Buying a backhoe loader involves more than just choosing a model: you’ll have to evaluate several backhoe dealers to find one you can work with for the long term. Like any piece of heavy-duty construction equipment, your backhoe loader will wear and eventually break, making your relationship with the dealer important for preventative maintenance and repairs.

Major pieces of construction equipment like backhoe loaders don’t come cheap: they’re built for reliability and toughness. Before you develop a case of sticker shock, consider that you’ll be using your new backhoe loader for 10 years or more, and the upfront cost won’t seem quite as high.

Typical prices for a base-model 14′ digging depth backhoe, the industry standard, with an average 80 or 90 horsepower (hp), range from $55,000 to $75,000. 15′ to 16′ models go for $75,000 to $90,000, and those over 16′ can average around $110,000. Compact backhoes in the popular 9′ to 10′ range are most often in the $25,000 to $35,000 range.

Options like four-wheel drive, automatic transmission, and sideshift can quickly raise your total costs — but if those options are important to your planned use of the machine, they’ll pay for themselves in improved efficiency. Also count on paying an extra $1,000 to $2,000 for each specialized attachment you purchase like a 4 in 1 bucket or crusher.

Dealers often offer subsidized financing from the equipment manufacturers, helping you get a good deal on purchase financing. Leasing is a good option when interest rates are high, but while interest rates are relatively low, you’re better off purchasing outright.

Backhoe loaders can also be rented by the day, week, or month. Daily rates range from $150 to $500; weekly rentals are typically $600 to $1,500; and monthly rentals average around $2,000 to $3,000.

Buying used backhoe loaders
Due to these steep prices, you may want to investigate used backhoe loaders. Take into account your schedule flexibility when deciding whether or not to buy used. If you lose the use of the backhoe for a week due to repairs, will that throw off your schedule completely, or can you take it in stride? You should also ensure that you’re buying from a reputable dealer, as you’re more likely to need their help for repairs.

Prices drop considerably once the machines have a few thousand hours of use on them. For example, used backhoe loaders with 14′ backhoes and 2,000 hours of use can be found for around $30,000. Choose a machine with even more hours and you can drive the price down even further.

However, you’ll need to be careful about maintenance costs. A few dings and some peeling paint might not matter to you, but a failing transmission certainly will. Make sure you take the loader for a test drive and do some loading and digging with it to gauge its performance.



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