Donate a backhoe that the business outgrew

Why backhoes get donated

Fleet modernization, mostly. A contractor who once did everything with a backhoe now runs a mini excavator for digging and a skid steer for loading, and the old machine sits. Municipalities and utility crews follow the same pattern. Farms donate them when an operation is sold and the machine does not go with the ground.

They are also common in estates, because a backhoe was the one serious machine a landowner bought in 1995 and used twice a year since. Those often have low hours and have been stored inside, which is the best combination in this market.

Lowboy or step-deck, arranged and paid for

A backhoe loader travels on a lowboy or step-deck, with the hoe swung and locked and the loader bucket curled. Giving Center books the hauler and covers the cost, including permits where the load is over width.

We ask whether it drives onto a trailer under its own power, whether the outriggers and hoe function, and how the trailer reaches the machine. Machines parked in a field for several seasons sometimes need a winch and firm ground, which is planned in advance rather than discovered on the day.

What decides what a backhoe brings

• Four-wheel drive, which substantially widens the range of buyers.
• Hours and how it was stored, with an inside-stored low-hour machine at a real premium.
• Extendahoe, a feature buyers specifically search for.
• Hydraulics and pins. Cylinders that hold, tight pins and bushings, no significant leaks.
• Tires, which are expensive on both axles and checked immediately.
• Cab or canopy, with an enclosed heated cab worth more in cold states.

The paperwork, and what you can deduct

Machines in this class are not titled in any state, which is normal rather than a problem. A manufacturer's statement of origin, a bill of sale matched to the serial plate, or a fleet or farm asset record establishes ownership. Where nothing survives, a notarized affidavit of ownership with the serial number is accepted by most buyers and auction houses. Financed units need a lien release, which we help you request.

Your deduction is the gross sale proceeds once Giving Center sells it, on Form 1098-C. Items in this class regularly clear $5,000, and when your claim does the IRS requires a qualified appraisal that you obtain and pay for, plus Form 8283 Section B signed by your appraiser and by Giving Center. We tell you before pickup whether to expect it. Full detail on the tax benefits page.

Makes and models we accept

Backhoe loaders are searched by make and model number.

• Most common: Caterpillar 416, 420, 430 and 440, JCB 3CX and 4CX, John Deere 310, 315, 410 and 710, Case 580 and 590, New Holland B series.
• Also seen: Kubota B26 and M62, Terex TLB, Volvo BL, Komatsu WB, Massey Ferguson and the older Ford and New Holland 555 and 655 machines.
• Attachments: extendahoe sticks, thumbs, breakers, forks and a range of trenching and cleanout buckets.

Manufacturer names appear here so you can find your own machine. No manufacturer sponsors, endorses or is affiliated with this program.