Rental Backhoe---do they have reduced pressure setting???

LeakyBoot

Member
Working on a big job so rented an extra backhoe. Cat 416 with only 159 hrs. I'm thinking we are going to really get some work done with this thing. I tried it and it is a real weak dog. My 21 yr old Ford has more breakout. Maybe these rental places set the pressure lower to make it easy on the machine and take longer to do the job? I hope not. I prepaid for a week------LB
 
I am not in the rental business but it would not surprise me if rental companies do things to protect their equipment. Even if it affects machine performance. Most rental companies can only recover rental charges to stay competitive. Abuse is hard to cover without steep rates for the business and coming after a customer for abuse costs money itself and is often hard to recover.
 
Break out on the loader or backhoe ? Ford had some really strong loaders !

If you think it is really weak maybe call them and tell them. Could be it might have something wrong with it ?
 
I expect they do. I would at least let them know that machine is not working up to par-ask for another or price break on this one. you know what it should do, they never hear from most weekend type renters
 
The 416 was a sorry excuse for a backhoe.

Company I worked for had a couple.
Tractor wise it was fine. The rear hoe was weak.

Got a 420 and was a night and day difference,
This was around 2002 or so.

Tom
 
It is the backhoe that is weak all right. My old ford will drag you in the hole if it won't tear the rock out, if you don't let off it. This thing has the smooth pads and won't slide in the grass. I'm hoping we get out of this rocky area and maybe it will do better. Thanks for all the comments. LB
 
Hard to say. When building my house I was using my contractor's 655 Ford with an Extendahoe. My old 4500 with a 755 hoe could dig circles around it however my hoe was loaded with patches and re-welded cracks where the 655 had none.
 
As a guy that works on equipment for a living, and has customers with both old, and new equipment, I'll say this. The majority of the new stuff is pure junk, and 90% of the time the older stuff will run circles around it in a side by side competition when it comes to a brute power stand point.

Usually the newer stuff boasts a lot of HP and fast cycle times, but when compared to an older machine, it's like comparing a racehorse to a Clydesdale.
 
Get on the phone to the co.you rented from and tell them the problems. A friend of mine is in the rental business, and I know he would want to be told if something wasn't working right. Maybe something that will get worse and eventually damage the equipment
 
A Cat 416 is not that great of a machine. Lots of creature comforts, good speed, not enough power. Like Wayne says nothing new is any good. One thing about new machines is they put operator comfort at the top of the list. Probably the most comfortable machine you'll ever run, [u:463bb07feb]IF [/u:463bb07feb]they run with the emissions and computer problems nowadays. See many new machines down with simple issues like a bad sensor.

Personally I've never liked Cat backhoes. I've run a 416C 420D & EIT and wasn't impressed. Slick and smooth to run but no grunt.
 
I am a cat guy to the core but even I will admit the only cat backhoe worth unloading from the trailer is a 420it and that is only if you are doing mostly loader work. Deere's are ok at best but my personal opinion is the only backhoe worth leasing renting or owning is a case. I've ran about all series from the ck's to the brand new n's and to me it is the only way to go. Have a 590sl at home and love the 90 and the skinny boom but she's starting to show her age. I run a 580sn at work almost every day and I really like it too. Both are stout and fast. Only thing about the others that case doesn't have is a totally removable rear window to stretch you legs out but that's kinda tough with foot swing and on the cat I came pretty close to pinching my feet a few times. There is a possibility it's turned down some but more than likely it's just the machine
 

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