Backhoe Moving tractor using backhoe

[Rowski]

Glenn's post along with all the replies, on breaking tractors with hoes, got me thinking about something I was doing with my backhoe. I would like some opinions. I was digging a trench to divert some water so we could work on lining the rest of the brook with rock. The trench was for the most part is about 2' deep and a wide as the bucket. It is also fairly smooth surface, over grown feild cut down. I was digging what I could reach with the hoe. I would then "park" the boom and pick up the stabilizers. Get on the tractor move it forward enough to dig. Get off the tractor, on to the hoes put the stabilizers down and dig again. Then start the whole cylce over again which lasts for about 5 minutes. Gets tiresome after a while. So what I started to do was once the stabilizers were down I would release the parking brake and pick the front bucket off the ground. I would dig. Then when ready to move I would use the boom and crowd arm to move myself. I would also pick up the back of the tractor with the hoe (not the stabilizers) and use the swing cylinders to pivot the rear of the tractor in the air. Are these movements bad for the tractor and/or the hoe. Has or does anybody do this? I have seen full sized backhoes do this. I DO understand that there is a safety issue for having the tractor in neutral with no parking brake on or front bucket up. The hoe is a submounted hoe. Rear tires are loaded. See attachment for picture of hoe.

Derek

 

[Phred]

Derek,

While I am a novice with a hoe, I did/do the same thing occasionally. Its very tempting, because as you point out, you dig a few minuties and then you have to stop, turn the seat and reposition the tractor.
However, my gut feeling is that this is a bad idea. I think I could probably get into a lot of trouble (ie.. turn the machine over) if I am not carefull.

What do you experinced guys think? Does a better way exist?

Phred

 

[john4nh]

Rowski,

On the yellow equipment I can tell you this is a common everyday accepted method of moving the machine while digging. I can also tell you that we sometimes have to get back over open trenches (cave-in etc.) and we jump the back of the machine over the trench using the hoe, A little more to this move. It is also common to pull yourself (machine) through mud with the hoe, so basically same thing. The one advice I would give is keep your stabilizers down a bit so if you do get tipsy it will catch you. Cant be specific on the little hoe's but I would not be afraid to manuver them in this manner myself..

 

[hayden]

I wouldn't do it. If nothing else, I think digging with the bucket down and the front lifted is more stable.

 

[GBear]

The chain drive and swing cylinder on the 4690 are not designed to handle the load. Double cylinder swing systems are a bit more robust. Some of the bigger hoes have no problems.

I too get tired of moving from seat to seat, but it is preferable to the repair bill.

Maybe you can get your wife or one of your kids to drive the front seat while you're digging in the back in the name of quality family time. You know what they say about the family that hoes together.

 

[Rowski]

That's were I got the idea from. A guy that does all of are large work in the past used to have a backhoe Case 4X4 with an extendahoe. He used to do some amazing stuff, pulling, twisting, pushing. I did for get to mention that I do keep the stabilzers of the ground about 6ish inches to prevent an over turned tractor. I think I will keep doing it on fairly smooth ground, if the going gets tough/ruff I will not. Thanks.

Derek

 

[MarkV]

Derek,
I move my B21 around with the hoe a fair amount and have for several years. Not to say this is the best thing to do, but I have not had any problems yet. Most of the time I am moving side to side. The B21 is so small, I can reach the hydro control for forward movement. The B21 was made for a backhoe so the hoe sits in very tight to the tractor and uses the tractor's seat. I twist around to run the hoe half the time for small jobs. Hey, maybe thats why my back hurts./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

MarkV

 

[mlmartin]

I've used my hoe to free my tractor after getting it stuck. It also moves the tractor about a bit when the stabalizers are in soft material. I don't see either harming the tractor when it's a subframe mounted hoe, but I'm not intending to make a practice of draging my tractor around with it.

Matthew

 

[dmccarty]

Rowski,

I use the JD 48 hoe on my JD 4700 to move the tractor side as well as backwards. I read about this in a TLB operations book. I can dig up the title if someone is interested. When I first read of this technique I figured I would never use it but it has come in handy digging up stumps.

If I'm moving the rear of the tractor from one position to another, I try to make sure the FEL is down and the front tires are in the air. I pull the stablizer's 6 inches or so above the ground as a bit of roll over protection and slowly, ie., low engine RPMs/smooth backhoe controls, move the tractor with the JD 48. I have done this on my road with a slight incline but I would not do this on more than a very slight slope.

I asked my dealer about doing this and he said I should have no problem. Still, I only do it when I really have to. I have a leaky rear Power Beyond female port. It leaks ONLY when I have the backhoe on the tractor and the port is not connected to my hydraulic toplink. The port has always leaked but it go much worse when I started moving the tractor around with the backhoe. I don't think these things are releated, I think it was a time factor but I have a new connector to put on the tractor so we shall see....

I think with my tractor and the way JD mounts the backhoe I'm ok with doing these backhoe/tractor ballets.....

I think its kinda tractor backhoe dependent....

Later...
Dan

 

[glennmac]

Dan,

What would you say is a realisitic average time for you to attach and remove your 48 hoe?