A tractor with a front end loader and a backhoe is a powerful farming combination. SOTA regularly receives inquiries about tractor loader backhoe packages. All packages are certified to Australian standards and 4-in-1 buckets are fitted. We use high quality Del Morino Backhoes from Italy; linkage backhoes that actually work!
> KUBOTA Tractor Loader Backhoe Prices (Used sub-compact, compact)
> APOLLO Tractor Loader Backhoe Prices (New compact, medium, large)
> SOTA’s Famous Customer Support (Why buy from SOTA Tractors?)
> Do I Need a Backhoe? (It’s horses for courses!)
> Del Morino Backhoe Specifications (Specs & available bucket sizes)
> Download the Tractor/Loader/Backhoe Combo Flyer
A front end loader has become as common as the tractor itself and few tractors under 100hp are sold today without a loader. SOTA introduced the 4-in-1 bucket to the Australian market as standard loader kit, in 2004. Prior to this, a 4-in-1 bucket was a special, 3rd party order. The utility of a 4-in-1 bucket, especially on compact tractors, drove demand and virtually every tractor vendor today has a 4-in-1 option.
Do I Need a Backhoe?
Linkage backhoes are not new to the Australian market. You can do a mountain of work with a tractor loader backhoe combination. However, no linkage backhoe can perform like a dedicated Backhoe-Loader – for example, a JCB. The offset of this is that a tractor can perform a myriad of tasks that are not possible with a JCB.
If your primary aim is to level a new house site, would you be better off employing a contractor with a dedicated machine? While a tractor loader backhoe combination can certainly move earth and much more, it is not an Earth Mover. If on the other hand, you’re planning to do a number of jobs over a period of time, such as pipe-laying, water features, stump or rock removal, etc., then a linkage backhoe is a worthwhile investment. It’s a horses-for-courses decision.
In the past, the majority of linkage backhoes were sold to commercial farms or contractors, primarily for larger, heavier tractors. Most of these required hydraulic remotes to run them. There wasn’t much on the market for smaller compact and sub-compact tractors due to weight and stability issues. With the growth of the small tractor market, small backhoes have become increasingly available. Most are PTO driven, and they are equipped with an independent oil reservoir, precluding the need for hydraulic remotes on the tractor.
Invest in a Quality Backhoe
A linkage backhoe is a significant investment. While there are some cheap backhoes on the market, one has to dig a little deeper as to why they are cheap. Can they actually do the job for which they are intended? It is a false economy to invest in equipment that doesn’t perform as it should and a linkage backhoe must be able to dig! Otherwise, your mountain of soil will become a mountain of frustration, particularly when you think of the money you’ve wasted. Read about linkage backhoe performance here..
SOTA recommends that you opt for a quality backhoe such as one of our Del Morino Backhoes, particularly when it comes to pairing it to a compact or sub-compact tractor. For sub-compact tractors such as small Kubotas, there is no finer backhoe on the Australian market than the Del Morino RES10.

Remanufactured Kubota Tractor Loader Backhoe (Compact)
Click model links for Kubota tractor model information
Brand | Model | HP | Backhoe | Now |
Kubota | L2201DT | 25 | RES10 | $28,900 inc |
Kubota | L2202DT | 26 | RES10 | $31,450 inc |
Kubota | L2402DT | 28 | RES15 | $34,450 inc |
Kubota | L1-24DT | 28 | RES15 | $37,900 inc |


APOLLO Tractor Loader Backhoe (Compact – Large)
Click model links for product information
Brand | Model | HP | Backhoe | Price |
APOLLO | 304 | 30 | RES10 | $38,200 inc |
APOLLO | 354 | 35 | RES20 | $44,700 inc |
APOLLO | 454 | 45 | RES30 | $47,700 inc |
APOLLO | 554 | 55 | RES30 | $51,200 inc |
APOLLO | 554C (Cab) | 55 | RES30 | $57,450 inc |
APOLLO | 954 | 95 | RES50 | $82,600 inc |
APOLLO | 1204 | 120 | RES50 | $85,750 inc |


> Read what Simon says about his APOLLO tractor loader and backhoe package