Backhoe Attachment or Old Industrial Backhoe: Which is Better?

They cost the same amount. So which is the better investment for your farm? A frame-mounted backhoe attachment for your existing tractor or an old full-sized industrial backhoe? I bought both to find out, and one of them was a big mistake.

1626 Mahindra with 1626B Backhoe vs. John Deere 310a

[rodgerneeb]

Agree with every point you made, would just like to add yet one more thing about getting a compact tractor with all the different attachments instead of the full size industrial ones, i currently own a dually capable of towing a compact with a couple of attachments, possibly a bush hog to hire myself out, the full size stuff, Oopsy now i need to buy a Triaxle with a flatbed pintle equipment trailer and get a CDL ...

[IndyFarmLife]

Stick with those repairs Adam, they will pay off! I was in the same boat and almost bought a backhoe attachment for my JD 4052R. I'm glad I didn't. I ended up with a Case 580K that needed quite a bit of money and work. Took a while, but I got it going and it has been instrumental around our property. Glad we connected by happenstance today. That was too darn funny!

[jamesdouglas]

I wish that I had watched this a few months ago before I bought my NH 75B. No turning back now. I can't get my money back so full steam ahead on repairs and learning the repairs. Thanks for the lessons.

[NoName-mlyk]

Can't say enough how awesome this video is. The complexity of the backhoe was something I hadn't given enough thought to.

[TF]

whether you're digging with a backhoe or an excavator, you're not supposed to use straight downward force to dig. You're supposed to scrape off about 2 in layers horizontally each time as you go deeper. The trench will look neater and cleaner and easier to dig that way instead of trying to dig from the bottom up for each bucket full. You will also have less dirt falling back into the trench that way.
My dad taught me a lot about running backhoes and I learned even more when I was working in the operating engineers for 30 years running all kinds of backhoes and excavators.

[anthonyf]

We have a 410 industrial backhoe with enclosed cab and extendahoe boy it is a beast!

[TF]

It's nice that you have a dedicated tlb so you don't need the backhoe on the small tractor. It should be for all of your other attachments. And if you need a small digger get a mini excavator for all those tight spots where you can pile the dirt right behind you if you want to.

Personally I think a mini excavator and a small farm tractor is a good setup. And a small dump truck if needed.

You can always upgrade to larger equipment if you need to.

[patricelebrasseur]

Couple years back I wanted to buy a loader for my 5140, ended up buying a 580k extend a hoe for less, , best thing I ever done

[TF]

I believe I have seen small kubota's with the swivel seat I think the b20 and b35 but I not real sure.
Those are both dedicated tlb tractors.

Also never buy a three-point mounted backhoe attachment!
They may not even sell those anymore because they had the design flaw of breaking the tractor in half without the support of a subframe that was added between the front and back of the tractor.

Those three-point mounted backhoes were more adaptable to many different tractors but they were very very hard on the tractor itself and causing extensive expensive repairs.

[Ryder]

After watching this video I have to say, I don't agree with you. I may be lucky but I purchased a JD300B this summer from someone for only $3k (really cheap in my area) and the thing has been absolutely excellent. The previous owner had it running/driving/lifting and I was able to see that before I bought it. It has allowed me to transform my property quickly and can do things the $20K kubota I was initially looking at could never dream of. I had one issue starting it, I had to clean the battery terminals and it was resolved, other than that no reliability issues (the machine has 4800hrs before the hour meter stopped working). Again I may be lucky and I totally get how what happened to you could happen to someone else, I just think the key is finding a machine that someone has had recent frequent use and you can really save some money.

[curtrn]

I just purchased my friends Kubota B21 Backhoe and loader unit for 12, 500 it has 1008 hours on it and it functions wonderfully. I was thinking of going big but the truck and trailer to haul it home becomes an problem with the massive Backhoes.

[JonsDailyHustle]

I appreciate the info shared here. Looking at getting into more tractor work in the future myself

[spindiamond]

I actually really like my 1974 case 580b. It has been a really good unit for me. I paid $9, 700 for it about a year ago. I have an MF35 and an MF65 as well. Currently I'm hating my mf65 because it seems like every time I get it running something else breaks so I totally get coming to despise a piece of equipment because all it seems to do is use up time and money and does no work for you. Fortunately my 580b and mf35 make me smile when I use them and they seem happy to be put to work unlike my good for nothing 65.

[TheCanadianBubba]

Really dug this one Dad ! Full play ads and all !

[TF]

Both have pros and cons.

If you have one tractor and need lots of attachments, get the farm tractor with a three-point hitch and PTO.

If you need a good serious digging machine then skip the backhoe and go for a small excavator!

Backhoes are considered outdated and being replaced by skiploaders and excavators on a large majority of job sites.

Farm tractors with three-point make a nice skip loader.

My dad had a crossover tractor back in the '60s. A Massey Ferguson 220 with three point hitch and a frame mounted side shifting backhoe that was detachable.
It was about a 40 horse industrial skip loader that had a 3-point and PTO.
There are videos of similar tractors to his on YouTube.
And I love old Massey Ferguson's!
in the early '70s my dad traded his Massey Ferguson 220 for a 265 farm tractor and ordered it with the industrial loader, I used it mostly for commercial weed abatement, rototilling, mowing, disking.

My Dad decided to buy a John Deere 500 backhoe with extendahoe and a Drot four-way front bucket to do all the backhoe work and sold the Massey Ferguson backhoe attachment.

You're backhoe looks a lot like my dad's.

there's a lot of videos on YouTube now that are showing people rescuing old backhoes out of fields and barns and fixing them up.

[TF]

when digging with any backhoe you should turn the tractor at a slight angle so you don't have to lean sideways to look around the boom when you're digging and just keep the wheels turned parallel with the trench to push yourself forward when needed. That's the way my dad dug for 40 years with his John Deere backhoe.

I still say you don't need a backhoe, you need an excavator. That'll give you a lot more freedom to dump anywhere within reach 180° around you.

[gerlandkent]

[thank, you for youre video.👍 just, bought a case ck. 530 diesel Backhoe]👍

[thoughts-words-actions]

honest talk thanks mate...this is a helpful story for me..deciding what i need.

[kyflyboy]

It’s better to think of a backhoe as a mobile hydraulic pump than as a digging and earth moving machine.

[tracywagoner]

I would agree for the most part. I would add the caveat of it depends on what you are using it for. I have large, deep digs I have to do, the smaller backhoe just isn’t capable enough.