# Backhoe attachment?



## norcalfarm (Feb 11, 2009)

Sorry if this is not the place for this question but I couldn't find anywhere better to ask...

I have just recently begun looking at tractors and I have no previous experience with them. Everything that I have done at my place has been with manual labor but a tractor would come in very handy. I have been looking for a tractor with a backhoe attachment but haven't seen many that are reasonably priced. Today I found a Bolens 1477 garden tractor with a front end loader. I am wondering whether you can purchase a backhoe attachment for this tractor, from Bolens or another manufacturer. I spent a lot of time looking on line but didn't find anything (probably not a good sign). Also I would appreciate any info good or bad on this tractor. 

Thanks, Jason


----------



## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

Bolen and garden tractor are words that I immediately discount if I was going to do anything working dirt, fencing, stone or trees. Continue what you are doing until you find a true tractor in your price range. Old and rugged far outshines new and fragile(under designed/engineered)


----------



## Darren (May 10, 2002)

Someone around here recently got one of the large diesel engined Bolens. I think those are at least 20 hp. I remember a 10 HP we had in the 60's that had a Wisconsin. There's no comparison between the larger Bolens and that old 10 hp even though the 10 would be looked upon as being unimaginably rugged today The one I saw was much heavier and larger. It was bigger than Kubota's small 30 hp tractors like the B7800.

There's an outside chance there was a backhoe made for the hydo models thirty years ago. If so, finding it would be like finding buried treasure. If you absolutely need a backhoe, I'd skip the Bolens. 

If the unit is a hydro you may want to look up the history of those. At one time Bolens did not repair them. They had to go back to the manufacturer which I think used to be Cessna but now shows as Eaton. I'm sure that's changed and repairs are available elsewhere. Still it's better to be informed rather than end up eventually spending what you would have if you'd have bought a newer used machine. 

If you absolutely need a small backhoe and a trencher won't work, I'd start looking for one of the small Kubotas. A lot of people bought small Kubotas and then realized they needed a heavier machine to do what they wanted. There's no substitute for weight when you want to lift heavier loads. A light weight 30hp machine won't do the work of a larger, heavier machine with the same hp. For a comparison look at a Kubota L3710 vs their B7800. Those are both around 30hp pto machines IIRC.


----------



## plowjockey (Aug 18, 2008)

Small tractors with loaders, have very limited functionality, IMO. It takes very little to overload them.

Even more so with a very small backhoe.

Old garden tractors, esspecially those with loader and a backhoe, for sure, are very collectible, so they will usually sell for very high prices, sometimes what you might pay for a much larger "average" tractor.

For your backhoe interests, I'd suggest considering a hoe with a universal 3 point tractor mount and focus on a tractor, with enough power to run one.

Not too much worse than having a tractor that is too small, to get the job done (maybe no tractor at all  )


----------



## Old Vet (Oct 15, 2006)

I have done lots of work with a backhoe. Every size either mounted or 3 point hitch. Size makes a difference. The small ones that are mounted will do for trenched work but not good for moving a lot of dirt. The 3 point hitch are a little better but not as good as a large mounted one. The large mounted one can do just about anything but the 3 point hitch had limitations like the small ones had weight was a problem. Most of the time you would lift the backhoe off the ground until you broke through the soil then it would go down like the big ones do. If your soil has rocks I would not use anything but a large mounted one. If you look at equipment and are not afraid to spend 5K on one you can buy one of the larger ones that will do everything or buy something cheaper and worry about overloading it even on a small job. Long makes a good 3 point hitch one but you will have to have a large tractor to pull it 30 HP or above. Northern Tool has one that will fit a 20 HP that might do the work you wanted. Many of the trenchers have one that work off the trencher and will do for light work.


----------



## norcalfarm (Feb 11, 2009)

Thank you for all of the info. Sounds like I need to keep looking. I'm ready to buy a big one but my wife, not so much. I have very rocky soil and my land ranges between a 20 and 30% slope.


----------



## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

I've used a couple substitutes for a real backhoe and I learned why the real ones cost so much.
A friend bought a backhoe that was mounted on a trailer, pulled by a tractor, PTO Powered. Get it set in the location you want, hop off the tractor and onto the backhoe, drop down the stabalizers and start digging. Had to be careful not to dig too much as the thing would tip. Then hop onto the tractor and move it a bit and then go back to digging. It was difficult to back up because it was so heavey and progress was very slow.
A guy gave me a three point hitch backhoe, made by Long. It just needed hoses, a few cylinders and bushings. By the time I had it ready to go, I could have bought a good used one. There is a reason "real" backhoes are solidly attached to the tractor. A three point hitch isn't a clever way to hook up a backhoe. Anyway, it will dig 8 feet deep, but a lot slower than a real backhoe. It has it's own seat, so you are back and forth from it to the tractor seat. I had it on a 9,000 pound 80 horse tractor. It is handy for small jobs.

But for most people, cheaper and easier to hire the digging you want done.

To go to one of those tiny backhoes on a tiny tractor would really be a waste of money. IMHO.


----------



## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Tiny backhoes usually have weak hydraulics. I've had chance to use couple of them and was not impressed. Better than a pick and shovel, but not by a wide margin. One wonders if engineers that design some of this stuff ever actually use it in real world??? And yes small attachments meant for small tractors means you dont have the power for really robust hydraulics and they want their attachment to be as universal as possible and cost of manufacture as low as possible so lot compromises.

Any backhoe attachment, you want it so it sets as close to back of tractor as possible. You dont want one setting way out from back of tractor as many addon backhoe attachments do. As close as possible without rubbing on the tires, thats what you should look for. Has to do with center of gravity and see-saw effect. Look at how close outriggers are to rear tires on a dedicated fulltime backhoe and then look at same with an attachment backhoe. And there are some good attachment backhoes where engineers were clever enough to take this into consideration.


----------



## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

I use a 850 John deere with a backhoe almost every day at work in the Public works here. It is a compact, used to dig ditches, lay waterline, dig graves, etc. It isn't a 580 Case or 410 JD but it gets the job done. Better than a shovel. I always get a chucle out of people who say you have to spend $50,000 and have a 100 horsepower to do anything. Takes longer but there are 24 hours in a day. We paid $6,500 for it 6 months ago....James

http://cdn.vflyer.com/r2/prodinsts/3/6/6/1/3/4/8/images/11642486_max.jpg


----------



## Ross (May 9, 2002)

The older I get the better I like faster jobs. Just saying. My Ford 555 cost 8500


----------



## travis91 (Jul 26, 2005)

My gfs cousin has had 2 bobcat excavators, still has the smaller one. its amazing what such a small machine can do in this soil here.


----------



## dirtman (Sep 15, 2011)

If you are going to use a tractor on that kind of grade. you had better have a roll cage. Alot of people are killed by tractors rolling over on them


----------



## norcalfarm (Feb 11, 2009)

Thanks for the info. Sorry that I haven't replied, been busy. I decided against the Bolens. Now I am looking at a Case Backhoe that the seller is willing to get rid of cheap because he is out of the area.


----------



## Sebastian C (Jul 23, 2017)

Get a real yellow backhoe not a little toy. They don't have to be more expensive and they're the real deal. I've had both.


----------



## Seth (Dec 3, 2012)

I sell Kubota equipment and will tell you what I tell customers. Get the backhoe if you have a steady use for it. If you're going to use it a lot the first month then once a year afterwards, save your money and rent a mini ex. Backhoes are expensive.


----------



## Fishindude (May 19, 2015)

The backhoe attachments for tractors are toys compared to a real backhoe, not very handy to operate either, I would never suggest anyone own one.
If you can't buy one, rent a real backhoe or excavator when needed.

I've got a 95 Case 580 with cab, extendahoe and a four in one loader bucket, paid $21,000 for it. It's a real good machine, but I did have to do some expensive work on it that cost around $7,000 so keep in mind it aint cheap to maintain yellow iron.


----------



## Sebastian C (Jul 23, 2017)

Fishindude said:


> The backhoe attachments for tractors are toys compared to a real backhoe, not very handy to operate either, I would never suggest anyone own one.
> If you can't buy one, rent a real backhoe or excavator when needed.
> 
> I've got a 95 Case 580 with cab, extendahoe and a four in one loader bucket, paid $21,000 for it. It's a real good machine, but I did have to do some expensive work on it that cost around $7,000 so keep in mind it aint cheap to maintain yellow iron.


Sounds like a nice machine. I look at MD (where I used to live) Craigslist periodically just for fun and occasionally see some 580k's and earlier and deere 310c's and stuff like that for around 10k. If it turns on, pushes and lifts, buy it and get to work. Stops and steers is nice too.

2wd is more prevalent it looks like unfortunately but the terrain is also a lot different from mountainous Costa Rica where I started playing with all this stuff so maybe 4wd is not as important


----------

