Hello All, I want to purchase both a backhoe and a 18k-19k excavator for my property in north east PA. The question is, which should I purchase first. I have many tasks to complete, but first off I want to create a pad for a pole building which will take many tiraxe loads of stone to be moved and leveled. Another task is the moving of many many yards of dirt to build up a low spot on my property, next my house. I have many other projects planned in the future that include opening a nice wide trail (roadway) around the perimeter of my property, which is wooded. Because the property has many very large rocks that are to be moved for all tasks, the ability to move heavy rocks is a must. All the above being stated, which should i purchase first, a TLB or an Midi excavator? I am by no means an expert operator, but I do currently have a New Holland TC33 with a loader and a backhoe. This is a compact tractor and it does not have the ability to move the rocks that are all around my property, nor can it move triaxles of stone quickly. All the above being stated, I am leaning towards the backhoe first, and later on, the excavator. How do you all feel?
Sounds like a decent sized chunk of land. I'd go backhoe first. Easier and quicker to get around.
DW, Thanks for the reply. I have 43 acres and all but like 5 acres are woods. The type of ground, large rocks randomly placed, is one of the reasons I was thinking a tracked vehicle would be better than a backhoe.
Just a thought...
MD, Thanks for the reply and link. The difference between my situation and the one in the video is, i am not looking to clear my land. In fact, i only want to clear a trail or road on the perimeter. The rest will be left wild. I do have a pond that I will need to rework in the future as the back wall has failed and it does not keep the water level where it should be even tho it is spring fed, but that is a project for 4 to 5 years from now (when i am retired).
Both
I have a Case 580k and have 14 acres of heavily wooded land in Maine. Lots of VW bug sized rocks. When I cut our road, dug foundation and septic system, I used a friend's 220 excavator with a mechanical thumb. I could not have come close to stumping and moving rocks with the 580k. Not having the loader was a little slower with the excavator at times, but the large bucket was close. Maybe rent one for a few weeks or buy one and resell when done. Backhoe is a great for smaller projects, and great for maintenance. Just my thoughts.
Bobcat...I wish! Seriously though, I do intend on both, just trying to figure out which is first for the tasks that I have to do. JWeir...Thanks for the response. I just looked up the specs for your case. It says that it will lift ~5500# to full height. With that capacity, are you at least able to push some of the large rocks out of the way? I dont think I necessarily need to lift them off the ground, just move them out of the way of my trail/road around the perimeter. I do this with my current CUT that has a loader on the front with some of the smaller rocks that it will not lift (it only lifts ~900#). I hear you on the rental, but I really want to have an excavator that i can use any time I need, not just for a week. As far as buying and selling, I am better at buying than selling
If you have lots of rocks that are thousands of pounds each I don't think I'd be using a rubber tire backhoe to move them.
Welder Dave, I do understand what you are saying. The trail/road is not the priority in the next 2 years. First I want to put up a nice garage to keep my toys in. For this task, I will be mostly leveling an area that has already been previously cleared, and adding a bunch of stone. The other task that i want to complete in the next year or two is to move a bunch of dirt. I have some low spots around the house and want to fill them in. The dirt will be dug from a couple of mounds that are on the property, both of which already have good access, when it is not raining (turns to a swamp). For the trail/road, I would use an excavator. Do you think an 18k-19k excavator would be up to that task? I really dont want a large excavator if I dont need one. Keep in mind, this is on my property and there isn't any rush.
From me reading that, you answered you own question. Sounds like the backhoe first would work best for your timeline. You might consider just hiring a machine and operator for the excavator work. Ask around, it may be cheaper than you think. You could assist him and speed the job with the your backhoe. Having your own machine is nice, but with ownership, the expense and maintenance are all on you.
Yes, highwayghost, the more toys we have the more work and expense we have...I kinda feel it is worth it tho for the work one can get done. I find myself using my little CUT for everything. I couldnt manage without it for my lifting and moving chores as well as the loader and backhoe chores. I will be the one doing the maintenance though, so I will save a little there. Might be a good idea to hire out for the trail/road work if a 18k-19k excavator cant handle it. I think welder dave was spot on with his concerns for wheeled vehicles over tracked vehicle.
I think highwayghost nailed it. For spreading the stone bed for the pole barn, moving dirt, etc the backhoe should be fine. If you are ín no rush the back home might do your road...with patience. The 44k excavator I used was awesome and made quick work of my stumps, rocks, etc. The Case 580k has done a lot of finish work and some stump work. Difference is hours instead of 15-20 minutes and knowing your limitations. You could start there and work up.
I hired out for some excavator work recently and was happy I did. The bigger the machine the easier and faster the work will go. Probably knock it out in a few days. Most of those guys would also have a small dozer that would be great for road building. I understand the expense of hiring out/renting but it fast forwards the job and frees you up for other stuff. Afterwards, when it was done and paid for, I felt it was well worth it!
A rubber tired bhoe is the handiest machine you can own . I also own an excavator.
What about a skid steer for the leveling and spreading for the pole shed? A skid steer will be a lot easier for getting a pad level.
Welder Dave, I thought about a skidsteer, but it would not be able to do the trenching and other dirt work that i need to do. I also thought about using the blade on a midi excavator to level the pad and stones. Hence, the fact that I am unsure which piece of equipment to purchase first.
I would vote for the rubber tired backhoe first & go from there. As for rocks, if they fit in the front bucket on say a 580SM size, you can pick up an carry about 2tons of weight (maybe a bit more) on even terrain, just to give you an idea. The other big advantage is how easy it is to get around & the wider variety of work they will accomplish. I have owned a couple of 580's over the last 20 or so years.
1) TLB 2) Dump truck 3) Trailer 4) Excavator And remember, an 18k # tracked machine is gonna tear the **** out of your property. You don't want to be crawling that thing all over your 40 acres.
Metalman, I have not considered a case 580sm. Not because I am opposed to case, but I know for sure that there is a Deere and New Holland dealer close to my place. I have been contemplating a JD 310sg or 410e and a NH B95 or LB110. They seem to have comparable specs to the case you suggested. At this point, I really dont have any particular brand loyalty. I do notice that the New Holland's seem to be a bit cheaper than the Deere's. doublewide, I have a mason dump on my Ram3500 that I will use to move the dirt. As for a trailer, I do not see myself moving the equipment off my property, so I dont think that is in the future. If it becomes necessary to move the equipment, I will have to hire that out. This equipment is not for a business, but rather just for me. I do understand that the tracks will leave a mark . I was thinking rubber tracks to kinda cut down a bit on the mess, and save my back a bit too.
Backhoe, only if you get a 4WD one (you did say it's a bit swampy). You can push or roll around some big rocks if you need to and a 4 in 1 loader bucket is very handy to clear brush and trees out.
63 caveman, Yes, it does get soft. Last year it was a swamp, but it rained all year. 4x4 is a must. The 4 in one is a good suggestion, that said, I havent seen too many available as I am looking at what is for sale.
Lots of JD RTB's to pick from here. Not sure how far away from this sale you are? https://www.rbauction.com/north-eas...068&auction_key=NORTH EAST, MD - Dec 18, 2019
A 1 ton dump truck will carry about 1 bucketful from a TLB. Wouldn't be much faster than just driving the machine.
Metalman, MD is like a days drive. I will keep an eye on the machine that come up. Welder Dave, I was kind of hoping that my truck would take like 2.5 scoops. If I cant, you are correct, I will be driving the backhoe back and forth. I have the time, but if I buy a backhoe, and then save for a excavator, there is no way the wife will let me buy a dump as well. I am pushing the limit now with a backhoe and an excavator Is there a good time to purchase equipment? I mean for a deal.
A yard of wet clay or gravel could be 3000lbs. I don't think a 1 ton with a dump box would carry 7500lbs. of material. 5000 maybe but depends on the weight of the dump box. https://harmonysandgravel.com/material-weights
i`m wondering why you would want an excavator and a backhoe? they both do the same thing
I am going to clear some land to build a house. My wife and I just bought 14.4 acres of heavy woods this fall. I picked up a CAT 426 backhoe to do the work. I was thinking of maybe even buying a dozer to do some of the grading and finish work. I am going to try with the backhoe but I feel that I will need something better than a backhoe to get my finish grades. My plan is after a few years if I don't use the backhoe much to sell it and pick up a skid steer or smaller loader/backhoe. Something I can use to move dirt, snow and firewood. If I win the lottery than I will buy all of the above.
if I win the big lottery I`ll buy em for ya
I have saved this post. If I see your name as a lottery winner I expect my stuff.....If I win I will do the same for you.
deal
With a total of 14 acres, I think a dozer would be overkill. A skid steer or even a tractor with a 3 point hitch would likely fit the bill better than a dozer. Also worth considering just having someone come in to do the final finishing. The county I'm in will rent out a grader (with operator) for a few hours of custom work for $100/hr. When I heard $100/hr. I jumped at the opportunity. Had almost 4 hours of work done but was only charged for 3.
Welder Dave, Lets just hope next summer is dry so that I can sneak 2 buckest in my dump so I cut my trips in half. If not, I will have to suck it up. There is no rush on any of my projects, so that is good. If I purchase the TLB and cannot get some work done like leveling or large rock removal, I guess I will hire out.
petepilot, Can I get in on your lottery winnings too?
If I win the lottery I'm just going to give my machines away and hire the work out, watching the show while sitting in a lawn chair and drinking beer! ... But I'm not holding my breath!
As someone with a soupy yard and a smaller backhoe (NH LB75B) than you are considering I'll mention that the backhoe will also make a mess of your yard. Maybe not quite as bad as the tracked excavator but I spend a lot of time cleaning up my ruts. That being said my LB75B will move some decent sized rocks by just shoving them. If you have the time and you just want to get them out of the way you'd likely manage. I'd love to have an excavator also, for a small pond, but the backhoe has treated me very well with felling and cleaning up trees, moving rocks, and moving mounds of dirt. I've dug a hole that would eat the machine in a bout 2-3 hours. I would think backhoe first, then excavator to clean up a bit after, or take care of more specific work. I've also never used an excavator, so take that for what it's worth...
aighead, Your LB75B really isnt that smaller than the 95. I know what you mean with the ruts. My quads do that and they are less than a thousand pounds. I have never operated an excavator either, however, I have watched many hours of youtube on what they can do. I also want to redo my pond some day. The dam has failed and it is only half full at this point.
I'd love to see a picture of the pond. I'm aiming to turn mine into a swimming hole. It's small, less than quarter acre probably, but I'd like to make it 15 feet deep or so which means digging another 7 feet down, maybe more, then figuring out how to seal it well enough. An excavator would be sweet for that but I'll probably buy a pump I can use once it's done and dry it out so I can drive the backhoe down into it. Mine holds water but leaks too fast to hold it all summer long. I think the 95 just has a bigger engine, right? I assume otherwise they are very similar. Oh and some of my ruts are easily a foot deep. It's good leveling practice but not fun on the mower.
To get rid of big rocks using a backhoe you can dig a bigger hole right next to it and push or pull the rock in and use the left over dirt to grade.I don't have rocks but I used this method on stumps and it works very well
aighead, My pond is smaller than 1/4 acre. I want to make it much bigger when I repair it. 15' depth to 20' is what I want too. It gets mighty cold in NEPA. I think the 95 engine is a bit bigger, and I think it has a higher loader lift. Dont see many other differences. Loader weight ratings are within a couple of hundred pounds of each other. geminijo, Great idea, bury the suckers and use the extra soil. Hopefully they dont grow if I plant them.
Thanks everyone for the replies and suggestions. I think it is clear to me that the backhoe is what is needed first. With this in mind, I will start my quest for a backhoe. I do not expect to purchase one before march, but when I do, I want to have the cash to pay it off...I hate owing money! I may start a thread looking for suggestions for the unit that I will purchase. This will happen as I get more serious about some units that I find available. One thing I know right now is that I do not want to purchase a unit sight unseen, so that rules out many auctions and well priced units that are not in my area. I would rather get a unit that is a little higher priced but checks out, then the less expensive one that turns out a dog. I once looked at a car online. It looked great. In fact, I went to buy it, and could not believe the poor condition. I told the sales person...did you really think I would buy it once I saw it. Not sure how they did it with the photos, but every panel as well as the rims on the vehicle were banged up, and not one picture online showed it...my lesson learned! Thanks again...Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all!!
I have land 3 miles from home. A backhoe I can drive in minutes. An excavator can't run on pavement & it's slow. Even on your lower 40 it'll take you half a day to walk it to where you need it. I tell a story about a customer: He argued I charged too much to dig a hole. He said he could rent machines to do it cheaper. His need that day was a 15' square hole 5' deep, perfect square corners & sides. I had to lazer the floor & rake it level. The hole would be filled with concrete. I dug it in a day, disposed of the dirt, (piled 300 feet away as he wanted). He rents machines from Albany NY 2 hours one way, would need an excavator, (mini), & a track loader to move the dirt away. I explained that would involve him driving a F350 dually 8 hours with trailer. Pay big for rental & fuel. An employee would dig, on the job training & two days pay. A backhoe is versatile. Like a crescent wrench, it does a lot of work, but there are specialized machines that do it better. I'd want a thumb. Some extend a hoes are extending the male dipper. These are difficult to add a thumb.
I am a little late on this thread, but thought I'd throw in my two cents as well. I'd go backhoe first, than a skid steer. If you've been using a CUT, going to a large sized skid steer will be like heaven. Being able to see your full bucket is so nice. I have tons of very large rocks on my place, some of them my bobcat can't lift but I can push to where I need. A few of them I've had to get straps out and use the 590SL's loader to lift. You can rent a trencher when needed.