The whole reason I am looking to upgrade is for the hoe. Do I gotta? No. Do I wanna? Hell yeah! I just got off the phone a couple of hours ago with somebody who needs excavation work done. I talked to them a month ago about it, but I didn't figure I would be competitive since I would have to rent a fullsize backhoe plus use my current tractor when I go to reseed. And I can't haul the big hoe myself so I would have to pay delivery on top of that. So I never really spent much time on figuring it. Apparently they can't get somebody else to do it cause they called me again, so this one job would be well on the way for paying the difference on a new tractor. I wouldn't be as fast as a big hoe (get your mind out of the gutter), but I would only need one machine. I was told by a dealer last year he would give me $7500 on trade for my 770. I was getting prices of right about $7000 for a 6' 6" hoe installed (I can't mess with it myself for what they want to install it). That gives me $14,500. If I upgrade, I get a bigger tractor (30 instead of 24 hp), HST over my currrent non-synchro gear tranny (which really sucks for loader work), a loader that lifts more weight and goes higher (easier to load the truck), a hoe that digs deeper (9' 8") than the ones I was pricing (the ones I was looking at couldn't load directly in my truck, this one can), plus it's a new rig to boot so I know it would be taken care of. I would think I would be in the range of $18,500 - $19,000 when I am talking cash when they want $21,000 to finance it, so about $4000 to upgrade doesn't seem too bad. I know an accountant would shudder at my analysis, but oh well. Most of the work I would use it for would be on our own property, but I've rented mini excavators several times for personal use as well as pay jobs where I could have used the hoe instead. When I first started looking I didn't think there was any way getting a whole new rig would be the way to go (and I certainly am not set on that yet) but the more I look, it seems like a real possibility. If I get a hoe for my current tractor, I would probably keep it for a while cause I would get a subframe, but I really don't like how unstable my 770 is. And if I use it more for loader work, a synchro tranny at the least would be desireable. At the other extreme, I am considering building a hoe from plans on the net. They figure $1500 in materials for the design I really like.
Sorry it got so long, but that at least gives everyone a feel for what I have on the table. Feel free to ask questions/comment as necessary.
Don - You're right about the tires, at least they are bigger than what is on a JD 4210. Not sure, but I would assume the 4310 is the same size. The 3015 falls equally between the two in HP.