Towable backhoes

[245dlc]

So me being me I still very much want my own digger a tracked 360 machine being the most ideal. But I have a couple problems to tackle first of all money or lack there of. lol Second of all transportation which also requires money as my little pickup truck is to little for most mini-excavators but is all I can afford for the time being...plus it's a nice ride and bigger pick up trucks can't go where I can. So looking around for used machines today I came across a used "towable backhoe" the price sadly wasn't listed but I sent an e-mail requesting what the person wanted for his little machine. Here's a link to it hopefully this works.

http://winnipeg.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...AdIdZ365104190

Some people call these excavators but I generally classify an excavator as being a shovel or backhoe with 360 swing with a variety of different undercarriages. There are a number of little companies in Canada and the U.S. that make these little machines with a variety of different options and attachments, some even electric powered for close quarters. One I've come across is from the west coast of Canada or very near it called Candig and they actually list prices.

http://www.candig.com/CanDig_Inc.html

Another one but from the opposite side of the country Quebec sells quite a variety of models with lots of different options and several different models.

http://www.fcm-group.com/produits/ex...remorq_en.html I have however looked into these and they do want quite a bit of money for one of their machines.

And finally one that I think has the nicest design short of having 360 swing from the U.S. the Gofor and I'm sure it's not cheap but certainly looks more robust than the others.

http://www.gofordigger.com/

For me one of these machines would be a jumping off point so I could make some money and have a little equity invested in a piece of equipment and so buying a bigger truck and trailer won't be such a big deal when I do buy a more serious digger plus maybe my name will be thrown around a little more and I'll have some clientele. Tell me what you guys think and if you have encountered such a clever little digger before?

[Wazza]

I probably shouldn't comment not being in the earthmoving business ,but hey I will chuck my 2 cents in anyway .............

First determine what work is readily avaible in your area and then find a machine suited to do it quickly and efficiently,and look what others are using .
I would have thought that a tow along machine might be better suited to the occasional user or DIY at home, but I have no idea what happens in your area .
A low cost start up might seem attractive but what can you do with it, or what is the expected return on capital . Money wisely spent is not always the cheapest option ....
Others might have a different opinion and I always stand to be corrected ....

[ianoz]

In all honesty Bert ,I think you would soon become frustrated with the limitations of that type of machine.

[245dlc]

Yeah probably I thought it might be a start. Oh well.

[JD450A]

Bert, I've been considering a simialar conumdrum as you know.... one of these backhoes is basically a joke with a hitch...

However, how much do you think it would cost you to buy a 1.5 ton digger trackframe + Blade, Engine and a Compact tractor backhoe to mate up? Been looking myself at the option of building a Mini Drott to get where others can't :D

[245dlc]

I'm not sure here you don't see to many 1.5 tonners in the junk yards at least not the one I'm familiar with. lol So Rory is your idea to make a backhoe on rubber tracks minus the bonus of having 360 swing? To be honest I don't see much point in that. I had the idea a few times of converting an old 1.5 or 2.5 tonner into a type of spider or walking excavator like a menzi-muck, remove the tracks and dozer blade then maybe using old out-riggers from a loader-backhoe you could mount them on swivels so they could either be put together or spread apart. The back half could use outriggers as well but with wheels on them, maybe even heavy duty enough ones that you could pull the machine behind a pick-up truck. I figure if the house has a lock mechanism like a big pin and you put the two front outriggers together with a hitch mechanism holding them together while resting the bucket on them you'd have a pretty flexible mini.

[Wee Jim]

I used to drive one of these when i first started with the local council as a gravedigger. The one we had was an Ortas. It has a single cylinder Yanmar diesel engine that was LOUD!!! it only slewew 90 degrees to the right and 45 degrees to the left. As they are fitted with grass tyres and only have 2 driving wheels you find yourself pushing or pulling yourself around which just leaves a mess. IMHO i'd forget about one and just save up till you can afford a proper mini digger.

[Muz]

The thing is .... it digs holes, but as a professional operator you would not be able to live with yourself owning one, because of what you know.

I'd rather afford the slappiest rust bucket known to man before buying one of those .. cos if your good .. you'll still paint a picture with an old 360 before ever doing it with one of those trailed things .. sorry but that an old plant man talking straight fella

[245dlc]

Yeah that's alright I've only seen one or two youtube videos where it looked like somebody could actually do something with one. Also being laid off means I'm getting awful bored and am starting to get some silly ideas. lol

[Wee Jim]

I am sure the council paid £10 or £12 thousand when they bought theirs which was really daft as for a few grand more they could have had good diggers. In the end we got a JCB 8018 at our depot.

Even if you get an old hen of a digger with a bit of time you can rebush the jib and tidy it up.

[JD450A]

Kind of bert. To be honest I would probably have to go up to a 2 or 2.5 ton trackframe but the work I've been on past few weeks needed a very narrow machine.

If I had the money and bits to build what I'd like to build I'd be taking a 2.8t steeltracked chassis and mounting a small loader arm on the front end with a 4 in 1, and fitting a bolt on 3 point linkage on the back with engine drive PTO, and having it changable with a compact tractor back actor.

the idea for me is having a small trackloader, as I have a few clearance jobs that may be coming that happen to be too small for the 450, but too rough for a mini.

there are a few undercarridges for the old KH kubotas for sale locally here, would of thought theres a few out there.

[Wazza]

I am sure the council paid £10 or £12 thousand when they bought theirs which was really daft as for a few grand more they could have had good diggers.

Sounds about right for a Government authority ,I bet the purchasing officer got a promotion on account of their superior intelligence ..........
Hang on a minute ,I think they might be employed over here now by our Government

[ianoz]

A high price , and know nothing about them Duel purpose machine ..

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/330700509...84.m1438.l2661

[245dlc]

Kind of bert. To be honest I would probably have to go up to a 2 or 2.5 ton trackframe but the work I've been on past few weeks needed a very narrow machine.

If I had the money and bits to build what I'd like to build I'd be taking a 2.8t steeltracked chassis and mounting a small loader arm on the front end with a 4 in 1, and fitting a bolt on 3 point linkage on the back with engine drive PTO, and having it changable with a compact tractor back actor.

the idea for me is having a small trackloader, as I have a few clearance jobs that may be coming that happen to be too small for the 450, but too rough for a mini.

there are a few undercarridges for the old KH kubotas for sale locally here, would of thought theres a few out there.

Why not go with something like a Toro Dingo? Bobcat also makes something similar on tracks.

http://www.toro.com/en-us/profession...s/default.aspx

[JD450A]

Not many of those about here bert, only ones we have like that seem to be little stand on wheeled things.... It's abit of a pipe dream and I'll probably just make a grab for our 3 tonner but one would be a good tool.