Fair price? Do I need a backhoe?

5793 Views 46 Replies 27 Participants Last post by Volkemon, Oct 16, 2021

L3rian

Discussion Starter · Oct 11, 2021

New user, but been lurking for the past couple of years trying to decide what to buy.

I know value and worth are personal, but I'm trying to decide if I should buy a used tractor or wait and get a new one.

I found a 2016 1025r with a loader, backhoe, and 54" mower. It's at a dealer asking $21k. Has right around 150 hours and looks in very good condition. I'm in the Midwest. I think a new one configured the same will be around $26k. 2.9% for the used one and 0% for the new as far ss financing goes.

I have 10 acres of mostly woods with about an acre of yard around the house. I have a gravel driveway to maintain, but I already have a plow on my side by side for snow removal. I need to run some drainage lines around 150' which is my justification for the backhoe to the wife, but I'm sure I will find other uses once I have it. I could also rent a small track hoe for a day and be a few thousand ahead.

Again, I know it's a personal decision, but what has been your experiences? Does the backhoe get used a much a you would like? Or should I skip this one and save quite a bit of money that I can use on other implements?

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Rule292

· #5 · Oct 11, 2021

Around me a new 1025r factory installed loader backhoe is $22,000 in stock at the same dealer that I got mine from. Perhaps someone can guesstimate how much extra the mower deck is.

I'm biased, I did not buy my tractor to cut grass so no mower deck. It's a 2021 and it's got 59.7 hours on it so far and probably over half are with the backhoe.

YMMV but the backhoe was the reason I bought the tractor. I can outshovel most folks (underground farmer in my blood

) but digging dirt isn't as easy as it used to be. Make no bones about it, the 260b is not a Case 590 backhoe but it beats a shovel and a Texas toothpick for digging just about anything out.

Oh, are you sure the 1 series is the right size for you? If your property is level and has the clearance I would probably look larger if it's in your budget.

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Rule292

· #30 · Oct 12, 2021

cc1999 said:
I have a 260B for my 2025R, it is ironically on the 2025R right now. But honestly, I am not sure I would buy it again.
In hindsight for me, I would probably just rent a mini X or hire the excavator work done. I just don't really use it all that often, and even though not all that hard to take on and off, I for some reason still hate screwing with it.
When I do use it, I keep finding I am wishing I had more hydraulic flow so that I could operate it faster and smoother then what the 2025R can give it.

There has also honestly only been maybe two projects that I could not have done without it, or renting an excavator.
I have a stump bucket for my loaders also bigger tractors that can dig or pop stumps out much faster then I can dig them out with the 260B.

In my case I would likely skip the 260B if doing it all over again.

I spent about an hour after work today working on digging out a 15" locust stump. It's slow work getting the dirt dug out and it'll be a job getting the stump dug out once I've cut the tap roots which are easily 8".

In your case you have a garage full of larger tractors that would certainly make easy work out of it.

In my case the 260b is small but steady. I've still got a few years till I retire so I need a tractor that works on my schedule as in before work or after work or on weekends.

Renting a mini-ex and having to learn how to use it efficiently while having the pressure of being on the clock is a consideration folks need to keep in mind.

Still no regrets about ponying up the $$$ for the tiny 260. It's slow and weak compared to real machines but for homeowner duty it works and on my schedule which is what is key.

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Rule292

· #41 · Oct 14, 2021

romanservices said:
Im selling my backhoe off my 3320 for 2 reasons. First is i don't use it much. Second is a mini excavator is a far better machine. If i need to do excavator work i rent a machine for a couple hundred bucks. For the same money i can rent a machine about 25 times. I used my hoe about 3 times a year.

Before I got my 1025 I had a contractor come for a few hours with a mini-ex ($800) to do some land work. I spent the next two weeks of my vacation working to finish what he should have done in the 5 hours he was there.

That in itself convinced me that whence I became able to get a compact tractor that a backhoe would be a part of it.

They're not for everyone but I was willing to pay for the convenience.

BTW I'm crappy at the controls. No way could I economically rent equipment to do the job.

YMMV.

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