about what I was thinking because I'm bidding a driveway job and the guy wants the ditch dug out couldn't do it with a backhoe so I can rent the excavator but when he wants the rest of the driveway put in I figured I can do that with a backhoethe tlb will be more versatile, but the excavator will be more compact. if you only need the functions of the excatvator, get it. if you need that plus loader/tractor work, get the tlb.
yeah the Kubota's well the newer ones the backhoe on most can be removed and the tractor attachments can be put on I think the john deere was the same when they made themI had a small 30hp tractor/loader for years. It is pretty versatile for landscape work. I had a few attachments: lesco 3 pt aerator, forks, harley rake, york rake, brush cutter, snow thrower. A TLB has the backhoe of course, but if it can't be removed, it limits your options.
I think a tractor/loader and a mini-ex is a perfect combination for maintenance and small landscaping work.
I figured bidding jobs ya price in your gonna be slower than a guy with a mini or a skid I think can get 75-90 with the backhoe and like 100-150 per the mini and skid so I mean just gotta know that there 6-hour job might take you 8 but if your pricing it right you will get it done and still be cheaper. plus my whole thought is transportation and only being by my self I don't have a worker that can help run equpimetI have a fairly old Kubota B7800 with a subframe mounted backhoe. I can put the backhoe on or off in about 5 minutes (it helps that it is on dollies on a concrete floor so I can shift it into position as needed to align with tractor). While it may not be the ideal equipment for every purpose, with attachments the versatility for digging / loading / scraping / mowing / augering / dragging / spraying / hoisting and much more makes it a good choice for me.
so for the first machine a skid or a mini? instead of the backhoeI’ve had TLBs and I have a mini and skid steer now. You really need a mini and skid steer to compare to the TLB but if you do have both the pair is vastly better at virtually everything.
I was thinking like a Yanmar vio35Hands down a 3 ton class mini-X I've done both and it's way more useful. Must haves is a thumb, 1 and 2 foot digging buckets and 3 foot grading bucket.
my only problem is the dealer is like an hour away but so are most the other dealersThose are solid machines
I can afford the mini could probably buy a bobcat 753 or something older for the skid for the time beingI started with a TLB because I couldn’t afford a mini and skid and then I bought a mini. I sold the backhoe after the mini purchase and bought a skid steer. Or CTL actually. The order you buy things really depends on what you’re doing.
well I like the Yanmar and I like Takeuchi I'm not a fan of my local kubota dealer which is a shame. either way this year I wanna grow at a good rate and add more services. a backhoe I know id still have to rent a mini I was just thinking of a starter machine and then going that way. the whole issue here is money because I don't have enough of it to buy everything brand new with no paymentsIf your looking at a 35 sized mini ex, you could haul it and a skid steer on a gooseneck trailer to help in mobilization. The 35 sized machine is a good size, big enough you can dig waterlines and so forth with enough lift capacity to be able to put a decent sized rock retaining walls. Yet its light enough that you can transport it easily. A skid steer is just so much faster than a compact tractor or TLB. The 180 degree limitation on a backhoe always seems to be an issue on smaller jobs. There issues with a SSL is it making a mess at times, laying down plywood can be an option on sensitive ground, goes back to what you want to do with it.
jack of all trades master of noneMini- Ex is going to be way more productive for digging than a backhoe.
Backhoes are kind of good at a lot of things but great at nothing.
I'm not to sold on bobcat honestly the dealer is just as far away as everyone else and thinking the yanmar for that true zero tail swingI have a good bit of seat time with a bobcat E35 can model. Very smooth, quick and quiet machine. 2 drawbacks for me were the tightness of getting into the cab (I'm 6ft 225lbs) and the proprietary bucket attachment.
no matter what i buy its more then likely gonna be open cab buying used anywaysThat's the only mini I've run with an enclosed cab. All the rest were open platforms. Honestly if I worked with a helper or had crews running the machine I'd stay with an open cab. Cheaper, easier to communicate with a ground guy and the glass is easily busted out by everything. Another reason not to run with a bobcat is not being able to put the bucket on backwards. Very handy feature for concrete work and backfilling.
id like to have a tb240 from them I like the dealer to always been nice to me when I sent emails beforeTalking mini excavators ,Takeuchi has the highest resale and better parts availability than Cat and is saying something.! Takeuchi has some models that have unriveled versatility when working in confined spaces. Quality product!
I can already tell you its out of my budget would be nice thoughI have a friend selling a yanmar 35 cab hydro thumb, less than 800 hours . I think it’s a 2020 model
I was looking last night and honestly, for 40k I could get a used skid and excavator and have both or go with a tractor. it will be later in the year but always better to plan now than last minuteFor a landscaper who’s doing mostly maintenance still
the TLB Makes a lot of sense
It can use a brush mower or aerator
For the uninitiated the Harley and York rakes are easier to use
The type of work you’re likely to do is going to be fine with the back hoe
until You get into major excavation, wall building and hardscapes or grading , the mini ex doesn’t out shine the TLB
I myself would really like a full size backhoe like a case 590 super n
reason Being is travel speed and versatility
When the job sites are much larger or farther apart the distance becomes a big time factor
When the job site is fixed and smaller , the compact equipment is more efficient
a customer of mine her son has a cat 416tc backhoe and says he rather just have the mini and skid steer for some of the same reasonsI used to have a Deere 310j and after I sold it I bought another Deere 410. I’ve since sold it as well because it wasn’t doing anything besides watching my skid steer and mini do all the work. The plus to a full size backhoe is they’re cheap enough to buy. Much more so than buying a mini and skid steer combined. They’re also strong. The downside is they’re heavy enough to require a CDL to haul them and they’re also too heavy to large to do much in yards. The other big downside is that you’re pretty much stuck with the front bucket and a pin on bucket for the rear. The quick couplers on the skid steer and mini adds a lot of versatility.
it is doable gotta shop around and be willing to go out of state. could buy a 753 bobcat for about 12k and a good excavator for 28kFor 40l you could get BOTH machines?
That sounds like a scam or rusted junk that’s not going to move
I mean at this point 20 years old would be early 2000s. also question can you even get parts of a komatsu skid steer anymore?View attachment 533350
40k definitely isn’t going to buy the nicest skid steer and mini pair but it would do better than non operating equipment. I’ve seen decent wheeled skid steers for $20k. That’s about what I paid for my Komatsu and it’s a nice machine. A 20k mini will be harder but if you’re looking for something fairly small and 20 years old it’s possible.
like I said it there just gotta look and be willing to travel for the most partI looked for 5 minutes so I’m sure you could find something better given enough time but here’s a pair for under 40k. View attachment 533353
View attachment 533352
really now is it the same with the backhoes then?Komatsu is still in business and they still make skid steers they just don’t sell them in America so I imagine it wouldn’t be a big problem. With the help of the internet you can get generic replacements for almost anything anyway. The Komatsu is a 2006 so not even 20 years old. I’ve never needed parts to find out.
