My business builds/maintains gravel driveways. I have a 21T lowboy dump trailer that can tailgate gravel at 2-5" of depth. Then if the customer wants it to last longer, I have a 3T compactor. Our soil around here is not given to deep erosion. But one of these days I will need to repair somebody's driveway or move it. So I need a tractor/loader/backhoe. The economy is so good around here that decent used backhoes get snapped up in a day on Craigs List. Half of the listings are scams. So I'm looking new, shopping for heavy compact tractor with backhoe and loader. The Kubota L47 would be the bee's knees, as it were. But it's $57k which would take a while to amortize. Tried the Yanmar, love the new i-tranny, but I don't fit. And the warranty barely covers business use. Tried the Solis, piece of crap imho. Mahindra, I heard about the wiring and dealer woes, no thanks. Deere lies about where there machines are made. America, my ass. Plus, no skid-steer standard bucket mount on a Deere and ISO controls. Kub has the MX5200 for $40k and change. It's a contender. The L47 is a dream. I know Zetors already from my time in Europe. Solid machines, heavy, rather simple, durable. But I found out today that the new Zetors (46-65 hp) are not Zetors at all. Rebadged TYM. I despise that shell game. He also proposed an LS tractor with a WoodMaxx backhoe, 3 point but has its own beefier top link. It also has an ISO/SAE switch. https://lstractorusa.com/products/compact/xr-series/xr4155hc-55hp/ LS used to be LG. I ran an LG excavator for some time in Europe and it was great. So I'm considering this combo, which would save me $10k off the MX5200 price. Does anybody have experience with LS tractors? http://www.woodmaxx.com/WM_8600_WoodMaxx_Backhoe_Attachment_p/wm-8600.htm WoodMaxx is a vet owned company with several very interesting products. Is anybody running one?
Don't know much about the LS tractors, but I do know you want a subframe mount backhoe so you don't tear the tractor apart when digging aggressively. It's a much stronger mount and will last a long time.
I believe LS tractors are just cheap Korean copies of Mitsubishi? That may not be correct but I'd be worried to actually work it hard, cheap off shore compact tractors are made for very light duty use, like comparing homeowner and professional chainsaws. What about buying a good solid older tractor with loader and adding new subframe backhoe? What would you use the hoe for on the driveways, ditching? I would think a box blade would be more suitable behind the tractor most of the time.
A member on another forum has an LS with an LS backhoe on it, solid subframe mount. I'm going to ask the sales guy about that. Some of these Korean companies are actually giants in their fields, we just don't see them much here. But most of the US brands are now just hiding behind the flag while selling us tractors made in New Ralgia from parts built God Knows Where. I saw this trend start while living in Europe. Several machines with different names all built at the same plant in India etc, with components built by the lowest bidder for that year, or fiscal quarter. I'm much more positive about any company that at least says where they come from and where they're built. I would buy a good solid older tractor if I were to find one.
A box blade has its limitations out here because of the predominantly hard soil of the Edwards Plateau, aka Texas Hill Country. Some of the rocks are as big as VWs. 400 yds away you might have a few inches of black soil over decomposing limestone. Our nearest quarry has base from marble granite veins, which we spread on top. I can box blade that right after tailgating it. A few months later, if it has too much crushed limestone in it, it's hard as cement when dry, can't touch it with a box blade. I might buy a big old used grader though. The heavy rain and minimally-absorbent soil add up to a lot of drainage problems during storms. You'll be cruising up somebody's dirt road and see a culvert, and think to yourself "why the heck would he put a culvert here?" Well, be in that same spot during a Texas gully washer and you'll see that culvert full. I have one 12" on part of my land and it's overflowed several times now, despite not draining a large area. So the backhoe would be ideal for installing culverts, and of course the loader for moving base around.
That's all I need to know. Anything but Case, JD, Ford, Cat in a backhoe is a homeowner machine. $50K is plenty to get a decent backhoe that will survive longer than a little Kubota doing that sort of work. I've used a Kubota that size for homeowner projects, barely adequate is what I thought. The other option that's more popular these days is a skid steer and a mini excavator. Maybe not for your situation where the backhoe could do it all, you might not have two operators on the job, and it might be more travel time per job.
I'd too tall for skid steers. My nephew is 6'8" and we have the same legs. Great for lots of things, but makes it hard to fit in many machines.
Take this with a grain of salt, because I'm new to all this, but have you looked farther away? I know it's a drag but I couldn't find any backhoes I liked, used, around here that were in my price range, and I was also very frustrated with craigslist scammers. I ended up driving about 4 hours north to find a few used options that were to my liking. From everything I've read, and you mentioning how hard the ground is, I'd be nervous you aren't going big enough. Granted, I'm in a part of the country where we have many large farm equipment stores within a couple hundred miles (where in Texas it's probably a lot farther), and while I had to pay about 1000 bucks in shipping I did find pretty much exactly what I was looking for.
If you dismiss JCB because you are worried about parts/dealer support (or the collapse of Great Britain ) why are you looking at off shore compact tractors??? Here you go, meets your original criteria plus your new budget restrictions: https://www.machinerytrader.com/lis...32490141/2012-deere-310k-ep?ST=texas&CTRY=usa https://www.deere.ca/en/loaders/backhoes/310l-ep-backhoe/ Weight - 4WD, GP, std Stick, kg (lbs) 6438 (14192) The used one looks to have a 4 in 1 bucket which could be handy for road building. Thumb is really handy. 2500 hours is pretty low for a used machine. The Kubota L series may seem "all that" but believe me, compared to any full size backhoe they are toys. They are nice compared to a compact tractor but they don't have the weight or power behind them like a full size backhoe. Good luck.
All I know that LS tractors with FEL have problems with leaking engine oil pans, and no matter they trying to do - they cannot fix that problem. And BTW New Holland Boomer series is a LS!
My father bought an L47 last month for 41k with 1 percent financing with the backhoe attachment. Great machine but small compared to my case backhoe.
Yep, New Holland farms out manufacturing to several different real companies, afaik. Thanks for the oil leak tip, I'm going to peek under the tractors in at the dealer for service, tomorrow. That motor is also in NH tractors so the problem would also be there.
I was thinking skip loader and mini X. Skip loaders are for really serious box blade work. The seat swivels and the 3 point has hydraulic tilt and scarifier. The JD and Case ones are really heavy duty. I lived out at Lake Travis 18 years...beautiful country!
We lived in Europe for nearly 20 years and visited UK frequently, saw its slide firsthand. Are you also a former EU resident? It's not collapse that's likely, rather continuation of its steady decline. In any case, JCB has a poor dealer network in Texas. https://www.jcb.com/en-gb/dealer-locator
If you budget is 40 grand you can get dang good backhoes for that price I wouldn't look at a small backhoe for what your thinking it wont have enough weight in the right spot basically every compact backhoe I have ever ran has a balance problem Skip loaders kick ass when handled right beats the pants off a blade on a job that's under 300 foot in length and they are cheap for what they are deere makes the best hands down case is decent tho
Head over to the "Tractor by Net" site & see what the owners have to say about the LS's. Good luck with your search.
My point wasn't to steer you back towards JCB, merely to point out the irony. The countries producing those brands will be as likely or more likely to suffer whatever decline you perceive the UK to suffering. One is still considered at war with a scandal plagued government, one is small step above third world, and the other was under Soviet occupation when I was in my 20's. Anyway the Deere backhoe I linked to is made in the USA. Engine is NON DPF. Last I looked the LS and Kubota were DPF. I couldn't imagine using an 'addon' backhoe in a commercial setting. Too much time wasted changing seats. The digging capacities of the Woods are not even worth comparing to a traditional backhoe. I like the Skip Loader idea check posted.
I've been there about as long as I've been here, a year or so. Mixed reviews, but most like their LS. A lot depends on the dealer support.
I guess I missed saying an important point. We also raise cattle and I need to run a mower out back, which rules out pure backhoes. Regarding UK, I have personal experience living a short ways away for many years and working there often. So I go with what I know. I used to train all the sales reps there every quarter, grab a pint with them after work, hear honest talk. UK is doomed.
False economy, buy a $2k Ford, Deutz etc. and you'll have less maintenance than beating up a poor little Kubota.
Just what I was thinking. A rugged old Ford like my 640 will bushog all day with no damage while a delicate pretty new tractor will get power steering ripped out from under it and ....oy vey! the paint will get scratched. Reno, the decline is not limited to Britain or any other country. Wherever there is teevee there is decline.
I agree for just running a mower you can get a good used AG tractor for a few thousand dollars. There isn't going to be one tractor that does it all. Things you have to worry about with an industrial tractor is if the PTO reverses direction when you back up and how do you keep a constant throttle and ground speed. Some 3 pt. attachments are very particular for running at the correct PTO speed. Taking a backhoe on and off would get annoying.
I ran a 3 point hitch mounted backhoe very similar to that Woodmax your link is to. It was just a little better than a hand shovel. Slow going, and very wobbly on the 3 point hitch. It was a poor imitation of a real T/L/B.
It sounds like you have your mind made up. However I'll make one last attempt to persuade you away from a compact tractor to a full sized backhoe/skip loader (I don't care if it's a JCB, Deere, Case etc...). I use mine to maintain a private road, about 3000' in length. I spread a few tri-axle loads of recycled asphalt a year, and have done a few times where I had 10 to 13 loads delivered in a day. I've used it to replace a number of culverts, move tons of riprap/gabion stone, dig large stumps, move fallen trees etc... at no time have I needed more. I do wish I had had more reach on the hoe. I have a little time on a neighbours Kioti compact with backhoe, there is no comparison. Before buying mine, I spent years looking. I looked at new compact tractors (Kioti, LS etc), I looked at used Kubota L48 and M59, I looked at used full size Case/Cat/Deere. One of the first specs I would look at is weight, even the largest Kubota was 4000 to 5000 lbs less than the smallest full size backhoe. There's a reason that the construction equipment is so much heavier. To me I could never justify the "newness" of a compact vs buying a used full size, regardless of brand of either. FWIW I spent half of what you are looking to spend 5 years ago for a machine with 3200 hours on it. Here are some pictures of the culvert replacement and spreading the recycled asphalt: The dump truck driver didn't do a great job (starting on a hill) and dumped piles instead of spreading it. I did wish I had a grader that day instead of the backhoe, but using an improvised drag I was able to get it surprising flat. Good luck with the purchase.
Wait, wait, guys! There is one factor you are overlooking. A new compact AG tractor does have one thing you won't get on an older loader backhoe or old Ford tractor.....Acronyms! DEF, SCR, DOC, DPF......and not to mention all that amazing electronic wizardry that operates it.
There is going to be an auction in Houston on the 20th with twenty TLB's and a skip loader. https://www.rbauction.com/houston-tx?keywords=&auction_key=HOUSTON, TX - Aug 20, 2019&category=23293516068 Get 4WD, you'll be sorry if you don't.