Huge, heavy backhoes aren’t always the best option, especially for the smaller contractor, and they’re not an option for the owner who needs to rent a machine for the weekend. For them there are mini backhoes or small backhoes. If you go to your local heavy equipment rental store, you’ll likely see a few different compact backhoe loaders there, usually the more popular brands like John Deere and the Kubota backhoe loader. There are others such as Ford backhoe loader, Case backhoe loader and JCB backhoe loader as well, although there may not be a huge selection of brands at most rental places.
For those home contractors or weekend warriors who don’t know: A backhoe gets that name because it shovels the earth backwards instead of pushing it forward like other types of machinery. The first models were developed in Britain in the 1950s and were quickly adapted and changed for various uses. Basically, they are all built the same way, with a digging bucket at the end of a link arm. This arm can move to the right and left to a certain extent. In addition to the digging bucket, there are other attachments that can be used with the backhoe.
If you’re renting a backhoe for a home project of most sizes, you’ll be looking for a mini, small, or compact backhoe rather than the larger, more complex models meant to be handled by a highly trained professional. Despite their name, these are still quite large machines and you should exercise a great deal of caution before deciding if you will be able to operate them safely and competently. After all, it may be cheaper to hire a contractor to come and do the digging for your project than it is to repair and replace all the stuff you break, topple or knock over trying to learn how to drive the backhoe you just rented.
In the end, whether you have rented a John Deere or Case backhoe loader, or any other, you still need to know how to use it and use it correctly. Take the time to learn on the lot before you even put your money down. There’s no point in paying for something you can’t handle once it arrives on your lot. Estimate the cost to transport or deliver the backhoe when you compare the cost of hiring a contractor versus the cost of renting and doing it yourself. What might take you all weekend to do can take the contractor as little as an hour, making a professional the most affordable option. If you’re looking to hire a contractor for three hundred dollars an hour, or the same price for all day with the backhoe, you’re not saving money by renting, especially if you end up paying for delivery, extra charges for a second day, or ending up having to pay the contractor to come in and finish what he has started once he realizes he doesn’t know what he is doing.
