How Much Does The Harbor Freight Backhoe Cost & Can You Buy It In-Store Or Only Online?

For homeowners who are managing large properties or love a good summer project, a towable backhoe can help with a multitude of landscaping and maintenance tasks, like preparing foundation, adding fences, and digging trenches. While it may not be as powerful as a specialized mini excavator, a towable backhoe can work with your existing vehicles, like cars or trucks. One of the most expensive Harbor Freight products available, the Central Machinery 8HP Towable Backhoe retails for $2,999.99. An online exclusive, it's built for small landscaping jobs with its 20-inch tires. With its 301cc Predator engine, it boasts an 8 horsepower capacity with recoil start type. With a 660 lb. lifting capacity, the entire unit weighs 1,077 lbs.

It has a 13-inch digging width, 6 ft digging depth, and 8 ft maximum reach, which Central Machinery says it can help you both plant and remove trees. For improved maneuverability, it has a manual thumb handle, 4 ft boom travel, and 60-degree left and right boom swing, which can help with rocks and logs. Apart from this, it has other neat features, like padded comfort seats and outrigger storage. 

On Harbor Freight, this towable backhoe has a 2-year guarantee on its engine control system, as well as a 90-day warranty for workmanship and material defects. Harbor Freight also sells replacement parts, which can contribute to its long-term longevity. But, what do users actually have to say about it?

One of the many Harbor Freight tools that isn't available at Home Depot, the Central Machinery 8 HP Towable Backhoe doesn't have a ton of reviews yet. However, the early feedback has been generally promising with an average rating of 4.7 stars from 50+ reviewers as of May 2026. Among them, almost 75% of reviewers rated it a perfect 5 stars, while an impressive 98% of users said they would recommend it. Verified buyers noted that it was well-built with welding that looked good, and its seat was comfortable.

Many people shared that they thought it gets the job done, specifically for small backyards. People have praised how it was able to easily dig out 16-inch stumps, holes, and level out areas for paths. While a few noted that it was easy to assemble and were able to do it alone, others did caution that ideally you have at least two people. Despite instances of it being delivered with damage, several buyers mentioned how Harbor Freight sent replacement parts quickly. In particular, there were concerns about cylinders leaking and issues after the initial greasing process.

But, if you're not fully sold on it and have more budget to spare, we've mentioned before that a Honda Towable Backhoe can fulfill similar function. While double the price, it has smaller 17-inch wheels, slighter higher 9.8 ft reach, deeper digging depths at 7.5 ft, and a more powerful 9HP engine.