building a series of terraces. As I see it we will have to build the top wall first, backfill, and work our way down. This means that we can't do all the excavation first. Since we will mostly do this work on weekends it may take all summer.

I didn't realize that there were issue with damaging the tractor with backhoes. I'll definitely have to do more research in this area. A small hoe would slow the work down, but we're not on a schedule and I'd rather go slow than damage the tractor.

Of course if nobody rents these out in our area we'll have to buy anyway. Buying a good used one and reselling it when/if we have no further sounds like a viable option.
....

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2003-02-10          49008

I fully agree with the other folks in that a 3 PT. backhoe is likely to tear up the hitch on your tractor. Just to avoid warranty problems, I think I'd stick with matched brands of tractor hoe combinations, and definetly a hoe that mounts on a subframe that is attached to the main frame of the tractor, not on the 3pt. No matter what your choice of brand is I'm sure that they all have a frame mounted hoe designed to match their tractor. Good luck on your walls. ....

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TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-02-11          49029

I still don't have a good sense of how the terracing is going to be done. Maybe I'm just dense but maybe my question will help get the details in mind. At the moment I have the sense that the slope is too steep for a tractor to work on the side-hill. If so, I'm just curious about the approach, but I'll wait for a comment before I try to spin ideas that might be irrelevant.

A couple of things about tractor back-hoes that might limit their usefulness: Even big ones probably don't have near the reach what would allow them to work from the top of one terrace to the outside side of the next terrace down. At least for terraces that are wide enough to drive and maneuver a tractor on. In addition, the effective reach of a hoe for digging is limited because you really aren't supposed to stretch a hoe out and dig with the bucket curl. Such digging, even with a sub-frame hoe, will put huge stresses on a tractor frame.

Working on side hills with a hoe is tricky because the tractor balance changes with when swinging the bucket for dumping. The safety rule is never dump a hoe on the down-hill side. I suppose there are ballasting solution for the problem but they'd be a little tricky.

Anyway, it might be good to think through the plan carefully. It's not all that uncommon for operators to find themselves and their tractors at the bottom of a slope after an unpleasant ride.
....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2003-02-11          49051

I'm a little worried about the hills as well. Worst case it is a 25% grade. I know I don't want to get sideways there, but would going straight up and down be a problem?

The hill we are terracing is immediately adjacent to our house (which is built on the hill) and has about a 9' rise over a 40' run. We would build two terraces on this hill. From the top of the hill we would come out 15', build a 4' wall, come out another 15', and build one more 4' wall. Working from the bottom of the hill, if we build the top wall first and work our way down we won't have to actually work with the tractor on a terrace.

Would it be better to rent a skid steer for this job?

....

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SomeYoungGuy
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2003-02-11          49061

I wouldn't think dealers would want to rent just backhoes, but you never know. Another option that is a little more likely and will actually work better would be a mini-excavator. Kubota, Bobcat, IHI, and all sorts of people make them. It will outdig a tractor backhoe no problem and finding a rental shouldn't be hard. I know Kubota's have a system that lets you use either backhoe style controls or "big" excavator controls too so operation won't be hard.

Just a thought. ....

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JackHerr
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 46 SE PA
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2003-02-11          49083

It may be worth doing some major math before proceeding too far.
A mini excavator or skid steer with a hoe attachment would be best suited for the job. However, if you are like me, I have no seat-time on a hoe. I catch on quickly, but it would still take me twice as long to do the excavation as a good operator. I won't even go into the appearance of the completed job.
See what rentals would cost. Don't forget to have the rental house include delivery charges if you don't have a serious truck/trailer combination. All of this stuff can add up.
Price a backhoe. Estimate what that same backhoe will be worth with 20 hours on it, a year later. You may have a lot of money to have tied up in something that you will not use very much. In other words, you may get more use out of other toys for the tractor. Grapple, 4-in-1 bucket, pallet forks, box scraper...
Get a price from a contractor to do the heavy work. I'll bet that the contractor method will be very attractive.
Whatever you do, do not get a contractor to complete something that you goofed up. That can get expensive. It also gives the contractor something to talk about at the local coffee shop! ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2003-02-11          49085

Doing the math is good advice. Some rambling thoughts follow.

The problem with contracting out the excavation and backfill is that the construction of these walls is a serial process - excavate the top wall, install the drain, build it (backfilling & compacting along the way) repeat on the second wall (and third and fourth and maybe fifth to get the hill on both sides of the house). This means 4-6 weekends of work, since our "free" labor is only available on weekends.

Although a skid-steer might be the "best" tool for the job, I'm thinking it would be cheaper to buy (or rent) a backhoe for the tractor, use it for a month or two, then sell it. If the tractor/hoe would be "good enough" to do the job it would be the cheapest way to go. If it would be cumbersome or dangerous to do it this way it's a boneheaded idea no matter how much money we save.

Keeping expensive rental equipment on-site for the length of time it would take to build the walls would be cost prohibitive, but maybe renting a skid-steer for 4-5 consecutive weekends would be in the budget.

I'll work up some plans and send 'em to an excavation contractor to see what advice they may have. Heck, just for fun I should call a company to see what they would charge to build all the walls for me. At least that would give me a benchmark to work against, and I'd still have plenty of other use for the tractor.

Thanks again for all the points of view and advice. You guys are good!
....

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treeman
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 251 Wisconsin
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2003-02-11          49103

My neighbor has a giant track hoe that I would hire the work done first. What would take me a week to do, he could do in one hour! If it was a small job I would rent a small hoe from the local Bobcat dealer.

When my Dad and I dug the hole for his underground house, he bought a used Ford contractor loader-backhoe. We used it and then sold it for the same price that he bought it for. ....

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DaveDave
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2003-02-11          49105

I'm not sure what is required to put in the landscaping you are talking about, but first there is talk about backhoes and now skid steers. Aren't you getting a loader on the tractor? Why wouldn't you use that instead of renting a skid steer? That is what you are getting the tractor for. Sure, it prob won't have the lift capacity, but this is a weekend warrior type job. Now if you need the trenching ability of a backhoe or excavator, renting seems to be the way to go. I think you'd have to be a lucky bum to buy a backhoe, use it for a very short while and then sell it without taking a very large hit. If you rent, just rent on the weekends and return it during the week. ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2003-02-12          49109

Originally I was thinking a backhoe would be required. As the discussion progressed the idea of a skid-steer was brought up, and it seemed that that might be a better tool for the job, but that's not to say a tractor with a backhoe wouldn't work. We have to dig and move a fair amount of dirt and gravel to install the retaining walls, and I don't think a loader is the right tool for digging. Now it's becoming a matter of economics, what is the most economical way to go given the labor available and the long-term duration of the project. I need to work the numbers. ....

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TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-02-12          49113

I think that 25% slopes are mentioned by some manufacturers as maximums for up and down driving. However, the idea seems marginal to me at best. I'd keep in mind that it would be a new operator with a new tractor on freshly worked ground; and the tractor would be digging rather than simply driving. The idea may well be doable but there is a bunch of safety reading around, and it would be very good to get the safety issues firmly in mind.

For a constructive idea, I'm sort of wondering how it'd work to put post holes in with a hand gas-auger, build the retaining walls first and dump fill down from the top. I don't know my mind isn't getting around things this morning--too much work dragging myself back into modern times of HTML code and standards to build a web site for my wife. I've been solving my coding problems since about three this morning.

I think there's going to be a relationship between the height of the retaining walls and the width of the terraces. For the slope, walls that are high enough to create a terrace wide enough for a tractor to work on might have stability problems. If a tractor couldn't drive on the terraces, then fill couldn't be dumped from the top. A contractor approach might be for a dozer to cut the terraces and then a tractor could be driven on the to build the walls.
....

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Yerbyra
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 32 Opelika Alabama
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2003-02-12          49116

If you are only digging 60',rent a backhoe.You should be able to complete your trench in a weekend at the most.If you are buying a tractor,purchase a FEL with it and use it for this project to backfill and you will have an implement you can use from now on. ....

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whodey
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 2 ohio
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2003-04-27          53882

I just purchased a 4300 with a 48 backhoe and 4300 loader and can't believe how I ever got along with out it. Very nice to have around. ....

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