My homemade backhoe made from a riding mower

[MikeD74T]

Looks like you're having fun but doubt that setup will even lift a full bucket of dirt at reach. TLBs easily run at least 10 to 1 ratio of weight vs backhoe lift. You'll need about 1000 lbs of ballast on the tractor or one tenth the bucket. I'm not trying to discourage you but look around before you start spending a lot of money on hydraulics. MikeD74T

 

[Pooh_Bear]

So how come a project like this can be done with a riding mower

Found on the web. Not my video.
YouTube - backhoe.flv

But when someone asks about doing it to an 8N tractor
they are warned against it? Surely an 8N is sturdier
than a riding mower. I would like one for digging in
soft dirt, sand, and river gravel, and load it onto
a low trailer to be pulled behind a 4 wheeler.
Basically big sandbox toys to use down near the river
where the floods pile dirt, sand, and gravel up every year.
My little dirt scoop just doesn't carry enough each trip.

Pooh Bear

 

[chad22]

Looks like you're having fun but doubt that setup will even lift a full bucket of dirt at reach. TLBs easily run at least 10 to 1 ratio of weight vs backhoe lift. You'll need about 1000 lbs of ballast on the tractor or one tenth the bucket. I'm not trying to discourage you but look around before you start spending a lot of money on hydraulics. MikeD74T

It's gotta at least be alot better than digging 3 150 ft long trenches by hand. I dug one by hand around 50ft long and 2 ft deep last summer. And that was a pain. It took me 3 weeks. I said I'm not gonna do that again. :laughing:

That's one reason I decided to build this backhoe. I was gonna rent a trackhoe but thought I would just spend the money to make this one.

I actually had a friend that made one and it worked great. It was the same kind of mower. He sold it though.

Even if it doesn't work as good as I planned. I figured hey, at least I had fun making it and have a little toy to play with.

Chad

 

[chad22]

Interesting build. Have thought of something like this before, myself. Keep us updated.

Thanks everyone. I'll be sure to keep you updated on the progress.

Chad

 

[mrcaptainbob]

Just do it. And should you find a 'weak link', then just fix that one. I don't think how big we make our machines, too big is never enough. For some reason we always do something to tax it beyond....but this will surely save your back!

 

[mmurphy]

So how come a project like this can be done with a riding mower

Found on the web. Not my video.
YouTube - backhoe.flv

But when someone asks about doing it to an 8N tractor
they are warned against it? Surely an 8N is sturdier
than a riding mower. I would like one for digging in
soft dirt, sand, and river gravel, and load it onto
a low trailer to be pulled behind a 4 wheeler.
Basically big sandbox toys to use down near the river
where the floods pile dirt, sand, and gravel up every year.
My little dirt scoop just doesn't carry enough each trip.

Pooh Bear

Ford Tractor Repairs Wiring Backhoe 9N 2N 8N
Here you go. Looks to me like it can be done!!!

 

[MikeD74T]

It's gotta at least be alot better than digging 3 150 ft long trenches by hand. I dug one by hand around 50ft long and 2 ft deep last summer. And that was a pain. It took me 3 weeks. I said I'm not gonna do that again. :laughing:

That's one reason I decided to build this backhoe. I was gonna rent a trackhoe but thought I would just spend the money to make this one.

I actually had a friend that made one and it worked great. It was the same kind of mower. He sold it though.

Even if it doesn't work as good as I planned. I figured hey, at least I had fun making it and have a little toy to play with.

Chad

Nothing like having fun building something new. You-tube has quite a few homemade diggers that you might want to watch. Look at the geometey of pivot points, base design for stability, bucket capacity, ballast, etc. Like this one: YouTube - Greens Machines backhoe , "The big job". although it don't show much actual digging.
Anyhow... keep on posting. MikeD74T

 

[David Devuono]

You will notice in the video he just removes top soil. Your bucket looks to be a foot wide. You will be happier with a narrower bucket 6-8 inches. You will need to angle your stabilizers to the back quite a bit as you pull the dirt into the bucket. I would build a sub frame long enough to go past the front to hold the tank and counter weights and past the wheels at the back. Then you can mount your stabilizers, likely outside of your rear wheels. You will be able to move you rig with the backhoe so figure out a steering wheel lock. Enjoy, I spend hours on my homemade backhoe, ya I know partly cause its so slow, but its a machine!

 

[chad22]

You will notice in the video he just removes top soil. Your bucket looks to be a foot wide. You will be happier with a narrower bucket 6-8 inches. You will need to angle your stabilizers to the back quite a bit as you pull the dirt into the bucket. I would build a sub frame long enough to go past the front to hold the tank and counter weights and past the wheels at the back. Then you can mount your stabilizers, likely outside of your rear wheels. You will be able to move you rig with the backhoe so figure out a steering wheel lock. Enjoy, I spend hours on my homemade backhoe, ya I know partly cause its so slow, but its a machine!

I plan to make a better bucket once I get the thing up and running. The bucket is cut a little crooked anyway, since the Jig saw I was using, had the blade mount installed at an angle. I then tried my dads sawzall and the dang gear stripped out on it. We fixed it once and then said heck with it.

My dad said he'll just use that as an excuse for a new one on Christmas. He had the thing for 15 years. And it's got a good workout. It was a Craftsman.

I then got some abrasive wheels for my circular saw. And I finished it up with that.

The metal the bucket is made from came off an old pickup bed and had been sitting in my dads salvage yard for 10 years. So we figured it might as well get used.

As well as the metal that the stick is mounted to. It came off the same pickup bed. The boom and stick are scrap from a boat trailer. So the metals were basically free.

The black piece of metal that the valve is sitting on came off of some exercise machine that I found in a dumpster uptown. I picked it up one day and said I'm sure I'll use it for something. And I did.

Like they say (One persons trash is another persons treasure) :laughing:

I was also now thinking of making a little auger attachment for it so that I can dig out some post holes that need digging this summer.

I did make me a hand auger that you turn by hand. To dig those post holes. I used an old trailer house tie down, and an old bicycle handlebar, welded to it.

My dad uses that thing all the time. It hardly ever gets a rest. A friend of mine even borrowed it to put in a few poles. It works like a charm.

I think I got a picture of it somewhere. I'll have to show it to you guys.

Chad

 

[6011Artist]

I can fully understand your wanting to build this but hydraulic power is very powerful. It can be done off of the mower but you need a good heavy solid subframe attached to the mower frame and then weld all of your components to the subframe. When you get your bucket in a bind and the hydraulic power takes over, if you build it light, it could all look like a pretzel in the end.

Keep us posted, interesting build.