Is the backhoe loader a thing of the past?

[V8Druid]

He’s only gone and done it.

05:20 this morning.

“Pulled over a couple times for 20 mins each. Transmission got hot once but took it easy after that. Just landed back at our yard. Cheers!”

Proper job

doubt he'd do that a second time

 

[Gecko]

doubt he'd do that a second time

Probably not, but he can always say he's done it once

 

[Bucket on wheels]

 

[Lancs Lad]

View attachment 65523

Be quality to roll up with that on a modern site for the craic . Flat cap and donkey jacket etc...stick a set of beacons on it

 

[Simon edwards]

At least you could fix it without a laptop and it would scare away all the carpet cabbed GoPro types!

 

[Old Operator]

Saw this on another site, thought hoe Smalley, but built by a small northern firm. Hoe likely later than tractor. It shows the origin of the TBL as affordable additions to a mass market tractor that already existed. Makers lost the plot, chasing one another up the tree with curved tinted windscreens, extendahoe, forks, 4 in 1 all becoming standard until the thing was top heavy & vastly over priced for what most users needed. Think white fuel the final tin lid
TBL's took over from small cable machines like the Priestman Cub, wheel has now turned full circle with 7.5t midi back where the Cub was in the early '50s.
I would not enjoy changing from backhoe to tractor on the above, every time the trench moved forward! but no doubt better than a 1 RB

 

[doobin]

Progress pic from Danny.

It’s enough to make me miss her! What a peach. Reliable ugly duckling is blossoming.

 

[Storrsy]

Progress pic from Danny.

It’s enough to make me miss her! What a peach. Reliable ugly duckling is blossoming. View attachment 65818

That looks mint now!
Has he just got all the stickers off to get it looking like that?

 

[doobin]

That looks mint now!
Has he just got all the stickers off to get it looking like that?

Yes and painted the wheels. He's going to add a decal kit, says he will sign up on here when he's not so busy.

 

[V8Druid]

looks 100% better already ... stickers did nothing for it

 

[hiluxman]

I'm off to look at a cat 432 later this week

 

[DaveDCB]

I’m glad I turned down going to the JCB Groundworker days.. big push on the backhoes again.. don’t think they’d get me off them after a 8 year absence!

 

[Simon edwards]

I’m glad I turned down going to the JCB Groundworker days.. big push on the backhoes again.. don’t think they’d get me off them after a 8 year absence!

Would you ever go back to one again instead of the midi?I keep contemplating getting rid of my older 3 tonnet and the micro and adding a 5-6 tonner ,would still keep the 3cx for a couple of years and see which gets the most work,my main thinking going forward is replacement cost, new 3cx 90 grandish,new 6 ton excavator,55 ish both bring in the same rate.

 

[DaveDCB]

Yeah I’d have another, but likewise replacement cost was an issue(I’d be throwing 60k+ to get back into a new 3CX now with px my midi!) Also they are a big machine to be efficient on small building sites long term, you end up with all the vans parked on the road etc just so you can swing it around - look at alll the ‘influencer’ videos and they are all in big open spaces etc, not saying it can’t be done but when you have the option to put the right (cheaper) machine in there why wouldn’t you!

I also no longer need my machines to be moved daily between sites, my 6ton has only been on 5 sites since 2016!
If it was getting moved weekly I’d have to get a wagon to move it thus then putting the cost back up to BHL levels.. so I’ll just dream about it for now

 

[Simon edwards]

The transport is a big consideration when you work on a variety of sites as I do, Just more to think about really.

 

[doobin]

Hard to believe this was my old machine. Danny done a beautiful job.

 

[hiluxman]

I’m glad I turned down going to the JCB Groundworker days.. big push on the backhoes again.. don’t think they’d get me off them after a 8 year absence!

Yeah,

This is a tidy low houred machine, so it would suit better than having a newer one.

Will see in a few days.

 

[doobin]

Yeah,

This is a tidy low houred machine, so it would suit better than having a newer one.

Will see in a few days.

I’ll still be jealous

 

[Simon edwards]

I doubt you’ll have time to be jealous, too busy getting used to that big new yellow thing in your yard

 

[Furniss]

Unless you couldn't move a midi and want to road a 3cx about a bit then a midi is obvious choice to me cos although I was on and off them for a few years I never got good enough to enjoy them ...... even if you were decent though the idea of rocking up on a domestic job with a 3c versus the midi with tilty is a no trainer surely.