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Buying a Backhoe Loader

TuffWerx is the place to look for top name backhoe loaders like Case, New Holland, John Deere and Caterpillar. With TuffWerx, there’s a huge selection of various sizes of backhoe along with a selection of attachments like buckets, outriggers and thumbs. With TuffWerx, you can look at all the options presented by enterprise companies as well as individuals or you can search for a specific make, model, year and price. If there’s a backhoe loader you’re looking for that isn’t on the site, let us know and we’ll alert you when it becomes available. When it comes to buying used heavy equipment, TuffWerx does all the heavy lifting!

About Backhoe Loaders

Backhoe loaders, also called backhoes, are similar to tractors with a large bucket on the front and a smaller shovel on a boom in the back.  They’re commonly used in construction and farming. The backhoe bucket may have a retractable base that lets it empty its load more quickly than dumping it forward. These can be used for grading and scraping as well as for picking up loads.

Various attachments, such as a stump grinder, a bush hog, a hydraulic hammer, a bucket fork that turns the backhoe into a forklift, a grapple, an auger or a breaker can replace the bucket for greater flexibility with the machine.  Many of these come with a quick coupler mounting system with two hydraulic cylinders that expand and contract, letting the backhoe operator release and attach different tools.  Operators can also use another attachment, called a tilt rotator which lets the backhoe move the bucket more freely. A backhoe thumb turns a bucket into a grabbing tool that latches onto objects on two sides rather than just trying to lift it from one.

At times, digging and lifting heavy loads can cause the machine to be unstable, so most backhoe loaders use stabilizers or outriggers at the rear when digging. Some backhoe loaders come with tracks, instead of tires, which makes them more stable and better able to handle rugged or rocky terrain or work areas with a lot of construction debris.

Tips for Buying a Backhoe Loader

  • Backhoes come in various sizes with different lifting capacities. Make sure you get the one that has enough power to do the job you need it to do.
  • Check out the digging depth. Backhoes range in their ability to dig from under 10 feet to over 15 feet. A backhoe that won’t reach as far as you need it to go won’t be able to get the job done.
  • Consider whether you need a backhoe with an enclosed cab for the operator to work in inclement weather or in particularly dusty work areas or whether you can make due with one with an open cab.
  • Consider the kind of ground you’re working in. Some backhoe buckets and shovels work better on really hard, packed ground  than others.

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