A friend was asking about whether they should purchase or rent a backhoe for the construction of their new home and the preparation of their property. Many people think that purchasing a medium sized farm tractor is the way to go however since most of the work that is needed will be construction related the utility level add ons that you can purchase for a small to medium sized tractor are just not enough to get the work done. This is when you start looking at construction equipment but the decision to purchase a piece of equipment is normally based on how long you expect to own it and the level of need. Normally renting will get you through most of the process however in their case they do see a need for this equipment for an extended period of time.
The need for them is to clear land for their home pad, install a septic field for their home, prepare water lines for irrigation and for animals that will extend from their well and also to grade a good portion of their property including pulling stumps and installing a long driveway.
Of all other tools the backhoe is the correct one to choose. Although having access to a number of different pieces of equipment like an excavator, dozer and maybe a skid steer could help greatly if you are selecting one tool for the work a Backhoe can get most if not all of the work done. It will not only allow you to dig but also move materials.
So the decision is should you purchase or rent. In my opinion if you are going to be renting a piece of equipment for more than 3 months continuously then it is probably a very good time to consider buying a used piece of equipment.
The main thing that people forget when pricing the difference is the resale of the equipment after you have got all the use you need out of it. Depending on how you maintain and repair a piece of equipment you might find that you get full use of it for as long as necessary and then sell it for as much or more than you purchased it for.
If you can get a deal on a used piece of equipment and even one that needs some servicing you can normally come out ahead and as a bonus you can choose to sell it or rent it or lend it out to neighbors which will in turn give you a favor you can call in. Favors on the homestead are like gold thats why everyone does them.
Service Maintenance Guide For Backhoes
Lets go over some of the service items that you will need to perform on your backhoe to make sure that it is in its best running condition.
Inspect your air filters they are one of the biggest issues because they can cause you loss of power and will put additional stress on your engine. Your primary or first filter can be cleaned with compressed air. Inspect it for dirt by holding it up to the light. If it is damaged in any way you should replace it. If it is dirty you can use compressed air to clean it.
Your secondary filter should not be cleaned. It should be replaced every third time that you need to clean your primary filter. This will differ on your use but keep in mind that this schedule is based on dirty conditions.
Dirty radiators are probably the second worst problem but may be the most common problem. A dirty radiator will cause your system to overheat or maintain a higher than normal heat level. This can cause damage to your engine and reduce its life. Remember just because its not overheating to the point it is shutting you down doesn’t mean its running correctly.
Check your oil level with the engine off. The level on the dip stick should fall between the high and low levels. Too much oil can also be a problem so if you change your oil or come across a unit with high oil levels you might want to check your plugs for fowling and remove enough oil that the level is correct. Oil should also appear clean. Dark oil means that it has been in use for some time and this is not always an indicator of problems but oil that smells burnt or a dipstick that is heavily caked with burnt oil means servicing was not performed at normal intervals.
Hydraulic oil levels should be checked after the pressure has been released from the system. Many newer backhoes will have an indicator that you can check however it may also be necessary to manually check oil levels. Do not overfill your system.
Check your fuel filter and water separator. When water gets into the system the water separator will fill with water that must be drained. This can happen for a number of reasons including contaminated fuel but also happens because of condensation. You should check your water separator often especially when you see you have a problem with condensation.
Inspect all of your fluid lines. It is important to be careful when checking for leaks but hydraulic lines are especially dangerous when they leak. Normally you should look for problems with the system off and not under pressure. You should also use proper protection. Do not neglect this warning Hydraulic Line Pin Hole Leaks are one of the primary problems that rural doctors come in contact with and it can mean the loss of an eye, oil injected into and under your skin which can cause serious problems and it can also mean loss of life. When in doubt about a hydraulic line remove it and replace it.
One thing people miss is the brake fluid level and the condition of the brake fluid. When brake fluid gets old and needs changing it will turn dark. This means it has been contaminated with moisture. Not maintaining your system can mean loss of braking, spongy peddles and damage to lines and parts. Changing your brake fluid is not expensive and should be done regularly.
Check your battery and battery cables. You should check the date on your battery to get an estimated life expectancy. You can also put your battery under a load test. Low battery levels are worse in winter conditions and even a fully charged new battery can lose more than half of its cranking amps under freezing conditions. Your battery cables are another item that can be misleading. You may believe you have good cables by visually inspecting them but battery acid can run down the cable and rot it out from within the shielding. If you have good battery levels but cranking levels are low you should check your cables by Ohm testing them and check your grounds including alternate ground straps that are often removed by mechanics and never replaced. It is also a good time to inspect and find your Battery Disconnect Switch. This is normally a keyed switch that allows you to cut off all battery to the backhoe. It should be used during all servicing but also at the end of the day and whenever your equipment is not going to be in use.
Wheels and Tires check every wheel fastener for good condition and proper torque. Check the condition of the air valve on the wheel as they are often damaged during work. Replace the valve stem if you see any damage. Check the condition of the wheels especially for rust. Normally it is illegal to make repairs to wheels so check for any out of place welds or patches.
The age of the tires is an important thing to check and also the condition of the rubber for dry rot. Dry rot is cracking anywhere on the tire including between the tread, on the sidewalls or overall. If you have dry rot then you should either change your tires or expect to change them very soon. They are an unsafe condition especially under the added stress and loads of using your equipment.
Tire Pressure can vary by the loads that the equipment is handling and the condition of the surface it is working on. Check a manual for the correct pressures for your specific conditions.
Grease Zerk fittings should be located and inspected. If a part of your equipment is not getting regular greasing then it will wear and fail early. Depending on your use and conditions you may be greasing your backhoe once a week so find them all and make sure they are not frozen and won’t accept grease.
Final Note
This is the very basic inspection and maintenance review that you should do on your equipment on a regular basis. Often when working on equipment over a period of time we lose track of checking all of the things we should and only look for solutions to problems that come up.
If you have the mentality that you can’t take time to maintain your equipment then it will fail you when you need it most.
Something as simple as taking 30 minutes to grease all your fitting can mean the difference of a very expensive repair.
Also whenever your equipment is under high stress you should do a full check of all of your systems.