Lets see your backhoe!

All you guys with backhoes, I'd appreciate if you could post a few pics. Maybe a few comments on what you like or dont, and any improvements you cant think of.
Thinking about drawing a few plans up, been collecting steel, so a bit of input from those who have them and use them would be great
Cheers

Mith, This summer I bought an early (1979?) 3-point backhoe made by a US manufacturer for Kubota. This was before Kubota was installing their own hoes. The model is Kubota K-650. It works great, and does everything I had hoped it would do.

This K650 has a couple of features that I think make it smaller and lighter, for use on a light tractor:

1) The boom swing is driven by chains around sprockets with the ends of the chain pushed by a hydraulic cylinder. I think this is to make the whole thing shorter front to back, making it easier for a small tractor to lift.

2) The stabilizers slide down channels, in contrast to conventional stabilizers that swing outward.

This unit has 7.5 ft reach, 6.4 ft maximum depth.

I was told it weighs 750 lbs. With its center of gravity so far back I think it's near the limit the 3-point can lift easily, and it's the only implement I have that makes the front light. This is a 24 hp Yanmar, about 1900 lbs before ballast, loader, and those oversize tires.

At this size, a 3-point mount is sufficient. One experienced dealer advised there is no way this rig can hurt the tractor - so long as I transport it gently so it doesn't applying bouncing stress during transport. After using it a while, I think my tractor could handle the next larger size 3-point hoe, or quite a bit larger with a frame mount.

Mith-
I have the Kubota 4672 BH on my B7610. Since I have never used any other BH, I can only point out things that I like or bother me rather than give any suggestions.
Bother me:

• Stabilizers sometimes get in the way. For example, if I am digging out a stump, in order to position the BH correctly, the stabilizers sometimes end up inside the hole.
• No thumb. I know, all it takes is money.
• Seat/operators position gives my legs cramps. I am over six feet tall, but not that tall.

Things I like:

• 12 inch bucket works just fine for me.

I could probably think of more, but dinner is served!
Bone

California, thanks for the post and pictures.
I like the design of the stabilizers, how well do they work in real life, its not tippy or anything?

BH, I assume the stabilizers on your hoe are the design that spread outwards, as opposed to those on California's hoe that go downwards. You reckon the design that does straight down would be better then, as they are closer in to the tractor?

Thanks guys for your input.

Mith-
See http://www.kubota.com/f/products/B7410_Implements_backhoe.cfmI assume you are planning on building your BH from scratch? What do you have in mind?
Bone

BH, yup. I'm just trying to make a compact, light, and powerful unit. Just trying to design one that works and that is reasonably easy to build is proving hard enough.

I know more of you guys have backhoes, dont tell me they are still clean? Lets see pictures!

A friend of mine has a very similar PTO-BH to one that California has. His is mounted to a B7100. It is a Woods unit. The only difference that I can see is that his has "normal" swing down style stabilizers. his also has the "chain-swing" mechanism and seems to function very well for a small light tractor.

BoneheadNW said:

Mith-
I have the Kubota 4672 BH on my B7610. Since I have never used any other BH, I can only point out things that I like or bother me rather than give any suggestions.
Bother me:

• Stabilizers sometimes get in the way. For example, if I am digging out a stump, in order to position the BH correctly, the stabilizers sometimes end up inside the hole.
• No thumb. I know, all it takes is money.
• Seat/operators position gives my legs cramps. I am over six feet tall, but not that tall.

Things I like:

• 12 inch bucket works just fine for me.

I could probably think of more, but dinner is served!
Bone

Click to expand...

To add to my dislikes list: I sometimes catch the pads of the stabilizer arms on objects like trees when I need to get through a tight spot. Would be better if the arms went up completely vertical.

Here's what I came up with yesterday. I went with the straight down stabilizers after reading what you said BH.
I might have to cut down on a few of the sizes, maybe make the bucket a bit smaller. It might be on the heavy side.

Looks good Mith. This oughta be an interesting project for sure. Document as much as you can and I could make it a feature article for Net Tractor Talk.

----
side note to all:
I'm looking for any articles about tractors to help me build the entry page into here. If you have a project or tractor related article that you wrote and would be willing to share give me a shout and I'll be more than happy to post in as a feature article.

Mith said:

BH, yup. I'm just trying to make a compact, light, and powerful unit. Just trying to design one that works and that is reasonably easy to build is proving hard enough.

Click to expand...

Is this going to go on the same tractor as the loader you just made? Just watch how powerful you make it. The one I use is on a tractor almost the size of BigDog's (a DK35). We all know how much those Kioti's weigh but a backhoe can really move the rear end of that beast around. Just be careful you don't make it so powerful that it tosses your tractor all over the place.

Doc, I'll certainly post pictures as I go, but I'm anticipating it'll take me up to about a year to build.

Brian, yes it is. My primary concern is making it too powerful and too heavy, well that and getting the geometry wrong. I know that trying to dig in the subsoil we have here will drag the tractor about, but I've had full size excavators standing on their nose trying to get a bucket of dirt.

Mith said:

All you guys with backhoes, I'd appreciate if you could post a few pics. Maybe a few comments on what you like or dont, and any improvements you cant think of.
Thinking about drawing a few plans up, been collecting steel, so a bit of input from those who have them and use them would be great
Cheers

Click to expand...

Mith,
Here are a few shots of my Bradco 511. I wished it had a few more inches leg room. She can dig down to 11 feet and reach out 14 feet. I have a 12 & 24 inch bucket for her. She can handle up to a 36 inch bucket. The BH could use more lights for work around dusk. I want to add two on the ROPS or attach to the canopy. Let me know if you want more photos. I can take them later today and get them to you by this evening. Also, the bottom of my swing post hits the ground loading and unloading it on my gooseneck. I would change that if I could, but then you couldn't dig down 11 feet. So I try to load and unload in the dirt.
hugs, Brandi

Also, stabilizers do what they are called. The wider the better. Big backhoes all swing up. It might be easier to design and make if you use swing up stabilizers and have them swing up and in more than normal.The stabilizer pads on my Bradco are too small. I want to get some steel plate and make quick attach "feet" for the pads when playing in the mud.
hugs, Brandi

I had a Bradco 511 attached to a Mahindra 4110. Best thing to do is get yourself a 2 X 10 plank, 3 ft long and put these under your loading ramps. THe 2 X 10 won't take up room on the trailer and it is just enough to stop the bottom of hoe dragging while loading or unloading the trailer,

larryRB said:

I had a Bradco 511 attached to a Mahindra 4110. Best thing to do is get yourself a 2 X 10 plank, 3 ft long and put these under your loading ramps. THe 2 X 10 won't take up room on the trailer and it is just enough to stop the bottom of hoe dragging while loading or unloading the trailer,

Click to expand...

BINGO! My solution exactly once I went to oversize tires on the 10K equipment trailer... thus raising the bed and changing the angle of the ramp slightly. The 2x10's have never let me down. Not a single scrape since... and that is a big deal now that my neighborhood street reconstruction project is complete! The town DPW would not be amused at me digging up that brand new finish coat of asphalt.

Dougster

Bindian,

I would think with your auger hydro line already in place just adding a flow diverter or another control valve (I seem to recall your auger is controlled by your "curl" lever )and cylinder and your thumb could be hydraulic.

My excavator has a hydro thumb and it sure is nice to not have to jump on and off to play with it all the time.

Here's a Taylor Way 766 as I unload it from the pickup

.....


and at work....no thumb yet, but it's on a rather long wishlist.



I had a few leaking fittings, one plug hole made on a slight angle, had a local tool and dye place fix that, only $40.00 and some $.12 copper washers..no further leaks...so far.

larryRB said:

I had a Bradco 511 attached to a Mahindra 4110. Best thing to do is get yourself a 2 X 10 plank, 3 ft long and put these under your loading ramps. THe 2 X 10 won't take up room on the trailer and it is just enough to stop the bottom of hoe dragging while loading or unloading the trailer,

Click to expand...

LarryRB,
That is worth a try, but bare in mind my 6520 as equipped weighs right at 13,700 pounds. I am sure the 2X10s won't last long. If I really thought long and hard about it, I am sure some metal could be design and welded on like the 2x10s fit.
hugs, Brandi