• Thank you for visiting HeavyEquipmentForums.com! Our objective is to provide industry professionals a place to gather to exchange questions, answers and ideas. We welcome you to register using the "Register" icon at the top of the page. We'd appreciate any help you can offer in spreading the word of our new site. The more members that join, the bigger resource for all to enjoy. Thank you!

towable excavator or backhoe

245dlc

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2010
Messages
1,228
Location
Canada
Occupation
Heavy Equipment Operator
I've been making a living myself running excavators from the tiny KX-41 to the John Deere 800LC. As well running wheel loaders, track loaders, and once in a while skid-steers. As well having a class 1 driver's license hauling mud, dirt, sand and gravel. But really what I was asking is does anybody have any experience with one of these? To me a ditchwitch is only good for putting in utility's, like gas, power, and telephone as that's what they were designed for. And all that video showed was a guy who's never operated a backhoe or any kind of excavating machine aside from a "mexican dragline". That's like when I meet new operators who tell me a thumb is the best thing in the world for an excavator, then they find out if you try to put any other attachment on your maxed out for weight when you extend your boom and stick and out or that it gets in the way when trenching.
 

strott

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2009
Messages
425
Location
Swindon, United Kingdom
Occupation
Mini Excavator and dumper operator
To be fair those videos certainly are not a fair comparison - look on you tube for all the 360 minis being driven by people and you will find many operators are no way near as productive or smooth as the guy running the yanmar vio55!!

The fact that we are comparing a towable digger to a 360 mini is unfair as they are totally different animals (hence the price differential) and as the OP has stated he just wanted to know if anybody has run them - maybe we should just be comparing different brands of towable excavators but it appears nobody has any experience with them let alone this brand!!!!
 

landtekk

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2008
Messages
68
Location
chugiak,alaska
I had an "Badger" made in Idaho. Bought it at an auction from a utility company that helicoptered them in to remote sites. 10 or 11 hp gas engine coupled to a small pump.Six spool controls and basic hydraulic function. Mid eighties is when it was built and this was made before the mini's showed up.Would dig about eight feet and I don't remember it being too hard to move but you would tear the ground up dragging it around. and had a set of towing wheel that you could convert to pads. It was better than a shovel and a friend borrowed it to dig cabin foundation at a remote site and took it in in pieces in a small plane. With the low weight you get into places that anything heavier would sink.The cost to buy is considerably less but you get what you pay for. I ended up chopping it up and making a hoe for my skidsteer. which I used until I could but a mini.
I would consider it to be the seed that started what we know now as the spider-hoe. With modern technology you could make the same frame pretty efficient but it would not replace a mini. They do dig better than you would think. Scott
 

245dlc

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2010
Messages
1,228
Location
Canada
Occupation
Heavy Equipment Operator
Thanks that's much better somebody with legit experience. lol Do you have any pictures of it before you chopped it up?
 

landtekk

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2008
Messages
68
Location
chugiak,alaska
You are going to laugh at this. I shifted the out rigger setup to the back board and the hoe itself is on a turntable mounted on the triangular frame. This allowed me to dump back by the rear wheels of the skid.. I had over the tire tracks that would make the machine pretty mobile. I could lift the whole set up in the air to climb banks and steep grades. Used it mainly for digging hard ground so I could move with the skid. The out riggers and ram are off another jd 24 that got scrapped. Part of the lift arm of the scrapped skid is in front of the tires. Scott
 

Attachments

  • mustang055.jpg
    mustang055.jpg
    53.9 KB · Views: 1,414
  • mustang038.jpg
    mustang038.jpg
    53.5 KB · Views: 1,342

245dlc

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2010
Messages
1,228
Location
Canada
Occupation
Heavy Equipment Operator
oh cool. lol Yeah I want a digger that I dont have to spend too much money up front that way if it doesn't work out at least I dont lose everything.
 

campdoc

Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2009
Messages
5
Location
Tennessee
Ok..Laugh if you want..
I will defend the Little Digger.
I built the ,"Thing" about a year ago, for around $1800.00
To date, I've pulled 70 plus stumps out. On a good day,I can
pull 6-7 stumps. 3gals of gas and 1Qt of oil.
It's a poor man's toy, It will work.

LittleStump.jpg



xxtoy.jpg
 

shooterm

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Messages
93
Location
Midwest
Occupation
Operator
Pretty much the mini excavator market is crashed or still crashing. Go on craiglist and pick up a newer one someone bought last year for the price of these.
 

245dlc

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2010
Messages
1,228
Location
Canada
Occupation
Heavy Equipment Operator
You should probably start a new thread with a model number. Komatsu makes a wide range of mini excavators.
 

rossaroni

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
106
Location
SE PA
"On site it uses its hydraulic excavating arm to pull itself forward, backwards or side to side"

Like this:?
7fd2bccdcb6eabe9afea6e29e46ab3bf.jpg

I'm with Sheriff Rick on this one...I'd apologize and shoot it too...:D
 

Garrie Denny

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2011
Messages
507
Location
Gin-Gin,Queensland
Occupation
see above
All these units are the same, digging in soft,loam,sand soil pictures.you don't see it trying to go 100mm in semi to hard ground do you? Because they cant dig even partially hard ground, at the end of the day they are an oversized,overpriced Tonka TOY.
 
Top