CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT: Backhoe Basics

Bob Tyler calls them the “Swiss Army knives” of construction and landscape equipment. And while backhoes certainly won’t fit into anyone’s pants pocket, these large machines enable landscapers to accomplish tasks on a scale much larger than skid-steers or other loaders.
 
Backhoes fill an important niche for landscape contractors by giving them the ability to provide services, especially large-scale ones, previously out of reach with smaller machines. Much like attachments enable skid-steers to perform multiple tasks, backhoes allow contractors to complete jobs that would typically take several machines.
 
“If a contractor needs to bury a pipe 4 feet in the ground and then cover it up afterwards, a backhoe would save on buying two separate pieces of equipment – an excavator to dig the trench and a four-wheel drive loader to fill the trench after the pipe was set,” says Tyler, product marketing manager for Moline, Ill.-based John Deere’s construction and forestry division. “A backhoe can do both.”
 
For Rob Brown, president and co-owner of Agave Environmental Contracting of Glendale, Ariz., the backhoe is an invaluable tool. The company, which has owned backhoes since 1991, often salvages native trees in the Arizona desert before development begins. “We use them when we box trees,” Brown says. “Instead of hand-digging native trees, we’ll use the backhoes with a guy on the ground, cutting roots. They’re versatile enough that if there’s enough room on a site, we’ll use them to move material around.” 

And Brown’s crews use backhoes to move trees and boulders and to excavate tree holes. “In areas where the ground is too hard, they will use them instead of trenchers,” he says. “Instead of mobilizing another piece of equipment, we can leave it at the office.”
THE DIFFERENTIATING FACTOR. The obvious difference between a backhoe and a four-wheel drive end loader is a backhoe features both front and rear dig components, while a four-wheel drive end loader has only a front load component. In addition, a four-wheel drive end loader is articulated in the center, which allows it to steer, Tyler says. In contrast, the front wheels of a backhoe steer much like those of an automobile.
 
“Skid-steer loaders work similarly in principle to a crawler dozer, in that they slow down both wheels on one side to steer, and use various forms of levers to steer rather than a traditional steering wheel,” Tyler says. “Skid-steers have the tightest turning radius of all three machine types and are useful for confined spaces, since they can spin on the spot by moving the wheels on one side forward, and the wheels on the other side backwards simultaneously. From a landscaping perspective, this may not be desirable in all instances where there is a desire to avoid tearing up the surface that the machine is running on. Skid steers also have the smallest capacity loader buckets of the three.”
 
Backhoes provide digging ability as well as increased lift and bucket capacities to complete larger jobs, says Jim Hughes, brand marketing manager for Racine, Wis.-based Case. Common backhoe attachments found on a landscape job site include brooms, forks, tree spades, augers and grapple buckets. 
 
“Backhoe loaders offer the most versatility because they have the trenching capability of a small excavator and the front loader performance of a small wheel loader, without changing attachments,” says Kevin Hershberger, head of backhoe loader marketing for Peoria, Ill.-based Caterpillar.
 
Backhoes are frequently used alongside skid-steers since they generally have more performance capabilities and deliver more productivity, Hershberger says.
 
“For example, the larger loader bucket might mean fewer trips when hauling gravel or landscaping material from the street to the backyard of a house,” Hershberger says. “If both trenching and loader work are required, a backhoe can do it as equipped, while a skid-steer loader would require changing attachments. A skid-steer loader is of course smaller, and can be transported with a small trailer and pickup truck.”
 
Backhoes and end loaders are larger machines than skid-steer loaders, which have much smaller, rigid frames and lift arms to attach buckets or a variety of other tools, Hughes says. “Depending on the size of their business, landscape contractors are using backhoes and tractor loaders in addition to skid-steer loaders,” he says. “Having the additional machines makes the contractor more versatile. They can bid larger jobs and finish them more quickly, which means more money in their pockets.”
 
Brown’s employees can dig in tough Arizona soil using the backhoes and cut the amount of work by half. “A 10-man crew is probably going to do 10 to 20 trees per day, depending on the soil. In some areas, the ground is too hard and we’re not able to hand dig it,” Brown says. “We’d probably need twice the amount of guys if we were going to hand-dig them all.”
 
Skid-steers, which come in wheel- or rubber-track forms, are generally small, easy to transport and can work well in confined areas. They’re as versatile as the attachments paired with them and can perform a host of duties, such as lifting and carrying materials, digging, grading and general ground preparation. In addition, they can be used for post-hole digging, planting trees and trenching. Contractors can expect to pay between $24,000 and $50,000, depending on the horsepower. Backhoes can range from about $45,000 to $250,000, and sometimes more. Four-wheel drive loaders can cost  between $65,000 and $400,000.
 
“Backhoes and tractor loaders are important additions to a landscape contractor’s fleet because the equipment makes the contractor more versatile and more productive,” Hughes says. “The additional equipment gives a landscape contractor the opportunity to bid jobs that may have been too large in the past.”
 
For example, a landscape contractor who typically uses a skid-steer loader as the primary piece of equipment may not be able to finish the grade in a new residential construction community. “If a landscape job requires larger trees to be planted, a skid-steer loader may not have the capacity to carry the trees,” Hughes says. In these instances, the higher lift capacity of backhoes is needed.

BIGGER CAN BE BETTER. Whereas skid-steers are known for their agility and ability to work in confined spaces, backhoes are known for their sheer strength and capacity to move large amounts of materials.
“A backhoe is used on applications where a contractor needs to do a lot of digging or material management around a job site,” Hughes says. “Each machine has its place in a landscape contractor’s fleet. It all depends on exactly what type of landscape construction the contractor is doing.”
 
An end loader, for example, would be adequate if a contractor is generally working with bulk materials and truck loading. A backhoe would add the capability of digging water features, placing landscape rock with the hydraulic thumb, and digging holes for trees, shrubs or fences with a hydraulic auger.
 
Most advances on backhoes center on productivity, operator comfort and serviceability. Some backhoes feature ride control that cushion the loader arms from rough terrain, eliminating the front-to-rear rocking motion that backhoes and tractor loaders can experience under load, Hughes says. “This is a feature that not only makes the ride more comfortable, but it makes you more productive.” Features such as shock absorbers keep the operator from getting too fatigued. Hughes says contractors should look for machines that are easily maintained, such as hoods that can be opened regardless of whether the loader arms are raised or lowered. That will give technicians full access to critical parts and daily service points, he says.
 
Some backhoes now feature hydraulic thumbs which can be great tools for handling and placing landscape rock, Hershberger says.
 
With an expensive piece of equipment, it’s important for contractors to learn from others' mistakes. “The most common mistakes contractors make when purchasing a larger piece of equipment is to underestimate their future needs,” Hughes says. “If you don’t take into account your future business plans, you may not buy the equipment with the proper options on it.”
 
For example, if the business is going to expand and hire more employees, contractors should take into account what control pattern they are used to, Hughes says. Many backhoes offer controls that can be switched between backhoe- and excavator-style controls. Another feature to think about is a hydraulic quick coupler, Hughes says. “This feature allows you to quickly and easily change attachments without getting out of the machine's seat,” he says. “A contractor may not be using a lot of attachments today, but how about if his or her business expands?”
 
Hershberger agrees contractors should think ahead. “Using short-term thinking can cause a contractor to purchase the least cost-effective machine if he is too focused on configuration or price,” he says. “As with any purchase, a contractor can make a better decision by considering the potential to expand his business with versatility features like quick couplers and auxiliary hydraulic lines.”

THINGS TO CONSIDER. When buying equipment, no matter what type it is, a contractor should be looking at productivity, operator comfort and serviceability, the experts say. “Productivity is important because a more productive machine puts more money in your pocket because you get the job done faster,” Hughes says.
 
Serviceability is a key to productivity for two reasons – the less time contractors have to spend servicing the machine, the more time they spend in the dirt making money. Also, the easier daily service checks will be to perform, the more likely they will get done, Hughes says.
 
How much weight needs to be lifted, how much needs to be moved in what time period, how deep a hole needs to be dug and how narrow a space does the machine have to drive through? These are some of the factors that determine machine size.
 
“A skid-steer may need a truck and trailer for transport since it has a top speed of up to 11 mph vs. around 23 mph for a backhoe or four-wheel drive loader,” Tyler says. “Both the backhoe and four-wheel drive loader can often be driven from one site to the next without need for separate transport.”