山东卓信机械有限公司

In recent years, small compact tractors have become very popular with private homeowners. Subcompact tractors, the size between a compact tractor and lawn tractor, are also often sold in backhoe loader setup, sometimes with a belly-mounted mower also included. These tractors offer private homeowners the ability to perform minor excavation projects.

Backhoe Loaders provide superior digging, trenching, back-filling and material handling capability and can be used for many applications, including but not limited to General Construction, Demolitions and Excavations, Landscaping, Breaking Asphalt and Paving. Zhuoxin backhoes deliver the power and precise handling you need when operating in areas where using larger equipment is not practical.

The Comprehensive Backhoe Loader Size and Spec Guide
Capable of both excavation and earthmoving, backhoe loaders are versatile machines of equipment that can be used on almost any landscaping or construction project. Because they are popular, many backhoe brands manufacture the loaders in multiple sizes. While this provides lots of options for contractors, it can make it hard to pick which backhoe brand and model will work best on the type of project you're working on.
To make it easier, we've created this backhoe size and spec guide. We've recently updated our backhoe loader spec guide to be organized by backhoe model size rather than individual manufacturers. If you'd like to see all the backhoe loader models by brand, you can check out our backhoe brand comparison blog.

Understanding OEM Backhoe Specs Categorization
Backhoe loaders and their models are usually categorized by key specifications like power, digging depth, weight, loader strength, and others. While similar in functionality, the efficiency, power, and use cases of each model are impacted by the size. Bigger backhoes with more weight or horsepower can often dig deeper and are more powerful.

While many contractors have a brand preference when it comes to purchasing their construction equipment, for renting, they just want a machine that can get the job done. That's why knowing the size of the machine you need is important as it helps you find accurate comparisons. Overworking a smaller backhoe loader is never a good idea while renting or purchasing one that's too big is not cost-effective

This size of backhoe is a great mix of mini excavators, skid steers, and tractors. While not as commonly used for construction, many of the above backhoe loaders are used for small landscaping, farming, and agricultural projects. They are great for moving dirt around a farm, lifting hay bales, snow removal, and completing small projects that don't require a lot of lifting or digging.

This spec range makes them equivalent to or more efficient than most mini-excavator models, and just as capable of lifting as much as some wheel loaders. As a cross between large mini-excavators and medium-sized wheel loaders, this backhoe class is popular for many medium and heavy-duty excavating and loading tasks. These may include residential road work, heavy snow removal, trenching, utility work, and more.
Projects and common uses for this size of backhoe include heavy-duty projects like residential road work, digging, trenching, backfilling, loading heavy materials, and more.
The Importance of Backhoe Loader Specs
Understanding the backhoe loader specs that are most important is crucial to picking the right one. For many contractors, those specs include horsepower, operating weight, breakout force, lift capacity, and lift height. Each of these has its effect on performance and efficiency.
Horsepower (hp): A measurement of power or the rate at which a machine can handle work. The higher the hp, the stronger the machine. This affects the strength of how much a backhoe will be able to lift, dig, or load.
Operating Weight: Typically measured in lbs or tons, operating weight is the total expected weight of the machine including the operator. There is typically a positive correlation between how much the machine weighs, how far it can reach, the machine's power, and breakout force. Operating weight can be an important spec to consider when working on softer grounds that may be impacted by the machine's weight.
Breakout Force (lbf): Breakout force is the measurement of the maximum amount of weight supported by the backhoe loader that it can curl and lift. This is important for earthwork projects because it is the power the bucket and boom create with lifting and digging. It is often measured in pounds of force (lbf).
Lift Capacity: Measured in lbs, this is simply how much the backhoe can lift with the loader bucket. It is not the lift capacity of the excavator. This is important to know because it will affect how much can be lifted on each load, increasing or decreasing efficiency.
Loader Hinge Point: The loader hinge point is the maximum height the bucket can lift with the front bucket. This spec is crucial to know if the primary goal is to lift and load materials. For example, if loading a dumpster, you can often use a backhoe with a lower hinge point. However, if loading an articulating dump truck, one with a higher hinge point will be required. It is measured in feet and inches.
Why the Size/Class of Your Backhoe Matters
Ideally, you know the size and scope of your project before renting equipment. After all, that's why you'd be considering a backhoe versus other options like skid steers and compact track loaders, wheel loaders, mini-excavators, large excavators, or a bulldozer.
However, if you're unsure, it's vital to know information about dig depth requirements, lift capacity, and what kind of material you will be moving or digging. Knowing this scope of work will help determine what backhoe size you need or if another machine might be the better option.
Choosing the Right Backhoe Specifications for Your Project
As mentioned above, choosing the optimal backhoe size could change from project to project. Typically, the questions you want to ask yourself are: how deep do you need to dig, how big of a bucket you will need, and what is the impact on the terrain? Asking these questions will help you figure out what specs matter most for that specific project.
For example, if you need to dig between 7 to 10 feet, you probably don't need to have an incredibly big backhoe. However, if you're looking to dig to depths of 12 to 16 feet, you're going to need a size upgrade.
The same would go for the movement and lifting of materials. If you're only moving light materials like dirt and sand, a smaller backhoe is probably all that is required. If you're planning on moving debris or heavier materials like stone and gravel, you probably need a machine with more lifting capacity.
Lastly, the operating weight of the machine. Working on environments like individual property, cemeteries, and golf courses requires machines that leave less of an impact or damage on the landscape. On projects like these, you will want to work with equipment that is as light as possible.
If you're wanting a specific machine, we've created spec charts and tables for every model in our backhoe brand comparison guide. We hope these charts help you visualize and simplify the process of finding the right backhoe loader for your next project.
Renting a Backhoe with Zhuoxin
Whether you've discovered that a backhoe is the best option or a skid steer, mini excavator, large excavator, or bulldozer might be a better option for your next project, we hope this spec guide has been helpful in making a choice. At DOZR, our focus is helping contractors get the right equipment at the right time. If you want to rent construction or landscaping equipment, head to the DOZR Marketplace to start your rental process.
Ready to Dig Deeper?
Get the latest equipment spec guides, brand comparisons, construction insights and tips in your inbox.