I've ran them all and sold some too. I don't like the newer case machines. They seem to operate light to me. I believe a JD 310 is the best rubber tire hoe ever made. With that said, being a plumber, if you dig in house pads, I would really think about a mini ex. In my opinion the smaller back hoes are junk. Maybe it's just because I am used to bigger stuff, but I would really think hard about a mini ex. Then rent a skid steer or a little loader if you need to move some material a little ways. I've been ditch digging off and on for 25 years. I would rather have a 15k lb mini that anything else.