Skid Steer.

[skywalking]

Looking for some opinions. Im looking a possibly purchasing a used skid steer this summer/ fall with a backhoe attachment. any of you have one with a backhoe? how much work do you get? I have a 1 ton dump and a trailer that could haul it. Looking at something that can make me more money. Also, how good are these in the woods, pulling out logs?

[Big Dog D]

I personally wouldn't buy one for the backhoe attachment. They are next to worthless when compared to a mini excavator. They are very limited in performance and very awkward to use when compared to even smaller mini's.

[skennedy]

Skid steer can make you money as it has so many different applications,would have to agree about the backhoe attatchment,to hard to use and not realy fast enough but depends on what jobs you want to use it on.

[Pelican]

I've got a Cat 248 with a Bradco 611 backhoe. I both agree with Big Dog and disagree. If you are planning to do mostly backhoe work, then a backhoe or small excavator is the way to go, they are more productive. I wouldn't call it a worthless endeavor though, even when compared to an excavator.

The advantage to the skid steer and TLB is that you aren't limited to one type of job, you can trench and load somewhat efficiently. An excavator will trench circles around either one of the other machines, but they will load trucks and grade large areas more quickly.

In my case, I spent about $10K for the backhoe attachment vs. $50K+ for a dedicated excavator. I use the hoe about 25% of the time of the total use of the skid steer. I don't have to move two machines to the job, I can move the skid steer and all the attachments I need in one trip, saving both time and fuel.

Which is best for you will depend on the type of work you will be doing most. I use my machine in my landscape business on a variety of types of jobs, from plantings to lawn installs, brick and block installs and drainage. Because the types of jobs are so varied, the backhoe attachment works out well for me.

[cat320]

I have to agree with big dog I would rather spend more and have a dedicated machine for digging vs having to lose time putting the attachement on and off. I rented one like that before it was on a small lot had to put on and off that thing a million times when you need the bucket to move stuff then you still have to dig.

Unless your plans are to dig a couple of holes a year maybe that is the way to go but if you want to use your time wisely and produce and dig in places that a skid would never be able to get to them a mini would be the best way to go .

[digit]

It really depends how much you are going to use it and it is a good way to start with out investing a lot of money
When I started in buisness I had a Skid steer with An extended hoe backhoe for it and it worked fine except I didn't like the switching around all the time. The next year I went and bought a 10,000 Ib.excavator witch did a lot better for digging but now I had the problem of having to make two trips if I needed the skid steer to. So after a while I got tired of that I bought a single axle dump truck with a trailer big enough to carry both pieces.Some times it seems I made more money with the one ton dump and the skid with backhoe. My over head was defiantly less but also my efficiency. I guess you have to decide how much money you can spend then go from there.
I never regretted starting off the way I did it gave me time to get established.
As far as pulling logs out of the woods I think you will want to consider putting some tracks over the tires it makes a world of a different

[stuvecorp]

When I was younger, I ran a 1845C skidding tree length out with choker leads and forks. They wouldn't let me put tracks on because his dad said they were too hard on the skid. It can be done but on a every day deal it isn't real productive, I had to back out draging the trees to the landing.
Never used a backhoe attachment, usually rent the mini-x because the play time factor is just too good. The double trips do suck. We did use a mini-hoe attactment once and it worked real good, the dealers here don't stock them and the one we used I probably would have bought but it vanished along with the saleman. A landscape contrator up north has one that pivots and he swears it is the ticket, he said that it wasn't that bad money wise.

[cat320]

I just rememberd what my gehl dealer told me in sept about a guy who bought the backhoe attachement said he used it once and never used it again bought a min excavator from him now is looking to get ride of it. It just was not productive for him is what he told me .

[snocrete]

It also will depend on what kind of trenching digging you will do with the hoe attach/mini x?? I rent a 323 bobcat mini x about 8 times a year at most, not enough to justify buying IMO. If the trenching/digging dosent need to go deeper than 8ft, one of these sized mini x would be the ticket.....they weigh less than 4000lbs and cost $25000 or less "new". This size mini x also will have the capability of going through 3ft openings and when on the other side expand its track width to 50 some inches...depending on the brand?
I have used a backhoe attach one time on a SS, I hated it, but I was use to running a mini x before I did that, and that has spoiled me!!!!
It will depend on your budget also. I saw someone mention $50,000 early here. If you are going to spend that kind of $, you could buy a medium frame SS and a mini x (if 323 bobcat or comparible size will be sufficient) brand spankin new for that amount of $.