Loader Backhoe Brings in More Business for Septic Repair Company

The B100 helped Ruben De La Rosa double his business

Ruben De La Rosa’s decision to buy a Bobcat® B100 loader backhoe began paying off in a big way in less than a year after he bought it.

De La Rosa, who owns Valley Septic Co., Rio Rico, Ariz., purchased the machine from Bingham Equipment in Tucson. It replaced a small skid-steer loader, equipped with a backhoe attachment, and a rented tractor-loader-backhoe, which he and his son, Ruben, Jr., used for excavating when repairing septic systems.

As Ruben points out, the B100, with its 31.5 hp Kubota diesel and 9-ft., 3-in. digging depth, outworks his previous skid-steer loader when excavating trenches and, like the skid-steer loader, can also be used for backfilling. At the same time, the machine’s compact size and performance enables it to work more efficiently and with much less site disturbance in limited access areas and between trees, shrubs and houses.

“Before, we’d have to pass up jobs where the skid-steer loader wasn’t big enough for the work and the profit margin was too small to justify the cost of renting a tractor-loaderbackhoe,” Ruben says. “We were limited by what we could do.”

Not any more. “Since buying the B100 our business has more than doubled,” he says.

Excavating pits for septic tanks and digging and backfilling trenches for repairing septic lines represents the bulk of the B100’s work. However, it also makes money digging footings and clearing and grading on new house construction projects.

Ruben De La Rosa and Ruben, Jr.

“The B100 isn’t as fast as big tractors, but it will do the job we want,” he says. “It’s very handy and very well designed. We’ve gotten to be pretty good with that machine.”

He transports the 5,752-lb. unit on a trailer pulled by a pickup truck. Once on the job, the loader backhoe has the power to dig productively, even
in tough ground conditions.

“It will break right through the soil crust, which can be as hard as rock,” Ruben says. “Even when you need all of the machine’s power to dig deep, the engine isn’t straining.”

Ruben and his son really enjoy operating the loader backhoe, thanks to such convenience features as easy to-reach controls and the adjustable operator’s seat, which swivels 180 degrees for switching between backhoe and loader operation.

“We’re very happy with our B100,” Ruben concludes.