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If a backhoe isn’t on your Christmas list this year, you’re probably not alone. You may have a shovel, a rake, and power equipment like a mower or leaf blower in your garage, but most of us go our entire lives without ever buying such a large piece of gardening equipment. That said, this expensive piece of equipment can be useful even if you’re not sitting on several acres of land.
A small backhoe has a multitude of uses, from digging trenches and clearing land of trees, stumps and other debris, to digging ponds and removing debris. If you find yourself doing any of these jobs by hand or with smaller tools, you’ll probably quickly realize that these big projects require a bigger tool. You can rent backhoes, but those rental fees can add up quickly and your project will face a tight time limit. Buying a portable backhoe will allow you to complete projects on your own time after an investment, albeit quite a large one, and easily move the equipment around your property with an ATV or tractor.
Harbor Freight sells a Central Machinery towable backhoe for $3,000, and while the price may be right, it may not be the perfect choice for everyone. Here are three alternatives to Harbor Freight’s offering that may best meet your needs.
NorTrac towable backhoe trencher
The NorTrac Towable Backhoe Trench is a great option if you’re looking for more power at a similar price to the Harbor Freight backhoe. Currently available from Northern Tool for $3,199.99, this backhoe only costs $200 more, but delivers 15 horsepower, nearly double the 8 horsepower offered by Harbor Freight. In heavy machinery like this, more horsepower usually gives you more speed and more digging power, though you may pay for it in fuel efficiency.
Both backhoes share a similar weight profile. The NorTrack weighs just under 1,000 pounds, which is an important detail if you plan to tow it. It offers a digging depth of 6.7 feet, compared to Harbor Freight’s 6 feet, and also has a lighter reach at 8.4 feet. The only area where the NorTrac falls short is its 340-pound lift capacity. Harbor Freight’s towable backhoe can lift nearly double that, up to 660 pounds.
The NorTrac backhoe trencher bucket has a capacity of 1.24 cubic feet and the boom can swing 60 degrees left and right. The dual hydraulic system includes an auxiliary circuit that provides up to 8 GPM flow for other hydraulic tools, giving users even more versatility. This backhoe includes a two-inch trailer coupler, transport wheels and stabilizer legs for easy towing and positioning. It has a one-year warranty, which falls short of Harbor Freight’s generous two-year warranty window.
HitchDoc DirtMaster
The Kwik-Way DirtMaster Trailed Backhoe works well if you’re not too concerned about the budget. It’s much more expensive than Harbor Freight’s budget option, currently selling for around $10,000. HitchDoc does not offer standard shipping for this item and buyers should call to arrange pickup or special shipping.
What really sets the DirtMaster apart from the competition is its towing capacity. It can be towed behind a variety of vehicles up to 45 mph. Harbor Freight’s option is not to be towed on highways or public roads, and the NorTrac can only be towed at speeds up to 30 mph. These limits can be a problem for some users, forcing them to move the backhoe with a flatbed trailer, rather than towing it.
The DirtMaster features an 8.4-horsepower Honda engine and 147-degree bucket rotation, giving it more range of motion than the competitors included here. It has a digging depth of up to 6.5 feet, falls close to the NorTrac, and has a horizontal reach of 8.3 feet. Cutting force is up to 2,600 pounds, which should make it easy to penetrate hard or frozen ground, or cut through tree stumps and roots. Two pairs of stabilizers give it a solid foundation, including a hydraulic pair at the front and a manual pair at the rear. It comes with a 12-inch bucket, and buyers can also purchase additional buckets and other accessories, such as a broken tooth, from HitchDoc.
Rental options
If you have a few big jobs on your DIY list, but aren’t ready to spend thousands of dollars on your own backhoe, or simply don’t have a place to store such a large machine, you can rent similar machines from various retailers.
Home Depot has a few rental options that can get the job done, such as mini excavators and tractor backhoes. Although their functions overlap, these machines are different from a backhoe, so do your research to make sure it will meet your needs. Its 1.5- to 2-ton mini excavator has similar capabilities to Harbor Freight’s backhoe, offering a digging depth of 6.2 feet and a maximum reach of 10.3 feet. Unlike a towable backhoe, an excavator moves easily around your job site on its rubber tracks and can be used for irrigation digging, landscaping, drainage projects and more. It is available for $359 per day or $1,077 per week at the time of writing.
A tractor backhoe is a tough piece of machinery meant for big jobs. It has a front loading bucket along with a rear digger. This micro backhoe rental from Home Depot offers a digging depth of 6.1 feet and the front loader can hold up to 745 pounds. It’s available, with proof of a valid driver’s license, for $262 for four hours, $349 for a full day or $1,047 for a week. If you just need to dig a trench, Lowe’s rents various sizes of trenches, with prices starting at less than $100 for four hours.
Methodology
In selecting Harbor Freight trailed backhoe alternatives, we focused on several factors. The first was price—several towable options sell for thousands more than Harbor Freight’s offering, so we tried to include a backhoe at a similar price point. We also focused on the towable aspect of the backhoe available at Harbor Freight. While it can be towed on private property at low speeds, it cannot be towed on public roads, which brings us to an option that can be towed at higher speeds on standard highways. Finally, we recognize that not every consumer wants to spend thousands of dollars on heavy machinery, so we’ve included options that are easily rented from retailers across the country.
