So I'm tired of renting skid steers and excavators I need to buy something. however, I don't want to drop 100k for two machines so I'm looking at the Kubota backhoes and I have no idea what I need to buy I know the 62 is way to big I looked at the l47 and they had no b26. I do landscaping its gonna be used for mulch, driveways, grading, tree and stump removal, and bush hogging. any advice would be great
Personally I would purchase a skid/CTL first and rent mini's as needed for the type of work listed. A CTL is going to be light years ahead of a mini-backhoe for grading, building driveways and bush-hogging. If your competition is using CTL's for this type of work they will beat you on pricing every time since they can do it so much quicker. A compact backhoe is just a miniature of the larger "jack of all trades" master of none versions. Full sized backhoes are great general contractor machines that need to dig footings, tote trash from the building to the dumpster and move stuff around the site. I'm sure that'll get a rise out of AZ. A mini-backhoe is more for hobby farmers for general property maintenance use, not something to make a living with - Just my $.02. On the flip side I want one for my personal use though. It would nice to have a belly mower, front bucket and QC backhoe on a BX series - I'd plant bushes with it after I mowed the grass.
I did go talk to a guy I talked to a few years ago who told me not to go into business and he said the same thing just not as nice as you lol. those are nice for homeowners with a few acres
I got into machinery with one of the little Kubota backhoes. It was a nice toy but not really for any kind of commercial work. Sold it good and bought an old yellow dinosaur and haven't looked back. Like everyone else said, they're good for hobby farm homeowners.
I beg to differ with the general opinions here. I got a Kubota B3300 with a BH77 backhoe 10 years ago. 1020 hours later I have cleared a 4 acre lot, a 2 acre lot, done many a driveway, moved a bunch of mulch, made a half mile road thru the woods on the side of a mountain and other things I don't even remember. My biggest complaint about the machine would be it's limited lift and dig capacity.
Are you using it to make a living or for personal use?
You can make money with a small machine. You just need to take on those types of jobs. Years back when I bought this house I am in I had 3 crab apple trees I wanted gone to make room for a patio and parking. I called a bunch of excavation contractors. Some were just ******** and quoted ridiculous prices because they did not want a small job of removing 3 little stumps and grading a 25x40 patio area and regrading a 100 foot long driveway. The couple guys who actually came out to see the job said their equipment was too big and said for me to rent a machine like a small Kubota. I ended up with a guy who had a Kubota that had a business. He was a one man show and only did little jobs like this. He spend about 6 hours here and it came out better than I had hoped for. If you are going to have a business and use your Kubota for it just take the small jobs nobody else wants. Find your niche. The guy I hired was great. Had a mason's dump that he used to tow it.
How did you know he made any money?
10 years ago a new purchase and 1000 hours on it kind of suggests the answer to that. Unless he's billing some serious $$/ hr. He's a homeowner and your going to hurt his feelings. Compact tractors with a bucket and a backhoe are great for moving around a little bit of mulch without tearing up a yard. They are not meant for serious digging or loader use. I like CM1995's suggestion of purchasing the CTL and renting a mini ex when needed. Rent the additional equipment for the CTL, like breaker or auger as needed until you can afford to buy them. Smaller steps with used equipment, to get to bigger newer equipment is never a bad thing. On that theme- here's a recent add from my area. Brand new slv-95, Chevy truck, dump trailer, and attachments, yours for only $220,000- which is maybe close to what it all cost new- and /or what he owns the banker for it all. All bought in december of 2021- and I'm guessing that the numbers aren't there to make the payments. If he put 50,000 miles on the pickup and only 126 hours on the loader- he's driven around a lot bidding work- and not nearly enough time running the loader to pay for it. I've seen his ad looking to do land clearing. https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...place_top_picks&referral_story_type=top_picks Kubota Skid steer, Chevy 3500, trailer, and attachments. $220,000 Listed 4 days ago in Harrison, AR Message Seller's Description All you need for your turn-key business. 2021 Chevy 3500. 49,955 miles. 2021 Kubota 97-2 skid steer with 126 hours. 2022 dump trailer with 8000lb axels. Also multiple attachments. All bought in December of 2021.
It would be tough to make money with a 4 year term $220K note with just a CTL. Roughly $3K a month in loan payment before other expenses. I can see why he wants to sell it. To the folks with the mini-backhoes I'm not saying they are no good actually like I said up thread I want one for personal use around the house. One can dig a 4000 SF basement 10' deep with one given enough time but it's obviously not competitive. There is just not a lot of profitable work out there for a mini-backhoe outside small landscaping jobs where the money is made on the job installing plants and hardscape not back hoe work. There is a big difference in what a machine can do compared to what it can earn in the market.
I broke my little Kubota in half abusing it. Welded it up and sold it to a buddy who knew about the crack. It's still holding five years later. If I was to buy another "toy" machine, itd probably be a little skid loader and I'd weld some chain tracks and figure out how to put a drawbar on the back and use it as a little toy farm tractor on my little toy farm. But a skid loader is construction grade vs. Yardwork grade. Doubt I'd break one of those in half. Then id buy a mini ex. But I'm trying to save up for a 6 meter mack dumptruck first. Those can be had around here for $10k or less even. These are all just pipe dreams at this point, but I am thankful to have two 20+ year old yellow dinosaurs to earn a living with for now.
I see a ton of businesses go under because the owner makes stupid decisions. Buys all new equipment and a new truck instead of buying what make sense financially. I opened a car dealership with my brother in 1991 and sold my share in 2001. My brother is still in business and busier than ever. We saw at least 6 or 8 shops open in our area only to close in a year or two. Those guys bought new wreckers, flatbeds, 1 ton pickup trucks and lost it all. They also spent money on alignment systems that cost $100k when you can actually earn more money from that bay with a $3500 lift. If the guy with the small machine made money I can't answer that. He did get about $300/hr from me 20 years ago. He had an older pickup and trailer. He said he only did small jobs and landscape type work. With the number of old homes in my area I am sure he was busy with landscape type work and patios.
What else was involved project wise for him to get $300 per hour for a mini backhoe 20 years ago? Obviously you didn't pay him $300 per hour straight time for a mini-backhoe 20 years ago.
My Kubota is for personal use. The point I was trying to make is the same as this one. If you are going into business don't over spend. While the CTL and other stuff are nice get what is affordable to begin with, use it to make enough to buy the bigger stuff and build your business. Too many people try to start a business with a huge debt load and go under. Start with what is reasonable and build from there. A decent "toy" tractor can easily get you going.
I started my business 30+ years ago with Kubota L35 TLB. A few years in I bought a used 12000lb mini, to complement the backhoe. Sold the L35 and purchased a new JD110 backhoe, sold the 110 a few years later, got a track skid steer, sold the 12000lb mini for an 18000lb midi, sold the 18000lb midi for a 35000lb excavator, bought another used 12000lb mini, upgraded to a newer track skid steer. It really all depends on the work you are getting and doing at the time. I was doing a lot of planting and lawn installs in the beginning, the smaller backhoe was good for that stuff, could run across a lawn with pretty much zero damage,take the hoe off and put a power rake on. As my business evolved I moved away from working on smaller jobs to slightly larger projects that didn’t require so much travel over finished areas and required different equipment to do the jobs efficiently. My point is, if an L47 works for what you’re doing now that’s a good start.
I ended up renting a backhoe for a job today just to see if I would like it and I mean it went alright. my help called out on me but I was able to haul it in the dump trailer got it there ripped out some shrubs filled in the holes. I'm not against it but rather just had a mini and a skid might have saved about an hour or so which I saw today they make an attachment for a skid steer that's basically a tree puller. my issues still rise to my dealer support sucks from most brands I like the deere dealer. they have always done me right and gotten me stuff for the mowers fast. my Kubota dealer the pay rate for their mechanics scares me goes from 16-41 an hour so I'm worried someone gonna be mad they getting 18 an hour and buddy over their changing oil getting 37. cat doesn't even like to rent me equipment or respond to my emails. i like the Takeuchi dealer though small seems to be on top of everything beyond that most other brand's case/new holland I don't like the dealer, bobcat I anit really been around them too much
You You don't like buying old pieces of scrap metal that still turn on and work? Maybe you can find something older you can buy with the cash in your pocket. I understand the logic of buying something new that won't give you problems. But New machines break too, believe me they do. And for some reason they're more expensive to repair than older machines in my experience. Are you good at fixing things with a monkey wrench and a hammer and an arc welder?
I wouldn't be against I wouldn't mind early 2000-2010 or 12 anything before def