L2501 back hoe

[Whitemike]

I rented a mini excavator to do some debris cleanup while I wait for my tractor to come in and it got me really wanting to add the backhoe attachment…I have a ton of basketball sized boulders I need to eventually move and some small trees. With the mini I can grab them with the bucket/thumb and move them to wherever I want, I’m wondering the kubota will Provide similar results. Obviously not exceeding the lift capacity, if I grab a small tree or rock with the hoe will I be able to turn around and drive it to where it needs to go?…if the front bucket is counter weighted

 

[marrmanu]

I have done it with my B2620, which to this point have not found it necessary to counter weight. I have a mechanical thumb, which is not as convenient as a hydraulic thumb as you have to get off to adjust the thumb for different shapes of objects or they way they lay. Have fun with your new machine!

 

[JimmyJazz]

I would begin by doing the math. Mini excavator rental cost to do the jobs vs cost to buy the enticing shiny orange backhoe.There will of course be residual value meaning what you might sell it for down the road to consider. Often when your jobs are done you end up tripping over it and perhaps making payments on it. Its easy to justify the purchase when the the promise of fulfilling work is in front of you. There is a great line in the fabulous book Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy "There is no joy in the tavern as upon the road thereto" . Skip the backhoe buy the book.

 

[Roadworthy]

What else do you do with the tractor? You certainly can't run a brush hog if the hoe is attached. You probably need to remove the hoe to use the three point. Do you need to remove the sub frame and reinstall the three point arms? Take into account how much back and forth will be needed.

 

[ayak]

I have the (BH77) off and on my 3301 (same frame as the 2501) 3-4 times a year, swapping it out for the 3-point/Box blade, brush hog, etc—subframe doesn’t ever come off and once I built the dolly for the backhoe, the switch itself now only takes 30min.
As for the big rocks I encounter, I prefer to get them out to where I can get them into my bucket, or push them if they’re too big. I have a thumb on the backhoe but I don’t think the tractor itself is stable enough to carry anything big any significant distance with it grabbed by the backhoe.

 

[bbxlr8]

I have the BH77 and it is totally worth it to me. I am using it all the time and per above switch off to the BB as needed.

My property is full of glacial deposit boulders (sized from softballs to Suburbans). With the thumb, you can dig, move & occasionally carry a pretty big one if conditions are suitable. Better to get into the bucket if you have far to go. I frequently encounter the tip of the iceburg on the surface and have to pick my battles!

Only you can be the judge of cost/benefit but it definitely would do the job and you have a lot, you can clear in manageable time chunks vs a rental "marathon"

 

[top gnome]

I had the same argument with myself on the back hoe to the point where I almost cancelled it. I have maybe 15 hours on it and I can honestly say I am so glad I bought it. I have a mechanical thumb and with advise from people on this site I am pulling very large spruce stumps like a mad man I did 4 in less than an hour today. I have moved large rocks and hauled large stumps to the burn pile. not to mention digging holes and transplanting trees. I am a frame size smaller than yours also.

 

[Hammarhead]

The mini excavator rental is financially a much better idea unless you have a very frequent need for the hoe attachment. Keep in mind the mini excavator will do more work and quicker than the hoe attachment for the L2501. The backhoe is a large financial outlay to use a couple times a year and be in the way for the rest of it.

 

[Nicfin36]

Maybe there is, but I cannot recall anyone here saying they regretted their backhoe purchase. Mine stays on the tractor almost full time. Yes, it is not often used, but it sure is nice to have when I do need it. Unhooking and hooking is not all that bad. Putting on the 3 point arms is the most aggravating part of it all, but not the end of the world. But, I can do all that much quicker than trying to go an rent something. If you use it enough to wear it out, you've made money. If you use it infrequently and decide it was a mistake down the road, sell it and make all of your money back, maybe more with the way inflation has been going. I'm happy to have mine. My L2501 would not be complete without out IMO.

 

[bird dogger]

I bought a JD #7 backhoe for my JD750 compact tractor in 1985. It literally paid for itself in a couple of years doing countless small, odd jobs for friends and neighbors back then. And that's not counting all the personal projects over the years. I still have it, but that tractor needs some fixin'.
The BH77 was first on the list for the B2650 purchased a few years ago. Wouldn't be without it! Although the projects for it are finally (after 30 years here) starting to slow down. It's now probably only used 2 or 3 times a week during the summer/fall months.
It sits on a homemade dolly on concrete and can be wheeled up to and off the tractor easily. Install for me can easily be done in under 30 minutes and it's more likely in 15 minutes or less. Removal is even quicker.
Only you can decide if it's feasible for you to get one with your tractor. Running out of projects for mine has never been close to a problem. I couldn't imagine all the trips back and forth and time wasted doing that if I had to rent a mini ex for all those projects over the years. When the BH is ready and at your disposal, the projects get done on your schedule. There's no availability issues as with the rental place. No worries about sudden rainstorms after you've just hauled your rental equipment home.
And then there's the fun factor!!

 

[ejb11235]

I didn't see you say what you were buying or planning buying. I have the sub-compact bx23s, with a mechanical thumb. Before I bought the tractor, I had thoughts of being able to pick some things up with the backhoe and drive around with it. For several reasons, I quickly realized that wasn't going to happen. Perhaps on something bigger but not with the BX. BUT, I am completely happy that I bought that backhoe, because I wanted to be able to do small digging projects without having to rent an excavator. I knew there were going to be certain projects that will require an excavator. Now I'm simply learning and making my peace with where the line is. So here's my two cents ... if your only reason to buy a BH is so you can move stuff around with it, then quite possibly not a great plan. Although if you have a larger unit then it's going to be more capable than my sub-compact. If you have other digging projects you want to be able to do at the drop of a hat, then consider the BH.

EDIT: OP's tractor model is in the thread title <facepalm>

 

[dirtydeed]

I typically swap the backhoe for three point almost weekly. It's no big deal once you get the hang of it. If you have a concrete floor/dolly it's a piece of cake. As others posted, reconnecting the three point hitch is likely the most time consuming task.

I dig with both the tractor mounted backhoe and a 3.5 ton mini-ex regularly. Sure, the mini will out dig the tractor mounted BH with ease, but there are significant drawbacks to using a mini. Each, have their place.

 

[Freeheeler]

Obviously not exceeding the lift capacity, if I grab a small tree or rock with the hoe will I be able to turn around and drive it to where it needs to go?

That would be a yes plain and simple. I don't have a thumb yet, but will often have several medium sized pines to move. I'll put a couple on the forks, grab one with the bucket and drive to where I need them. Only limitation is width, you can't drive between anything narrower than the trees you're carrying

 

[dirtydeed]

Only limitation is width, you can't drive between anything narrower than the trees you're carrying

BTDT as well

 

[top gnome]

I got a 7" stump out today in 3 minutes. I am loving my Backhoe. I am clearing dense forested property for a tractor shed the back hoe in my opinion is awesome.

putting the backhoe on the first time took about 30 minutes and it would have went faster if the backhoe taking off the 3pt was 1/2 the time

 

[bird dogger]

I got a 7" stump out today in 3 minutes. I am loving my Backhoe. I am clearing dense forested property for a tractor shed the back hoe in my opinion is awesome.

putting the backhoe on the first time took about 30 minutes and it would have went faster if the backhoe taking off the 3pt was 1/2 the time

And it keeps getting better and better the more you get familiar with its capabilities!
There also seems to be an unknown mathematical constant by which you multiply your known projects by to come up with your actual projects once you have your backhoe.

And the projects just never seem to end.......kinda like the half-life of Plutonium.

 

[top gnome]

And it keeps getting better and better the more you get familiar with its capabilities!
There also seems to be an unknown mathematical constant by which you multiply your known projects by to come up with your actual projects once you have your backhoe.

And the projects just never seem to end.......kinda like the half-life of Plutonium.

I agree I dont even have the tractor shed started and have 10 more projects to work on after that. My better half is very happy I got the tractor and is impressed with the results. Spruce stumps are pretty easy but pretty impressive when you pull them out and have them hanging in the backhoe like a freshly killed buck.

 

[Henro]

I would begin by doing the math. Mini excavator rental cost to do the jobs vs cost to buy the enticing shiny orange backhoe.There will of course be residual value meaning what you might sell it for down the road to consider. Often when your jobs are done you end up tripping over it and perhaps making payments on it. Its easy to justify the purchase when the the promise of fulfilling work is in front of you. There is a great line in the fabulous book Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy "There is no joy in the tavern as upon the road thereto" . Skip the backhoe buy the book.

I would guess the rental of a mini ex would win EVERY time over the backhoe purchase, for one project.

Having bought a backhoe 20 years ago for my tractor, there is certainly no way I would have rented a mini ex every time I wanted to do a small job/project around the homestead. Would not have been cost effective. So small things would not have gotten done. Or would have with GREAT PHYSICAL EFFORT on my part.

Couple years ago, I bought an old mini ex, and it is head and shoulders better than my tractor backhoe, all around, and both have about the same reach and depth capability. I still can't give up the tractor backhoe though.

On the tractor I can get where I want to go faster and with less damage to the ground surface (not that this matters much to me). BUT the mini ex shines for what it can do digging, and placing the spoils wherever you want, in a 360 degree circle.

If it is for the long term, buy the backhoe for the tractor. If for limited projects with no interest in doing little things along the way, rent the excavator.

My take on it anyway...

 

[SteveBX23]

Your buying a tractor with the presumption you will have it for a long time to come. It would be a major inconvenience to have to rent something every time you needed to dig during that same, significant time span. I can’t see buying a tractor and not getting a BH.