i need some advice please

Hey all, I work for an electrical contractor who is interested in buying either a small backhoe or a mini ex so that we can begin to do all of our own dirt work on jobs.For the most part all we will be doing is digging ditches. The deepest we should ever have to dig is 5ft, but usually not more than 3. We will also want to be able to get around inside a pad after plumbers have all their stub ups. I think we are leaning a little more towards the mini ex but there are so many models that its hard to know where to start. Our biggest truck is a 3/4 ton so i know that weight is definitely going to be something to look at. If anyone has any advice i would greatly appreciate it.

I like the 35 Deere, nice size. I think it had a 10" bucket, 8 ft deep maybe more, I'm sure other will chime in on their favorite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQqDOrCZp2g
there's a you tube link for you

look into yanmar vio 17 easy to tow behind a 3/4 ton and really smooth. Definitely stick with mini ex. The only advantage of a backhoe for electrician is handling switchgear with forks on front, but you will never be able to tow a full size hoe with 3/4 ton, and wont be able to handle switchgear with mid or small backhoe.

we found a listing for a bobcat 430 zhs its a 2006 with 698 hours for $5400 it sounds like an awesome deal but im afraid its gonna be heavier than we want and i have seen from other posters that bobcats arent that great to have.

be carefull

the 430 is a good machine but i doubt you will find one for $5400.00. that sounds real cheap. for interior work really any mini will work. we have an ancient bobcat 320. it might weigh 3500 lbs. it has a ton of hours and we have put maybe 3 sets of tracks on it but it always starts and is a great little digger. 10" bucket.
regards, cd

$5400 for 430? I wish I could find one for that.

If you do tight quarters work, then you want to look at a takeuchi tb038fr or a 138fr. I have a 53fr, which is like 6.5ton and I can do a 360 with a loaded bucket in just about 7'. Comes in real handy when you have to dump into a truck behind you in an alley. A tb038 should do it in 6' or less.



All the spoils out of this ditch went behind me into a dump, then to backfill stone went the reverse.

I'm an electrical contractor as well.
I have ran pretty much all the major brands, like alot on here have. I own a takeuchi tb 135 now and really enjoy it and do well with it.
However, everyone is different, and almost everyone finds a machine that "fits" them best and feels right to them when their in the seat and controls in hand. At the end of the day they all do pretty much the same thing(move dirt) some better than others, but here again it depends on the true skill of the one in the seat too. A good operator can take a sorry machine and get it done. Anyone can pull levers and scratch the ground. The pivot swing boom is a nice option to have. Local dealer support can be as valuable as the machine. So far as what machine is best, their all pretty much Japan/China/Korea etc. anymore. Best advice is look in this section further down titled best mini for ...(5 pages 69 opinions.)
Sorry I don't have true favorite anymore.
Best Luck.

I have a TB145 and love it until I get into tight spots. I usually would out in the open and clear so I bought the biggest one I could tow behind a truck.

I rented a TB135 (7500 pounds) and it worked great. I really like the takeuchi, but Deere, Cat, Kabota, etc are good machines. I would buy whatever one that has a dealer close to you for parts and service. If I was doing your kind of work I would buy the smallest machine that will still do all of the work. Less money to start with, gets in all the spots you need, and the only draw back is it might take you a little longer to so some things. If you have a bigger job you could always rent a bigger one for that job. Kind of like me, I rent a smaller one if I need it for one job. Some of the small ones have tracks that you can move in or out to fit into even smaller spots. The small ones are not as tall so you can work inside buildings etc. One of the small ones will narrow up enough to go through doors, but still has enough power to move lots of dirt. Good luck!

I have a zero tail swing mini (Bobcat 435 ZHS) and I would recommend a zero tail swing (the counter weight does not stick out past he width of the tracks, or at least not much, while swinging) since you will be new to the game. It's much easier and safer if you don't have to add worrying about what the counter weight might hit to a new operators mental load. I'm not sure I would suggest that you get a Bobcat (search some of my posts) but I would suggest a zero tail unit.