Backhoe or mini-ex?

C

Crane Chris

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Noticed backhoes are falling out of favor. Everyone has mini's these days. Had my JD 310 forever and I love it. What am I missing?
 
I"m retired, but if I had to choose just one for my company right now, I’d pick the mini excavator. Here’s why:

Most jobs these days, especially in suburban or urban settings, need a machine that can fit into tighter spaces and get the job done with precision.​
You can always pair it with a skid loader if you need to move dirt or material. That combo covers a lot of ground and offers more flexibility than just a backhoe alone. Skids are also easy to move around. I'd rather buy two machines than one bigger machine that then needs a bigger truck and bigger trailer to move it around.
It’s more cost-effective if you’ve got multiple jobs running at once because of the ease of transport. Even if you have one trailer you can get the min insite and working then get your skid there after.​

If you're working out on your ranch, backhoe all day. If you're using the machine to make money, get a mini and a skid and start making money.
 
it's really nice sticking to the machine you loved for years, but minis are getting popular because they are versatile and can squeeze into tighter spots that backhoes might struggle with. It's not about replacing your favorite, but about making sure you’ve got the right tool for the job when you need it!
 
Backhoes definitely have their place, but minis are hard to beat for tight spaces and quick transport. If your JD 310 still gets the job done, no reason to fix what isn’t broken! But I can see why more folks are going the mini + skid steer route for flexibility.
 
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