Eastern Power Equipment 

285 Route 9  PO Box 97  Barrington, NH 03825

Phone 603/664-7776  | Toll Free 866/664-7776 | Fax 603/664-7420  | email chuck@easternpowerequipment.com

Compact tractor-loader-backhoes - much more than meets the eye

Get power to places that defy larger machines.
These little machines feel like big machines. Compact tractor-loader-backhoes (TLB) are not just skimpy versions of the real thing. They are powerful machines that can handle 75 percent or more of the work you would normally do with a standard TLB. Check it out.

Applications and Types of Users
Although compact TLBs are half the size of "real" backhoes, they can hold their own in the dirt. Applications and types of users are very broad-based. Ordinary backfilling and shuttle loading are common applications for the loader. These mini models are particularly useful when maneuvering close to walls and in tight places.

Typical users include:

Distinct Advantages
Versatility and the ability to maneuver close to walls and in tight places are giving the compact TLB a firm foothold in construction. Plus, for the novice operator, they're not as intimidating as a full-size TLB.

Some compact TLBs include a front-wheel power assist. This power to the front wheels at the right moment can make a significant difference in loading efficiency as the machine's weight distribution shifts. It gives you the extra power to shove the bucket into the pile and heap it up over the course of a workday.

Some offer a hydraulic power take-off to run tools such as breakers, tampers and concrete saws.

Other advantages include:

Backhoe Advantages

Loader Advantages

The loader on a compact TLB is not a different beast, just a different size of beast. It differs from big-machine loaders only in:

Give It a Test Ride
Big-backhoe skeptics should go see for themselves. Visit your A.R.A.-affiliated rental professional to see about a test drive at a work site. Here are some tips on how to gauge a compact TLB's capabilities.

  1. Go ahead, see if you can bog down the hydraulics in a heavy side-loaded condition, or make the machine rock and rattle.
  2. Dig some holes, dig a few feet of trench - do several cycles
  3. Deposit the soil as far to either side as you can reach with the backhoe
  4. Backfill the hole by pushing the pile with the backhoe bucket
  5. See if you detect any hesitation or weakness as the load builds up on the hydraulic cylinders and machine geometry.
  6. Extend the bucket as far as you can
  7. Curl the teeth into the surface
  8. Draw the boom and dipper into a full digging arc
  9. See if you detect any hesitation and see how easy it is to get from the backhoe operating position into the driving position. Then see how much lifting power you have as the bucket lip digs deeper and deeper into the pile.
  10. Swing around and raise the loader bucket
  11. Hit the pile low and hard
  12. Spin around the lot with a full load in the bucket to check how the machine rides

Compact TLB Specifications
Compact TLBs are available from 20-30 horsepower, in both gasoline and diesel versions. Depending on your specific application, talk to your A.R.A.-affiliated rental professional for spec options of different brands. You don't really need to know all those measurements. The most important specs for your purposes are: