Towable digger/backhoe experience

ishotjr2

I am playing with the idea of getting a little digger like this
http://m.jansen-versand.com/agriculture-und-forestry/excavators/11/mini-excavator-jansen-mb-300-9-hp-petrol-engine

Cost between 3-5k I think.

Why?

• Mini diggers are not stable enough on land and actually cannot get into the bits of ground I need them. I rented a few and had other lads in they said I needed a 6T track machine at least.
• Land is very wet and I want to tip away at opening up a few drains.
• Why not JCB/Backhoe? would be only a few times a year where I could bring it through the fields where it would not bog down.
• I rekon the above is the equivalent to about 2 good men with shovels at best. But it can go deep enough for clearing out drains and a bit of trenching.
• I think I could use them for clearing up bits of scrub instead of getting a rotavator.

Does anyone have first hand experience of these? Is it a hiding to nowhere.

White Clover

ishotjr2 wrote: »

I am playing with the idea of getting a little digger like this
http://m.jansen-versand.com/agriculture-und-forestry/excavators/11/mini-excavator-jansen-mb-300-9-hp-petrol-engine

Cost between 3-5k I think.

Why?

• Mini diggers are not stable enough on land and actually cannot get into the bits of ground I need them. I rented a few and had other lads in they said I needed a 6T track machine at least.
• Land is very wet and I want to tip away at opening up a few drains.
• Why not JCB/Backhoe? would be only a few times a year where I could bring it through the fields where it would not bog down.
• I rekon the above is the equivalent to about 2 good men with shovels at best. But it can go deep enough for clearing out drains and a bit of trenching.
• I think I could use them for clearing up bits of scrub instead of getting a rotavator.

Does anyone have first hand experience of these? Is it a hiding to nowhere.

Not one of them but a 1.5 tonne rubber tracked machine. Fairly harmless and more than a little dangerous in soft ground if I'm honest.
Not a novice driver here either.

bogman_bass

3k would get a lot done if you got a good sized machine with a good jockey on it for a few days

Odelay

That is a toy. He is digging sand, even at that it struggles to fill a bucket. Look at it again, if it was any use they would show it digging unbroken soil, not sand. They know it's shoite.

tractorporn

Have no experience of them but I've seen one for sale on donedeal in Roscommon if you want to look at one in the flesh.

https://www.donedeal.ie/otherfarmmachinery-for-sale/trailed-digger/12734748

ishotjr2

Odelay wrote: »

That is a toy. He is digging sand, even at that it struggles to fill a bucket. Look at it again, if it was any use they would show it digging unbroken soil, not sand. They know it's shoite.

Thought the same myself but I see it doing other bits like digging up tree stumps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7fRvGrMJaM

ishotjr2

bogman_bass wrote: »

3k would get a lot done if you got a good sized machine with a good jockey on it for a few days

Agreed, for bigger jobs I would still get some lad in. But for most of the year (like now) any track machine make sh****** of the place and I want to be making a bit a progress, clearing drains, clearing small bits of ground and digging up furs. Also for the hill, you could spend most of the day getting to where you need to work in a big track machine.

You could well be right and I would be better sticking to the shovel, I just wanted to see if anyone else used one.

6480

ishotjr2 wrote: »

I am playing with the idea of getting a little digger like this
http://m.jansen-versand.com/agriculture-und-forestry/excavators/11/mini-excavator-jansen-mb-300-9-hp-petrol-engine

Cost between 3-5k I think.

Why?

• Mini diggers are not stable enough on land and actually cannot get into the bits of ground I need them. I rented a few and had other lads in they said I needed a 6T track machine at least.
• Land is very wet and I want to tip away at opening up a few drains.
• Why not JCB/Backhoe? would be only a few times a year where I could bring it through the fields where it would not bog down.
• I rekon the above is the equivalent to about 2 good men with shovels at best. But it can go deep enough for clearing out drains and a bit of trenching.
• I think I could use them for clearing up bits of scrub instead of getting a rotavator.

Does anyone have first hand experience of these? Is it a hiding to nowhere.

If you have got wet bog to drain u should get on to someone in with a large track machine with an extra wide pads or a widen under carriage ,friend of mine has a six tonne with wide pads serious wee digger for drainage work . The above machine or toy is really for stationary work , I can't see how u could travel it along either and make sure the land u are starting to drain that there is a fall out of before u start

9935452

ishotjr2 wrote: »

I am playing with the idea of getting a little digger like this
http://m.jansen-versand.com/agriculture-und-forestry/excavators/11/mini-excavator-jansen-mb-300-9-hp-petrol-engine

Cost between 3-5k I think.

Why?

• Mini diggers are not stable enough on land and actually cannot get into the bits of ground I need them. I rented a few and had other lads in they said I needed a 6T track machine at least.
• Land is very wet and I want to tip away at opening up a few drains.
• Why not JCB/Backhoe? would be only a few times a year where I could bring it through the fields where it would not bog down.
• I rekon the above is the equivalent to about 2 good men with shovels at best. But it can go deep enough for clearing out drains and a bit of trenching.
• I think I could use them for clearing up bits of scrub instead of out getting a rotavator.

Does anyone have first hand experience of these? Is it a hiding to nowhere.

I have no direct experience of these but personally wouldnt go near one of them

The things will struggle badly to dig . As one of the other posters said there is a reason why the video is showing it digging in a sand pit.
in normal ground every time you go to dig down you will lift the legs out of the ground and move it . The same happens with my 50hx when you try to use it without putting the front bucket on the ground. it just keeps moving itself around the place , that is fair annoying .

That machine looks like it would be able to load a wheel barrow and not much more . it doesnt have the height . or reach.
You would question whether it would have the ability or reach to clean out dykes. it might have the reach face on but would have nowhere to put the spoil.

On wet ground she looks like it would get buried

The build quailty/attention to detail looks questionable too. look at the hydraulic hoses . they look like they are cable tied on rather than neatly attached/protected.

Id say it would be a waste of money , if they were any good we would all know someone who has one


Out of curiosity why do you say that a mini digger cant get into the bits of ground you need it in, too wet , space too tight , cant transport it by road too steep?

ishotjr2

9935452 wrote: »

I have no direct experience of these but personally wouldnt go near one of them

The things will struggle badly to dig . As one of the other posters said there is a reason why the video is showing it digging in a sand pit.
in normal ground every time you go to dig down you will lift the legs out of the ground and move it . The same happens with my 50hx when you try to use it without putting the front bucket on the ground. it just keeps moving itself around the place , that is fair annoying .

That machine looks like it would be able to load a wheel barrow and not much more . it doesnt have the height . or reach.
You would question whether it would have the ability or reach to clean out dykes. it might have the reach face on but would have nowhere to put the spoil.

On wet ground she looks like it would get buried

The build quailty/attention to detail looks questionable too. look at the hydraulic hoses . they look like they are cable tied on rather than neatly attached/protected.

Id say it would be a waste of money , if they were any good we would all know someone who has one


Out of curiosity why do you say that a mini digger cant get into the bits of ground you need it in, too wet , space too tight , cant transport it by road too steep?

Ground is too steep, very hard to keep it stable.

GERMAN ROCKS

even if the backhoe could only travel the land for 2 days during the year, it would get more work done than on that toy would if it was at it for the rest of the year

ishotjr2

Does anyone actually have any first hand experience? I know they look like toys but if you look on youtube there is a fair few videos showing them pulling up stumps and digging 4' trenches in hard enough ground. They also sell a fair few of them in the states. I think they look like a toy but as I have not used one I do not know. Hence me asking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7fRvGrMJaM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cc9j-QE2ig

bogman_bass

ishotjr2 wrote: »

bogman_bass wrote: »

3k would get a lot done if you got a good sized machine with a good jockey on it for a few days

Agreed, for bigger jobs I would still get some lad in. But for most of the year (like now) any track machine make sh****** of the place and I want to be making a bit a progress, clearing drains, clearing small bits of ground and digging up furs. Also for the hill, you could spend most of the day getting to where you need to work in a big track machine.

You could well be right and I would be better sticking to the shovel, I just wanted to see if anyone else used one.

Actually the bigger the track machine the less damage you'll do. The ratio of weight to track size is in the big machines favor. If a track machine can't get there then that little yoke won't

ishotjr2

Amazingly there was a lad "Kendig" in Longford building these in the 80's when they seem to of been popular
http://www.oilyhands.co.uk/Kendig.htm

Here are the pros/cons for a towable compared to mini digger ( http://www.oilyhands.co.uk/Towable%20digger_v_360.htm )

Advantages

• Can by towed behind a normal car as only weighs typically up to 750kg.
• Cheaper to buy than a proper mini digger with tracks.
• Good for trenching
• Simple fabrication with no castings so easy to repair and maintain. Engines, pumps and valves can be replaced with commonly available items.
• Some machines such as Powerfab 125WTD have hydraulic drive so less limited than self walking machines but added complication and more parts to go wrong.
• Can easily be moved through a house or narrow alleyway using manpower and appropriate attachments.
• Good budget option as a first digger.
• If it breaks down you can usually drag it home for repair (good point Pete)

Disadvantages

• Slew is limited to less than 180 degrees typically 130 degrees. (Note Gopher and Digger 50 do have 180 degree slew and 360 Powerfab and Mitchell Cotts available)
• With the stabilisers out in the wide digging position the machine is wider than a tracked digger.
• Tend to slide about a bit when digging in hard ground.
• Not good on steep slopes or for cleaning out ditches.
• Petrol engine, however they don't drink much fuel so this is only a small disadvantage. (Note some are diesel.)
• Slow to cover longer distances on site, but this can be mitigated if you have a garden tractor or dumper to tow it about.
• Later skid steer models overcome this.
• Second hand British machines are likely to be around 30 years old.
• The price of currently available new machines would easily buy a good second hand proper mini digger.