All, I'll turn to you guys for your expertise once again. I'm looking for a backhoe for grading and digging chores around my property. I've been looking at Cat due to their dealer support in my area. JD isn't as strong, but it still should be good. I've seen some JD 310Js for sale in my price range (30,000-38,000). I'm wondering if the 310J is up to the challenge. With its lack of turbocharger and 7,000 pound-ish bucket breakout force, do you think it would be a good machine to push dirt with? Does it have the power to grade with? The machine I'm looking at has a 4 in 1 bucket. I just don't know if it has the sufficient loader bucket breakout force to be a strong machine. Any help y'all could provide would be much appreciated. I think it's boom is strong enough. My main concern is the loader.
I would be more concerned about the 4n1 bucket than hp. More HP just means less time on the job. Moving parts are more things to break and bend
Yep, you'll find it plenty strong enough
This post is a little old but.... I just bought a pretty nice 410g for similar work and within your price range. It has quite a bit more power than a 310g and has way more hydraulic capacity. Check the specs on the JD website. There is a page that has all the 310 through 710 info. It is what I used to make my decision. For what it's worth - I wouldn't have a machine without 4x4 and a 4:1 bucket due to the mountain environment I live in and the things I need the machine to do. The 410 I bought also has a hydraulic thumb, perfect for my needs. Good luck!
Thank you guys for your responses. I found a good deal on a Cat 446D and jumped on it and am happy. It has a 4 in 1 bucket and extend-a-hoe with two way hydraulics.
Welcome to the Forums Jmvance1!
Thanks! Been lurking awhile and thought it was time to join. I hope to be able to pay back some of what I take away from this great resource.
Hello Jmvance1, Just picked up a 410g with a thumb in CA, I'm going to guess that came from coarsegold!
Good guess LT! That's the one, Tim delivered it today, put some time on it fooling around with some boulders and digging a big hole, it works great. It's going to be really nice having it in the fleet.
I'm a friend of Tim's. That is one nice backhoe, I would have liked to have it myself but just couldn't afford it right now. Congratulations on the purchase.
Thanks! It is exactly what I was looking for. Tim is a straightshooter, takes good care of his equipment and it was a pleasure doing business with him. This was one of the smoothest big ticket transactions I have been involved in. I understand about the coin involved. This machine was more than I wanted to spend but it is well worth it when the overall condition, included options and accessories are included in the equation. Enjoy the rain and snow!