This has probably been covered, but I want to ask again anyway. What is the best small back hoe or excavator. I need one for many small projects around the property - burying pipe, planting trees, digging in the creek, etc. I don't think I'll use the front end loader that much, so I'm leaning toward a mini ex or something like that - has anyone tried a Terramite?

They work fine for little projects but I have never seen anyone say they bought a machine that is to big for them. Buy as big as you can afford and if I buy another machine,it will have a cab with A.C.

Thanks, Ken. Were you talking about the Terramites? I've never heard any feedback about them from actual owners/operators.

Yes, A contractor that worked for me had one and it was fine but is very slow compared to a normal sized hoe. If you know someone that knows about how they work, you can sometimes get a good deal on one at an auction. The terramite would take 10 times longer then a normal sized one. If it is a repossesion, a little research can get the unlucky owner and they will usually tell you if the machine has any flaws but you still need to check it out.

I love my kubota and they can be had with low hours for what a terramite costs. I did a quick search and found this listing http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...vectorid=229466 granted the hoe attachment will run $7k new on top of the tractor but IMHO the option of having a real 3 pt pto is not something I'd go without when buying a tractor.Besides the backhoe I have a log splitter and brush hog that I use on my pto.

As far as the loader goes,you'll use it for far more back saving things then you could imagine.For instance that pipe you want to bury the bucket will haul it,planting trees just toss them in the bucket etc etc etc.I also had a custom set of forks made that attach to my bucket so I can load/unload and haul pallets.

I would go with as much versatility as possible if buying a piece of equipment. You'll be glad you did.

Don't have a backhoe for my Kubota (buddy has one that I can use anytime), but have several more attachments on my list to eventually acquire. Tiller, post hole digger, PTO chipper and a PTO log splitter. Makes life much easier.

I've got a frame mount backhoe, with an 18 inch bucket, for my 23 HP diesel tractor with front end loader. I've found it to be extremely handy. It just takes a bit to get it on, and once I get it on, I hate to take it off because of that reason. Taking it off only takes about 5 minutes. It does a pretty reasonable job of digging.

However, I usually have a friend's Kubota excavator parked in the yard. It is certainly bigger and faster, but one of the things that makes an excavator so much faster than a backhoe is being able to move and reposition it without having to deal with outriggers. But, it is pretty limited to digging and leveling.

I only have casual acquaintance with the Teramites. But I'd have a hard time recommending one. Instead, I'd go with a factory frame-mount hydraulic backhoe on a conventional compact or utility tractor. The smaller termites had gas engines, and for something like this, I would only recommend a diesel. As far as I know, they make some 4WD versions, but I've never seen one. If you will be using a loader, you really want 4 WD. Also, as far as I know, none have PTOs or 3-point hitches.


Ken

Rmedgar,I would rent one of these machines before buying one. It is much faster then a setup like Ken's. United Rental rents them here. Actually,if you go to a store and ask to try something out for a few minutes, they will let you play around with one for a little while. That is assuming they have an area to work which they usually do as they have to repair their equipment. Good luck.

I would have to recomend a magnatrack very versitile machine cheap well bilt and an overall good machine our neighbor had one years ago and for the size and price its well worth it also there realy hard to get stuck especialy with the backhoe and they make just about any kind of attachment you want I havn't owned one but have done lots of reaserch and our neighbor got rid of his awile ago but it ran like a dream.

I have a frame mounted Walenstein 720 (built in Canada) on my 30HP 4X4 tractor and love it. I would like to get a real excavator some day when I can save up the pennies, but for now, it does great work around our place. It is some of the bet money I have spent. The log splitter might be slightly better investment, but only slightly.

I also agree with get as big as you can afford. You can NEVER have too much tractor, excavator, boat, airplane, truck, or burn pile!!

Thanks for the info, I've checked into all of the suggested machines mentioned above. With your input, and giving it some thought, I think an excavator would probably be best for my needs - I can use my mower with cart to haul around most anything else. I want something that will allow me to get into some tight spots and dig. I have a nice creek running thru my land, and I have many small projects in mind for this area - very small ponds, waterfalls, dams - you know, fun stuff. I'm discouraged about my pond (continues to leak) and I need other things to do.
Does this information give you any other ideas for what I might need?

I can't recommend one, but after operating both backhoes and excavators in larger sizes here's my observations.

Backhoe:
Rubber tires. Can go across pavement without leaving marks. Can drive down roads. Bucket is very handy for moving dirt and things that require moving the machine at the same time. Backhoe part is good for digging and moving dirt, but is limited because it only has about a 140° of swing. Great for picking up rocks and stumps, then driving the whole machine with them to a different area with them held in the arm.

If you get an extend-a-hoe, you can scrape at an angle easier without having a lot of experience.

Would not have one that was not 4wd. Rubber tires don't tear up the ground when moving like tracked equipment does.

Excavator:
Tracks allow it to go in softer ground than rubber tires without getting stuck.. Can climb/decend steeper grades than backhoe. 360° movement means easier to dig and place dirt away from where you are digging. Slow ground travel speed - impractical to pick up stuff with bucket and move it any distance. Cannot drive on pavement without leaving marks. Tracks mean more ground disturbance when moving machine.

Couple things about a log splitter. I have one that is NOT attached to a machine, and it splits both vertical and horizontal.

I would NOT want one on a tractor just because I need the FEL on the tractor to move the pieces of wood around to place on the splitter. Many pieces that I have are too big to pick up, and some, even tho they are 16" wide, if flopped over, I cannot pick them back up to roll them.

While it isn't recommended, I purchased a set of skidding tongs from Harbor Freight and use them to pick up rounds to place on the log splitter with the FEL on the tractor. I then split & toss the splits in the bucket, using the bucket to put the splits inside the storage shed where I then stack them.

This is a topic about which I've had some strong discussions. Bigger is not always better. I've downsized, and downsized some more. My little 4 cylinder 4WD truck does everything I need, plus I can park it in a parking lot when I go to town.

My other "pickup" is an old Ford F-700 dump truck. It gets used about six times a year. My pickup gets used everyday.

I'll take my kayak and canoes any day over a power boat.

My 13 HP side-by-side UTV, with Continuously Variable Transmission, 400 lb. capacity dump bed, 1100 lb. trailer towing capacity, snow plow, winch, etc., does everything I need. I don't need a fuel injected 40 HP machine that can outrun the Dukes of Hazzard.

I've got my little 23 HP 4WD diesel tractor, and anytime I want it, I've got access to a 65 HP 4WD, with a cab. Both have front-end loaders.

I find that my little 23 HP tractor is far more versatile and useful, for what I do, than the 65 HP tractor. I can't drive the big tractor into anywhere near the places I can drive the little tractor. For road grading and snow plowing, I far prefer the smaller tractor with a 7' blade over the big tractors with a 9-foot blade.

My main garden area is 50' x 100' foot. It can easily be plowed with the little tractor and a single bottom plow. It is darn near impossible to plow that small area with the big tractor and a three bottom plow. Same for my brush hog mower.

I also agree 100% with what ESSHUP says above. I wouldn't recommend a 3-pt. log splitter. It really restricts you when you are cutting and splitting firewood. Kind of like having the backhoe on the tractor when you want to do something else.

The idea of renting several pieces is by far one of the best ways to figure out what you want.

Your much younger twin,
Ken

Thanks Ken and Scott for the latest input - very informative. In a perfect world, I would like a 4WD, rubber tired, extend-a-hoe mini-excavator. I like the rubber tires because they do less damage than the tracks, but will probably settle for the tracks. The area that I'll be working in is going to be pretty tight and probably moist. Like Ken, (my evil twin), I like the smaller pieces of equipment - hey, what else have I got to do. It's not like I have a job or anything else to do, what's the rush!!!
Thanks again for the help...

Randy,

Just a few last things.

The rubber tracks on excavators do very little damage, except when turning very tightly. Our excavator tracks leave very little traces that they have been through an area. They leave far less impressions than industrial tractor tires, and nothing compared to what agricultural (bar tread) tires leave. If I drive the excavator near wet areas of the ponds, or across the dams, it leaves almost no trace that it has been through there -- if I'm going relatively straight.

The second thing to consider, and they aren't very expensive, is a "thumb" to help lift things. I use the excavator or backhoe to take out the majority of trees we remove where stumps might become an issue. A little digging around a tree base, and then pushing it over, will take out a pretty big tree, quite effortlessly, with its roots. The thumb is invaluable for grabbing and lifting these logs, roots, etc., so they can be cut up and moved. For smaller trees (less than 3-4 inches) that can be pushed over with the arm, you can use the bucket and thumb to pull these trees and roots without any digging. Our thumbs are "fixed", that is, the angle is set with a pin. You don't need an expensive hydraulic operated thumb. I've found that "out of the way" and "as far down as possible" are the only two positions I ever use.

Lastly, get yourself at least two buckets, three if you can. A narrow bucket is great for removing trees, getting things started, and digging trenches. A wide bucket is invaluable in wet areas for removing muck and just plain digging. I've got buckets from 8-inches to 36 inches. However, the two that get used the most are the 18 and 36 inch buckets, but there are times when the 8-inch bucket is invaluable.

Regards,
(and, I ain't the evil twin!)
Ken

You're working too hard Scott

It all boils down to what your needs are. Bigger is better if the situation calls for it, smaller, the same.

I wish I would have gone a step or two above my L3540, just because. It is however, quite suitable for my needs.

Thanks again, guys. Ken, for some reason I thought that the tracks on the excavator were metal. Rubber tracks (& the thumb idea) probably seals the deal for me. I'll let you know when I find something...

I'd say that nobody really knows the difference between an excavator and a trackhoe. There are many definitions. For me, and most of my friends, the tracks make the difference. Rubber equals excavator. Metal equals trackhoe. Manufacturers all have their definitions too. It's kind of like the difference between a pond and a lake.

If you get a rubber tracked diesel machine, I think you'll reall enjoy it. It will also have a dozer blade, which you will find invaluable for making small ponds.

Ken:

On the widest bucket, do you recommend teeth or no teeth? There were times when I wished the largest bucket left a smooth surface.

Picking up things without a thumb improves your hadn/eye coordination skills.....

I agree that it's pretty durn handy to have tho!

Not to derail the thread but:
JKB, the local tree service pushes any tree trunks into a burn pile that are over 20" dia. They now are setting them by the road for me to pick up. I slice them into 16" cookies and roll them on to the trailer by hand to get them home.


32" bar on the saw - that's Maple......

Free wood is a good thing.

Slab those to about 4-6" thick and sell them to taxidermist or hobbyist. Be surprised on the BTU exchange value you can get on them.

Scott,

I've become so fond of teeth on my front end loader, I never remove the tooth bar, even for snow clearing. The teeth on my digging buckets aren't removable. By curling a bucket just a little bit, I can make a cut almost as smooth as without teeth. But when a root or rock gets in my way, the teeth are invaluable.

The teeth make great chain holders or rope ties when lifting things. I've also welded up a set of hooks that slip over the teeth of the loader bucket to hoist deer for skinning and quartering.

Ken

Ken, any chance you could get video of this technique and share with us?

What technique? Cutting without the tooth marks or?

Finishing.

Scott -

I'm sure neither of us would make it through an OSHA audit at home (I somehow made it successfully every time, for many years, while still in my real job running a rather large DoD manufacturing facility.)

I regularly use one or two log tongs, chained to the tooth bar on my tractor's front end loader, to move and stack large logs (20-inch x 12-16 foot) into piles.

It probably ain't really safe, but I'm not young anymore. Maybe it is pure luck. Maybe it is just paying attention to.dangerous situations.

Ken

many uses for the mini-ex, you will love it!!



just dont get too close to the edge....

n8ly, your mind just sees right through the "forrest" to the fun stuff. I love your ideas!!!

Justin and Allen are responsible for most of the fun unresponsible photos...I just take the pics....

N8 you ain't the guy sitting back saying "hey don't do that......... Let me get a camera"

I upgraded to a John Deere 310 backhoe last year. It's a good compromise from my perspective - really good power ratio, not so large as to not be maneuverable in tighter spaces, not so heavy that I can't get close to the edge of the pond. I second the 'multiple buckets' notion...I've got a 12-18-24 and a ripper for trenching/root removal.

The excavator operator would probably easily qualify to be an astronaut if he can make several "rounds" without staggering and loosing his lunch. Sheesh!

n8ly, tell those boys to watch it in shallow water. I've been on a slalom ski, and had the fin go aground. Stopping abruptly in ankle deep water isn't near as fun as falling in 5' of water!

And I still get a big smile everytime I see your son holding that catfish. Not as big as his grin but close to it!!!