Is the backhoe loader a thing of the past?

[6feetdown]

I’d disagree the track dumpers tread so light they don’t compact the ground and ruin the drainage like grinding ruts in with a wheeled dumper do then need to fix 1 foot deep ruts where the dumpers been axel deep. And if turned gently not skewed on the spot they don’t churn up or run forwards then backwards so no turning or the fully rotating ones even less mess.

for 4 weeks now we’ve been running across this valley with track dumper few times a day upto the barn, it’s be in a dam sight more of a mess if using a wheeled dumper

Beautiful looking spot

 

[GazCro]

I’d disagree the track dumpers tread so light they don’t compact the ground and ruin the drainage like grinding ruts in with a wheeled dumper do then need to fix 1 foot deep ruts where the dumpers been axel deep. And if turned gently not skewed on the spot they don’t churn up or run forwards then backwards so no turning or the fully rotating ones even less mess.

for 4 weeks now we’ve been running across this valley with track dumper few times a day upto the barn, it’s be in a dam sight more of a mess if using a wheeled dumper

Again different circumstances though. You're running over a couple of times each day. Be a different story a few wet days a couple of hundred to of spoil to take across the field to tip. Its not just ground compaction that's the issue it sealing the top and turning it to snot that water won't get through. No different to farmers buying tractors with wider tyres and being amazed that they can get on wet fields and not leave a mark but wondering why water stands in fields never did. Twice over a field with a tractor with 600mm wide back tyres you've rolled the whole field. I've actually got a pile of stuff heaped at the top of a field on a job which needs to be levelled out at the bottom of the field. I'm waiting for either hard frost or a dry spell when wheeled dumper will travel. You could argue get a tracked dumper in and do it whenever but I'd rather get it done in one day than 2 or 3.

 

[JD450A]

Tracked dumpers work fantastically for moving small amounts in poor conditions, beyond that the cost Vs gain quickly diminishes as they are a horribly expensive machine to wear out.

 

[Furniss]

My 3 tonner is straight tip 6 tonner is swivel. I find it handy having it that way round key thing with 3 ton straight is they fit under the chute on conc wagons, swivels and bigger dumpers don't and pumps work out expensive for most jobs I'm involved in. 6 ton swivel tips a tall pile to begin with so i find you can get a lot of spoil heaped in a corner without the need for driving up it anyway. I know what you're saying about skip shape on swivels for spooning out of but tbh i leave bucket right way round and there's not much you can't get.

I have brilliant little merlo Cingo tracked machine, it does mixer/dumper and its about 800mm wide, its brilliant for carrying sand/gravel about for piping up etc and if we are working inside.... after that i can't imagine wanting a bigger tracked dumper in my work.
Re loaders , I kind of get the avant type loader idea but at that kind of money for my work I'd rather have 2 diggers and a dumper on the job, 8t and 1.7t etc, 45k its a no way for me...... set in my ways maybe but it would have to iro15k before I'd even entertain the idea

 

[DaveDCB]

Driven backhoes since before I left school(well over 18years now!), I can count on one hand the amount of jobs I’ve been on where the 3cx wasn’t paired with a dumper! It makes no sense pratting around digging out and rehandling with that size machine.
laser guy is normally on the dumper /brush/shovel so never stood doing nothing.. the beauty with a 3cx is you can send 5+ wagons at it for loading away the muck pile and have plenty of time to read the paper or send 2000ton of stone at one to stockpile, miss the nice steady days on a 3cx sometimes

 

[BillybobLockwood]

I agree, but as a one man band, not everything can be driven all of the time. I'm thinking its more versatility to my business and be able to tackle jobs where I push the poor 8026 to its limit, or need to move pallets around. A lot of my work is at a school now and is often spread out around various parts of the campus. Fetching and carrying gear is becoming quite hard work and takes up a lot of time. I have been borrowing the schools little Wacker Neuson telehandler but its not always available and you wouldn't buy one of them for anywhere near £20k (or any loader for that matter).
So maybe the 3cx could trundle around the estate quite nicely from job to job. Lift the odd pallet, provide muscle where needed on the digging or loading. Occasionally earn some money outside of the school but I wouldn't be looking to make it a front line earner, I make more doing small jobs on price to be honest than driving a machine on a day rate.
Looking for opinions guys, what haven't I thought of here!

I think you should go for it! a local contractor here has a 2.7 mini. a small cat track loader, and a backhoe! that guy makes money like you would not believe! the backhoe seems to always be handy for the odd jobs, and puts a lot more dollars to the bottom line. Hammer machine, hoe pac, forklift, material handling. its not sexy, but its good business and he makes fortunes!!!

 

[doobin]

I think you should go for it! a local contractor here has a 2.7 mini. a small cat track loader, and a backhoe! that guy makes money like you would not believe! the backhoe seems to always be handy for the odd jobs, and puts a lot more dollars to the bottom line. Hammer machine, hoe pac, forklift, material handling. its not sexy, but its good business and he makes fortunes!!!

All you yanks seem to make fortunes! It’s harder in Blighty!

 

[BillybobLockwood]

All you yanks seem to make fortunes! It’s harder in Blighty!

I haven't done it yet! Just a lot of hard work and late nights

 

[Storrsy]

All you yanks seem to make fortunes! It’s harder in Blighty!

Reckon they'd have a right shock if they came over here on our prices!
Probably wouldnt think it was worth even doing

 

[Bucket on wheels]

 

[DaveDCB]

Anyone else noticed the jcb dealers have been selling a lot of the contractor pros lately? Folks haven’t been buying them just for fun that’s for sure, not at 80K+!!

 

[BillybobLockwood]

View attachment 32067

Beautiful machine! my 1260 comes in a few weeks.

 

[Giles]

Beautiful machine! my 1260 comes in a few weeks.

Are there big import taxes on European machines? Not sure exactly what they are but most recon on £250k in the uk which is $339k usd.

 

[Old Operator]

It seems JCB have dropped the 1cx & 1cxt - at least they have disappeared from their website. I only ever saw one in the flesh, years ago, it had a Peugeot car engine in it. Also it is questionable if USA small machine maker Terramite / Terraquip will survive long term I read.

 

[Regy53]

we bought a couple in our time, very tidy bits of kit, sold well

 

[Smiffy]

Think they are still available in the U.S

 

[6feetdown]

Think they are still available in the U.S

Yes I liked the look of them but no good for our towing laws, weren't on uk site but were on USA one

 

[Old Operator]

They were still on the JCB UK site a few weeks ago, but not now. I once saw a Terramite T5, it was for sale by that guy at Upton on Severn - called himself jcbdiggers.com - but unconnected to JCB

 

[DaveDCB]

Started to look into the possibility of a 3cx again last night…

 

[doobin]

Started to look into the possibility of a 3cx again last night…

Two words- white diesel!!