Backhoe loaders are heavy-duty pieces of equipment that can be used for a variety of tasks. Primarily excavation machines, they can do double-duty because they have working implements on both the front and the back of a tractor body.

Backhoe loaders are very common and can be used for a wide variety of tasks: construction, small demolitions, light transportation of building materials, powering building equipment, digging holes/excavation, landscaping, breaking asphalt, and paving roads.

The term “backhoe” can be confusing because the digging bucket is actually on the front of the machine. But the backhoe's name actually refers to the way that the machine digs by pulling earth toward itself, or backward, rather than pushing it forward like a traditional shovel.