ForConstructionPros.com

The options list for backhoe-loaders can be extensive. We turned to experienced owners to discover which ones are worth the investment in their particular applications.

Extendible dipper

Many applications favor the use of extendible dippers. While this option can add approximately 6% to the initial purchase price of a machine, the versatility and increased productivity may quickly offset the cost. "You end up moving the tractor less when you are digging a trench," says Bob Tyler, product marketing manager for backhoes, John Deere Construction and Forestry. "You can reach farther on each run."

The extendible dippers can also be used for fine positioning when craning. The list of applications is almost endless. "As many backhoe operators as there are, you will get that many different answers as to what they do with an extendible dipper," says Tyler.

"The Extendahoe not only allows you to dig deeper, but it allows you to place your material farther away from the trench," says Rusty Schaefer, marketing manager, Case Construction Equipment. "That is probably more important than dig depth."

VH Grading & Excavating, Prescott Valley, AZ, has a fleet of 14 backhoe-loaders - primarily John Deere 310 SGs and two Caterpillar 420Ds. "We get them fully loaded — four-wheel drive, extendible dipper, cab, air conditioning, radios, the whole thing," says Brian Van Hook, president. The extendible dipper allows access to confined spaces. "In our case, it is not so much the digging depth as the ability to reach in between houses and inside the stem walls."