Well fellas, since we haven't seen the OP in 2+ years I don't think we are ever going to hear , as Steve Harvey used to say, "The rest of the story".
I spent north of 10 K for my BH and would get one again in a heart beat.
I think BH's are similar to a lot of tools in that; You don't know what your missing or how useful they are, until you get one.
I am quite sure a Mini-Ex would be wonderful to have and much better than a tractor mounted BH in terms of efficiency, but I doubt I could afford a decent one for 10 K, plus maintenance and storage.
@fried1765 makes a great point. I can't begin to tell you how often I have been able to just back up and solve a problem on the spot, with Ole General Jackson......(General Lee's RH man

)
Different strokes for different folks, but thats my story.....and I'm sticking to it...
