A towable backhoe earns its keep when you have real digging to do on your own land more than once, and you would rather not line up a rental or a contractor every time a project comes up. The DirtMaster, the towable backhoe HitchDoc Outdoors carries in its Utility line, tows behind an ATV, UTV, truck, car, or even a lawn tractor at speeds up to 45 mph, digs down to 78 inches with about 100 inches of reach, and runs a Honda engine with joystick controls most people pick up in minutes.
The honest rule of thumb: if your project is one big dig, like a single pond, renting a mini excavator is usually faster and cheaper. If you have fence lines, trenches, footings, water lines, and stumps to deal with across a property over the years, owning a towable backhoe starts to pay for itself. This guide walks through what it can actually do, how it stacks up against renting and hiring out, and when buying one makes sense.
Key Takeaways
- A towable backhoe makes sense for ongoing digging on your own property, not for a single one-off job.
- The DirtMaster tows behind an ATV, UTV, truck, car, or lawn tractor at up to 45 mph and digs to 78 inches deep with about 100 inches of reach.
- It runs a Honda engine and joystick controls with a basic direction map, so most operators are digging within minutes.
- For one big dig like a single pond, renting a mini excavator is usually faster and cheaper. For recurring work over the years, owning wins.
- Always have your utilities marked by calling 811 before you put a bucket in the ground.
What is a towable backhoe, and what can it actually do?
A towable backhoe is exactly what it sounds like: a compact, self-powered digging machine on its own wheels that you pull behind a vehicle and set up wherever the work is. You are not loading it on a trailer or waiting on a delivery. You hook it to a 2 inch ball, tow it out to the back of the property, drop the stabilizers, and dig.
Here is what the DirtMaster brings to a job, by the numbers: it digs down to 78 inches, swings through a 140 degree arc, reaches out about 100 inches, and puts down 2,600 pounds of ripping force. It comes with a 12 inch bucket, and you can add a 9 inch or 16 inch bucket or a ripper tooth depending on the work. At 1,175 pounds dry and rolling on air tires with stabilizer pads, it is light enough to leave little or no mark on a lawn.
In plain terms, that covers a lot of what an acreage owner or landscaper actually runs into: fence post holes, footings for a shed or deck, trenches for drainage, water and electrical lines, pulling smaller stumps, and digging out a small pond over a few sessions. What it is not is a full-size excavator. It is a hoe, so you dig, reposition, and dig again rather than swinging a full circle, and a big oak stump or a deep commercial trench is still a job for a bigger machine. Knowing that going in is half of buying the right tool.
Towable backhoe vs. renting a mini excavator
This is the comparison most people are really making. A rented mini excavator will out-dig a towable backhoe. It swings a full 360 degrees, it has more raw digging force, and on one concentrated job it will simply finish faster. If you have a single pond to dig and you want it done in a weekend, rent the mini.
The catch with renting is everything around the digging. You pay every time you need it, often a few hundred dollars a day plus delivery or a trailer to haul it yourself. You work on the rental clock, so a job that stretches across a few evenings after work gets expensive. And a mini excavator on steel or even rubber tracks can chew up a finished lawn on the way to the hole.
A towable backhoe flips that. You tow it with a vehicle you already own, it is light enough to get into tight spots between buildings and fences, and it is sitting in your shed whenever the next project shows up. The trade-off is honest: less reach, less force, and you reposition more often because it does not spin in a full circle. For steady, spread-out work on your own place, that trade is usually worth it.
Towable backhoe vs. hiring it out
Hiring a contractor is the right move for the big, deep, one-time jobs, or any time you simply do not want to run the machine yourself. They show up with the equipment and the experience and get it done.
What you give up is cost and control. Bringing someone in is the most expensive option per job, and it adds up fast if you have a list of small things to do. You also wait on their schedule, which means the fence project that you wanted to knock out on a Saturday waits until they have an opening. For a property owner with ongoing work, paying a service call for every trench and post hole gets old quickly. That is the situation where owning your own machine stops being a luxury and starts being the cheaper, more convenient answer.
When does owning one actually pay off?
Run the math against your actual list of projects, not a single job. The DirtMaster is a one-time purchase of around $10,300, plus a bucket or two if you want options. Renting runs a few hundred dollars each time, plus the hassle of hauling, and hiring out a single sizable job can climb into the thousands depending on scope.
So the question is simple: how much digging is in front of you? If the honest answer is one job, ever, rent the machine and move on. But if you are looking at fence lines to set, drainage to fix, water or electrical to run, stumps to clear, and footings to dig over the next few years, a towable backhoe can pay for itself in a handful of jobs and then it is just yours, ready whenever you are. For folks who already run an ATV or UTV around the property, it slots right into how they already work.
If you also run heavier equipment, it is worth knowing HitchDoc makes skid steer dozer blades for the grading and pushing side of dirt work, so the digging and the moving can come from the same place.
Digging safely and legally: call before you dig
Before any project that puts a bucket in the ground, have your utilities marked. Call 811 or make the request through 811 before you dig, the free national service, a few business days ahead of the job. They notify your local utilities, who come mark the approximate location of buried gas, electric, water, and communication lines at no charge. Hitting one of those is dangerous and expensive, and in many states making the call is the law.
Beyond that, the basics keep you safe. Set the machine on solid ground and get the stabilizers down before you dig, the front hydraulic pair and the rear manual pair both. Read the manual and respect the swing radius. The DirtMaster is built so operators of any skill level can learn it quickly, but easy to run is not the same as run it carelessly. Take your time the first few digs and you will get the feel of it fast.
The DirtMaster, and how to get one
If your project list says owning makes sense, the DirtMaster is the towable backhoe to look at. It digs to 78 inches with about 100 inches of reach and 2,600 pounds of ripping force, tows behind nearly anything with a 2 inch ball at up to 45 mph, and runs a Honda engine with a baked-on industrial finish made to take the abuse this kind of work hands out. It ships with a 12 inch bucket and the main hydraulic stabilizers, and you can add a 9 inch or 16 inch bucket or a ripper tooth for tougher ground.
You can see the full spec sheet and current pricing on the DirtMaster product page, or browse the whole Utility lineup. Because it is a freight item, shipping is arranged directly rather than through standard checkout, so if you have questions about delivery, fitment to your tow vehicle, or which bucket setup fits your work, get in touch or call (800) 446-8222 and a real person will walk you through it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How deep can the DirtMaster dig?
It digs to 78 inches, which is enough for most residential and acreage work: footings, fence posts, drainage trenches, and water or electrical lines. Required depth for utilities and footings varies by local frost line and code, so check your local requirements before you plan a run.
Can you really tow it behind an ATV or UTV?
Yes. It tows on a 2 inch ball behind an ATV, UTV, truck, car, or lawn tractor at speeds up to 45 mph depending on terrain. It weighs about 1,175 pounds dry, so confirm your tow vehicle and hitch are rated for it, especially with a smaller ATV or UTV.
Is a towable backhoe hard to operate?
Not for most people. The DirtMaster uses hydraulic joysticks with a basic direction map, so operators of all skill levels tend to get the hang of it within minutes of sitting down. Take the first few digs slow, keep the stabilizers planted, and you will pick up the rhythm quickly.
Towable backhoe or mini excavator: which digs better?
A mini excavator digs more aggressively, swings a full 360 degrees, and finishes a big single job faster, which is why renting one makes sense for a one-time dig. A towable backhoe wins on everything around the digging: you tow it with what you already own, it fits tight spots, it is easy on the lawn, and it is yours whenever you need it.
How much does the DirtMaster cost?
The DirtMaster runs around $10,295 and includes the 12 inch bucket and main hydraulic stabilizers. Prices change and it ships as a freight item, so check the live DirtMaster product page for the current number and call to arrange delivery.
Got digging on the horizon? Look over the DirtMaster and its specs, or call (800) 446-8222 and we will help you figure out whether owning one beats renting for the work you have ahead.