Backhoe vs mini excavator

[fuzzydawg]

I had never considered either a backhoe or a mini excavator until the rains this spring caused all kinds of erosion damage I need to fix along driveway (1/2 mile long), couple of logging trails, and a french drain I need to make. Question to you guys with digging experience: would a backhoe on my L3400 come close to the capability of a mini excavator?

I saw this Volvo ECR28 on local craigslist, and it's clean, only 750 hours, and priced under $15K. Never priced a Kubota backhoe (plus the hydraulics etc) so I need to do that research first.

All advice gratefully accepted.

Thanks.

 

[BobInOK]

Never operated a tractor mounted backhoe but have spent some time on a couple mini excavators. I would say the excavator would win any kind of a digging race hands down. If I had the bucks wouldn't be a contest on which I would buy.

 

[torch]

Question to you guys with digging experience: would a backhoe on my L3400 come close to the capability of a mini excavator?

Mini-ex is more productive (ie: faster). Backhoe is cheaper.

 

[beckmurph]

The Kubota BH77 is or was around $7500 plus tax, installed. What mine cost in 2015.

The BH92, if it would fit your 3400, is several thousand more.


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[BAP]

One factor to consider is how much work you have for the mini after you get the driveway and trails fixed. Is it worth it to you to have that much money tied up on a machine sitting? While you certainly can do the work easier and faster with the mini, a lot of work can be done with a backhoe, just slower.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Buy it before it get away!

Hands down a mini ex over a BH anyday!

 

[beckmurph]

Here are the specs on that https://www.ritchiespecs.com/model/volvo-ecr28-mini-excavator

Not a lot of difference in digging depth between the mini and bh77 [emoji102].

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[PA452]

One factor to consider is how much work you have for the mini after you get the driveway and trails fixed. Is it worth it to you to have that much money tied up on a machine sitting? While you certainly can do the work easier and faster with the mini, a lot of work can be done with a backhoe, just slower.

This.

And there are some things you can do better with the backhoe too. I dug some french drains a couple years ago and after piling the dirt next to the trench with the backhoe, I was able to turn around and haul it away to a different spot with the FEL from the same machine. Wouldn't have been practical with a mini-ex.

There may also be some advantage with the backhoe if you ever needed to dig very close to a building. I have a job I want to do this year or next, and honestly I think I'd rather do it with a backhoe.

If you'd ever want to haul your equipment to another location to do a job, there's potentially another advantage for a backhoe. If I want to haul my TLB to another property to do a job where both the BH and FEL are needed, I can do it by hauling one piece of equipment. If I had a mini-ex and would still need a FEL at the other location, I guess I'd need to make two trips with the trailer.

Not saying a mini-ex is a bad idea, but it's not so black and white.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Last year I chose the new,BX23S over a much lower priced, used miniex.
Both have their good and bad points, a TLB will NO tear up your lawn ! but I found it slower than a miniex for doing a 200' french drain. Mind you I had 5 hrs on the machine then When doing 'driveway ' work, i can see needing to move 'fill' here and there, a miniex can't do that. Also I can quickly remove the 'B' and use the 3point for all sorts of other uses.. A miniex is a dedicated machine whereas a TLB is more a 'Swiss Army Knife' .
If(IF) I have to dig near a foundataion, I'll just rent(or borrow) a miniex otherwise my BX23S does all that I ask..and more.

 

[KennysNewFarm]

I had never considered either a backhoe or a mini excavator until the rains this spring caused all kinds of erosion damage I need to fix along driveway (1/2 mile long), couple of logging trails, and a french drain I need to make. Question to you guys with digging experience: would a backhoe on my L3400 come close to the capability of a mini excavator?

I saw this Volvo ECR28 on local craigslist, and it's clean, only 750 hours, and priced under $15K. Never priced a Kubota backhoe (plus the hydraulics etc) so I need to do that research first.

All advice gratefully accepted.

Thanks.

They lowered the price to 12,500 I would like to buy it but my wife would say no lol. Seems like a steal to me. Hopefully not a scam.

 

[Dunbar]

One way to out a scam on Craigslist is to ask to come by and see the item today. The scammer will tell you that it's not at the location currently or that they, seller, are not at the location. They usually reply with details on the item enhancing it as an incredible bargain. They will not let you come see it meaning it is a scam.

 

[Lil Foot]

Or the classic
"The tractor has already been crated & is ready for shipping, all I need is your Western Union money transfer, and it will ship today"
Yeah, right.

 

[BAP]

I had never considered either a backhoe or a mini excavator until the rains this spring caused all kinds of erosion damage I need to fix along driveway (1/2 mile long), couple of logging trails, and a french drain I need to make. Question to you guys with digging experience: would a backhoe on my L3400 come close to the capability of a mini excavator?

I saw this Volvo ECR28 on local craigslist, and it's clean, only 750 hours, and priced under $15K. Never priced a Kubota backhoe (plus the hydraulics etc) so I need to do that research first.

All advice gratefully accepted.

Thanks.


They lowered the price to 12,500 I would like to buy it but my wife would say no lol. Seems like a steal to me. Hopefully not a scam.

That machine would be listed for $20-25,000 around here. If you pursue it, I would do due diligence and make sure that someone else like a lender doesn’t own the machine.

 

[Freeheeler]

Buy the mini ex if it's legit, use it to do what you need, then resell it for the same price.

 

[edritchey]

I use equipment all the time the mini x in the picture will far out preform any backhoe attachment you’ll get for your tractor.

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I had never considered either a backhoe or a mini excavator until the rains this spring caused all kind of erosion damage I need to fix along driveway (1/2 mile long), couple 9of logging trails, and a french drain I need to make. Question to you guys with digging experience: would a backhoe on my L3400 come close to the capability of a mini excavator?

I saw this Volvo ECR28 on local craigslist, and it's clean, only 750 hours, and priced under $15K. Never priced a Kubota backhoe (plus the hydraulics etc) so I need to do that research first.

All advice gratefully accepted.

Thanks.

 

[William1]

If you have a lot of work to do, buy it, get the work done and if you do not think you will still need it, sell it for what you paid.

The BH on the tractor is great for small jobs (get that one stump out, pull a dead bush, clear the debris build up from a drain age pipe feed.), tires Vs tracks, less destructive to the lawn.

A guy lives in suburbia, a front lawn that is 50' X 40', does he really need a riding mower? But, when the lawn was first made, a tractor with a tiller, rake and roller makes fast work for future beauty. One time.

I have a pond and the silt fills it where the feed stream is. The only solution is a mini excavator, medium dump trailer and a tractor to pull it. Once every three/four years. I borrow/rent.

If I had 100 acres and plans to do all sorts of things, the excavator woul make sense to own. But you have to use it regularly to make ownership sensible.

 

[wgator]

I had never considered either a backhoe or a mini excavator until the rains this spring caused all kinds of erosion damage I need to fix along driveway (1/2 mile long), couple of logging trails, and a french drain I need to make. Question to you guys with digging experience: would a backhoe on my L3400 come close to the capability of a mini excavator?

I saw this Volvo ECR28 on local craigslist, and it's clean, only 750 hours, and priced under $15K. Never priced a Kubota backhoe (plus the hydraulics etc) so I need to do that research first.

All advice gratefully accepted.

Thanks.

A word of caution on that mini ex ad. I used searchtempest.com which checks all Craigslists if you select "within any distance" and saw that exact add on Craigslists in Rhode Island, Fargo ND, Houston Texas, Colorado and Sacramento Ca. Its definitely a scam add.
I had a backhoe on my previous JD and it spent more time off tractor than on, but when I used it it was the perfect tool for the job I was performing.

 

[shootem604]

I love the scammers who have a pic clearly set in a certain area or climate. Around here it is all mountains, so if a pic doesn't have mountains or trees in, just flat land - its probably a scam. Also, the language or terminology gives them away too - or ask a technical question about it, or ask for a pic of a hour meter or data plate.

 

[fuzzydawg]

"... A word of caution on that mini ex ad. I used searchtempest.com which checks all Craigslists if you select "within any distance" and saw that exact add on Craigslists in Rhode Island, Fargo ND, Houston Texas, Colorado and Sacramento Ca. Its definitely a scam add...."

Yikes - good catch, thanks! I guess "too good to be true" applies here - the price and the pictures all looked REALLY good.


And for everybody else who chimed in - thanks for all the good feedback. I think I will look into renting a unit for a couple of weeks so I don't have to fuss with buying and then selling something.

 

[edritchey]

Sounds like a good idea

"... A word of caution on that mini ex ad. I used searchtempest.com which checks all Craigslists if you select "within any distance" and saw that exact add on Craigslists in Rhode Island, Fargo ND, Houston Texas, Colorado and Sacramento Ca. Its definitely a scam add...."

Yikes - good catch, thanks! I guess "too good to be true" applies here - the price and the pictures all looked REALLY good.


And for everybody else who chimed in - thanks for all the good feedback. I think I will look into renting a unit for a couple of weeks so I don't have to fuss with buying and then selling something.