Backhoe Added a ripper to my Woods BH90x: Trees beware

[IslandTractor]

Hello Kay, your amended photo size opens up to me (dial-up connection) very fast! Thank you and keep the pics coming at that pixel setting as your posts and photos are important to all of us. How about the rest of the TBN members? Too small for high speed connections? To me, half a screen shows all that I need or then I will edit for a closer look. Thanks Kay.

I agree, half screen is fine for what we do here on TBN.

 

[Kays Supply]

Island Tractor, I just want to thank you for getting this started. I just got back inside from a couple hours uprooting trees with the new claw. I have them stacked all over the wood lot. I guess I will have to put the chipper on and get some out of them out of the way, so I can get back at it. You guys with the gussetted claws won't have to worry about anything. I have pushed pulled and swiped sideways with mine and it hasn't given a bit.

 

[IslandTractor]

Rippers rule. Glad you are enjoying yours. I don't know why Woods and other BH companies don't offer them along with the various buckets. I suppose they might be concerned about liability as the rippers are used to take down trees and trees can squash you faster than digging a ditch will. Certainly they are well established tools for excavators as rippers of that size can be bought off the shelf. I think MIE's price is a very good deal for a semi custom implement.

I've continued to experiment with mine and still find it is much faster than using a bucket even when just digging up a big stump from a chain sawn tree. Much faster to get down to three or four feet and with much less dirt displacement. Where the ripper really excels though is with trees that can be pushed over by the tractor after roots have been cut. For my 40hp tractor that works out to something in the 8-10 inch range as best I can tell. It just works so quickly, neatly and displaces so little dirt. I have just been using my grapple to smooth out the holes were trees have been ripped out and as you can imagine, a grapple is not a particularly good earthmover so there just isn't much earth to move back.

I am interested in experimenting with the ripper as a shallow trencher for placement of electrical lines and maybe for water too. It is great for pulling up rocks that poke out of fields as you can slide just the ripper tip over/under the rock and pull it up with minimal disruption of surrounding turf.

 

[Kays Supply]

I was just talking to my Dad at supper about making the adapters to pull wire and water lines. I have a buddy that wants a water line out to a flower box. I have some ideas cooking. I'll post them, if they work.

 

[dfkrug]

I don't know why Woods and other BH companies don't offer them along with the various buckets.

Yeah, the only one I have seen listed as an optional "bucket" is with the
Chinese LW series backhoe attachments.

Anyway, it sounds like the ripper is very productive. I have had steel cut
for my hoe ripper for a long time.....maybe I will get to it this winter....

 

[IslandTractor]

. I have had steel cut
for my hoe ripper for a long time.....maybe I will get to it this winter....

Sounds like a good weekend project. Assemble and tack before the college game on Saturday then weld up after breakfast in Sunday.

What type if design dud you choose?

 

[jmc]

I have a buddy that wants a water line out to a flower box. I have some ideas cooking. I'll post them, if they work.

TBN would be a more educational (and interesting) forum if we posted our failures as well as our successes! I've got my share.

John

 

[dfkrug]

Sounds like a good weekend project. Assemble and tack before the college game on Saturday then weld up after breakfast in Sunday.

What type if design dud you choose?

I am pretty slow, so don't expect anything soon.

I am going with a box-section design that narrows down to a point from
the pivot pins. The side plates are cut and I have the other steel. The
point is designed to accept a commercial forged excavator tooth, which I
also have. It's probably more complicated than I need, but it'll keep me
interested.

 

[jmc]

TBN would be a more educational (and interesting) forum if we posted our failures as well as our successes! I've got my share.

John

For more on posting things that didn't work out so well, see my post here:

stump speech - TractorByNet.com

 

[jake98]

For more on posting things that didn't work out so well, see my post here:

stump speech - TractorByNet.com

spreading my misery before my parts even leave the warehouse..