Sergio and his workers, veteran Jason Krakora and rookie Adam Jaranovic, used a backhoe to dig alongside the house.

A backhoe attachment mounted to a skid-steer or compact track loader can, in some cases, be more efficient than a dedicated digging machine such as a backhoe-loader.

The mini-backhoe has tracks that can be moved closer together to squeeze into tight spots, then widened for stability when the digging begins.

He estimates the "smart" controls will cost between $10,000 and $20,000 per unit, with a fully decked-out backhoe retailing for as much as $127,000.

“I’ve dug here before … I’m sure it’s OK.” Before you put a shovel in the ground or fire up that backhoe, you must get an underground utility locate for every digging project. As ...

The digging power that Held noted comes from the John Deere 710G backhoe's new pressure-compensated, load-sensing hydraulic system, which exerts 4,000 pounds more bucket dig force than did the 710D.