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Compact backhoe or Full size backhoe

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Lars
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2001-05-28          28695

I would like some advice on what to buy. I build homes and need a Loader / backhoe. Should I look for a used Case 580, 4x4, x-hoe, and hire transport. Or try a Kubota L2900 Loader and find a deepest backhoe attachment, look for a rake, finish mower, and a trailer to pull with my F250 SD pick-upHow much should I pay for a L2900+ Loader?Is there a better machine for me?Thanks

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droz
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2001-05-29          28702

You may have already thought of this but another possibility to consider is a Bobcat with backhoe. Obviously a full sized backhoe will allow bigger jobs but as you stated it is hard to transport and maneuverabilty is poor. My opinion is that for construction work, the Bobcat is much easier to use than any tractor and of course the attachments are abundant. And if you really have the money their compact excavator is a dream. I have a Kubota L4310 and seldom use the FEL if the Bobcat is available. It takes me twice as long. ....

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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2001-05-29          28703

Take a good look at what your trying to accomplish with your business. If you are going to be digging for basements than what you are looking at is not enough. Droz mentioned skid steers, they do work good and are quite nimble compared to tractors but they won't go where a tractor will and they are expensive to run. Depending on your area it may be better to own the small machine and rent the larger units. The question you are asking is tough to answer with the limited information that has been given. ....

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JeffM
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2001-05-29          28707

Lars, like Art said, really not enough information to give you a great opinion, but from what you said I think that a Kubota B21 or L35 might be perfect as long as you are not excavating basements. A B21 can get into tight places, has great capabilities for a small package, and can be towed behind your truck. I love skid-steers, but only on relatively level ground. ....

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Lars
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2001-05-29          28708

Thanks for your reply. I sometimes clear for trees, hire a excavator to strip, and dig foundation. I would spread gravel, backfill, dig utilities, move lumber, Hire a dozer final grade & topsoil and I would landscape mabe cut my lawn.
How much should I pay for a L2900 or similar?
Thanks
....

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lsheaffer
Join Date: Jun 1999
Posts: 1082 Northern Illinois
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2001-05-31          28817

Before I'd spend money on a full size backhoe, I'd consider a mini-excavator. I have 4 of them that I rent or hire out(also for sale). They're light enough to be pulled with a pickup, can dig trenches or clean ditches quickly due to fast positioning, & can fit in small places. Most have backfill blades for light grading. Everyone that has rented them , praise how well they work. ....

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Ray H
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2001-06-21          29478

Leonard,

How do you grade with a excavator blade? They do not angle or bevel like a dozer blade. We have several excavators and rent many more and I believe it is a common misconception that a blade on an excavator can be used for backfilling or grading. The only reason we order blades on our excavators is for stability while excavating on slopes. If I'm missing a trick let me know. ....

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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2001-06-21          29480

I found that the smaller units are not good for filling trenches, they don't have what the larger one's have in both hydraulic power and weight to push much. When you get over a 9' machine they can backfill and do grading but as stated a dozer gives more ability to grade and shape contours into lawns. ....

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Ray H
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2001-06-21          29481

Lars I would opt for a compact tractor that you could tow with you vehicle and I would look in the 40HP range. With that size tractor your options for implements will be greatly expanded espically if you would want to rent. I opted for a ATI quick connect and remote hyd on my FEL and I'm able to use any skid steer implement. Also that HP range tractor will be able to run a hoe like a Woods 9000 which will give you a comfortable 7 ft digging depth. ....

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lsheaffer
Join Date: Jun 1999
Posts: 1082 Northern Illinois
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2001-06-30          29733

I don't use them for major grading but they work for final leveling. I've used them to clean out water ways tah have filled with dirt m where you don't need a tilt. I wouldn't use them to fill a large hole, but they work fine for backfilling trenches. ....

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smiller9
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 9 Canton Ohio
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2003-03-07          50723

Lars, You got quite a situation.. I Will give you my 2 cents... I have a NH TC29D, I use it for cutting the grass and excavating somewhat.. A tractor will not dig like a bobcat (lifting, breakout force)in the front loader nor as fast in moving around. Though a tractor is cheaper. I also have the back hoe attachment. On a tractor I think it is a must! I use it more than I ever thought. I used it to dig out a 20 some inch hickory stump, though I dont advise it... Took about 12 hours just to dig a hole big enough to get the root-ball out, not to mention the ramp to drag it out of the hole. As for other attachments there out there but they need a 7GPM pump, if you have a hydro-drive it pulls off the same pump. The same goes for when you use anything hydro. My tractor is a 29hp but buy the time it get to the pto after the hydro drive its 20hp which makes a diff. when you would use it in a brushhog, tiller or other type app. Tractors are great in moving dirt, mulch, gravel, anything loose. The next thing is the trailer I run a 16' 14,000Lbs cap. Overkill a bit but got a good deal. an 18' would be better though. The tractor weighs about 5K with backhoe and loader + 2.8K trailer weight... Which brings us to a truck, the loader needs to reach high enough to dump over the side, which is why I went New Holland very high reach. As for the mini trackhoes I used one once faster than the tractor but not as much digging power, due to the fact they are not as stable... Example.. If you are pulling on a root that is in there they will tip foward, so you bounce it a bit to break the root free... well when it does you go back the other way real fast, what a ride though. :-) Hope I have been some help good luck...
....

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buster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 10 Inkom, Idaho
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2003-03-15          51198

Lars,
I too am a builder, and I use my Kubota B2150 w/6 1/2' Kubota backhoe often. Last week another contractor hired me to dig 8 piers for a big deck (2 foot square holes, 4' deep), tight quarters and on a hillside. Before that I had a small addition, 10 by 30, no basement but here in Idaho we go 3' to footing depth. Again, tight quarters and the Mighty Kubota did great. I tow it with my 351 Ford on a light 2 axle trailer and its a good match. Around here full size hoes and their operators are a dime a dozen, and I don't attempt to compete with them. BUT, I have the only Kubota type outfit around, and some of the full size guys refer work to me they don't want to mess with, or places they can't get too. I also use the post hole auger (6" and 12" augers) a lot also. I also do a lot of landscaping/grading etc with the 6' back blade.

So I guess my advice may be to get a smaller rig, and leave the big jobs to the big machines. The smaller outfits will come out the loser when head to head with a full sized machine (obviously), but its great to be able to do things the big boys can't.
Tom ....

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Ted at Abbeywoods, L
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2003-03-15          51215

I owned a Case 580 Super, used it mostly in landscaping but did excavation for foundations also. This machine is much more powerful than any utility tractor or skid steer, it is also much easier to operate, and is very comfortable and quiet. Its loader was equipped with Case's excellent attachment system and plumbed, the hoe was plumbed for attachments - absolute necessities if you do commercial work frequently. It was towed with a Ford F650 dump, on a heavy duty Tag-A-Long trailer because anything smaller would be suicidal. The cost of insurance was brutal, as was State and Local tax, as was registration, and as a businessman you need to know these things in advance. Despite its overall excellence, it was not the equal of a small 5 to 6 ton excavator when digging. Just having the ability to rotate your bucket 360 degrees, as with an excavator, is a blessing when working around foundations or obstacles, a blessing that you'd grow to appreciate quickly. But an excavator is not really suited to loader work, even though it will load a truck easily. You can't plow/grade/doze with it easily, you can't travel fast, and it will rip apart a lawn in seconds. Because they dig deep, underwriters assign excavators to high liability risk pools and you could easily face insurance premiums over six thousand dollars just for the excavator. If you need plenty of power and deep digging, but not as much as a Case 580 or Deere 310, consider a Kubota L48. The L48 has many advantages over a dedicated TLB, most attractive being; lower list price, less expensive to trailer, less expensive to operate, less expensive to insure, less expensive tax. Yet it has adequate power, traction, dig depth, loader capacity, and can use skid steer attachments because of its high gpm flow hydraulics. Deere also makes a wonderful tractor in the same class as the L48, it is the 110TLB. Deere has a product comparison feature on their web site and shows you how the 110 stacks up to the L35 and L48 Kubotas. You may find that the Deere or Kubota are just what you are looking for. ....

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