Backhoe opinions

[NormA]

I will be ordering a tractor very soon and have narrowed my decision to a JD2520 or a Kubota B7800HST. The backhoe is somewhat of a dilemma for me. I like the Kubota B4672 because it is PTO driven. The Deere (BH 46) is a little longer and the total package (tractor, FEL and BH) could be up to $2000.00(CDN) less. I am also considering the Woods BH6000 with subframe and PTO pump which means I could buy either tractor.

If you own one of these backhoes, I would appreciate your opinion(s) on it with respect to durability, ease of installation and use and maintenance. Is the subframes hard mounted on the tractor? Does it limit the use of the tractor? Do you recommend a PTO driven pump versus remote hydralics? Is the extra HP of the Kubota important for the speed at which the backhoe operates?

Thanks for your input.

 

[ronjhall]

The B4672 is on the small size for a B7800. There was a recent thread that has the BH75 being installed.
I have a B4690 for my B2910 (same tractor with more features). It has the PTO pump. I like how it works. Others have a similar BH with the tractor running th BH. Neither has a problem with their operation.
The B4672-90 BH's are 3PH type. Not bad. But if you are going to use it commercially you may want to consider a <font color="orange">Kubota </font> BH75 or Wood BH-80X.

 

[Hypernix]

Norm,

I have the 46 BH. The 46 is built very solid but you have to remember that it is a small backhoe. I'm using it mostly to dig out stumps and beleive that it will serve me a very long time.
Mounting the BH is quite easy but can take at least 15 to 20 minutes if you had the MMM on because you need to take the MMM off, take the MMM mouting brackets off, take the TPH arms off and then you can attach the BH. Detaching the BH takes less than 5 minutes! The sub frame is attached to the BH all the time, so when you take the BH off, the sub frame comes off.

Usage is easy once you go thru the learning curve, and there is one if you never used a BH before! The operation is a little bit jerky at first because you have to learn to feater the controls. The tractor RPM at 2000 or even less is fast enough most of the time. The hydraulic flow from the pump (at least on my 4110) is more than enough for the 46. The Power Beyond is in my opinion a very good way to connect the BH. Simple, quick and easy.

One thing to consider, is you can not have the BH and the MMM mounted at the same time. Also the operator platform is quite small and can get cramped!

The strenght of the 46 is impressive but don't think it will do what big BH do, at least not at the same speed!

Just for reference, I paid 10000$ (CDN) for my 46, purchased seperatly from the tractor, installed, delivered and this includes HST (taxes).

Hypernix

 

[Cliff_Johns]

Hypernix summed up the 46 BH nicely. I've had one for two years and about half the time on my tractor is BH time. I don't mow with the 4110 so mostly I only pull the BH off when I need to use the 3pt for chipping or simething. I'd recommend it. It's a tough little backhoe, not bad to install and remove.

Cliff

 

[Latheman]

I would vote for the Woods BH6000 - you will love the curve boom and rugged design! Quick on/off - 10 min. top. The woods mount design unually works with MMM and from what I seen is priced below the OEM backhoes.

 

[Barry64]

Hi, I am looking at an '03 JD 4310 ehydro with 430 loader and a 48 backhoe. Stuff I've read says you ought to have at least a 50 hp tractor to run a bh, is that true or will it work fine? What about the ehydro, does it lug down on hills or have plenty of power? Price is around $20,000 us. All input would be appreciated. Barry

 

[rvtech]

It depends.....
I'm just finishing running water, electric, and sewer to my garage which is about 100' of backhoe work. I'm using a 2305 (24 H.P.) and a Woods BH6000 with a 12" bucket. Plenty of power to do the job.

This is not my profession and I'm not in a big hurry. If I did this for a living, I would have something bigger.

 

[dubba]

Backhoes are all about hydraulics. Other than needing enough of a frame to the tractor so the backhoe doesn't shake it like a leaf.

My 43 hp tractor supplies 18gpm to the backhoe without bogging down, on the other hand my 10hp wood splitter supplies 18gpm to the ram. Nothing to do with the hp of the motor IMHO

 

[rockyridgefarm]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Hi, I am looking at an '03 JD 4310 ehydro with 430 loader and a 48 backhoe. Stuff I've read says you ought to have at least a 50 hp tractor to run a bh, is that true or will it work fine? What about the ehydro, does it lug down on hills or have plenty of power? Price is around $20,000 us. All input would be appreciated. Barry )</font>

Are you a contractor digging swimming pools? A utility contractor? The 4310 isn't what you want. But for small jobs, it is fantastic. You are looking at a utility compacyt that can go from pulling a bush hog to having a backhoe in about 12 minutes. And it is right sized to get into tight places.

eHydro never lugs the engine. That little 'e' refers to the electronicly controlled transmission that makes sure of it.

But if hillside performance is important, you might want to check out the 3720. But then you'd be at about $32000 instead of $20K

Look in JD OwningOperating to find the JD FAQ. There is a link to all about the 10 series at Stonehams. Hope that helps...

 

[JEA]

Like RockyRidge, I've also got a 4310. When I bought the 4310 in early '03 I toyed with the idea of a 47 hoe at the time, but held off. When the 447 came out last year, I finally broke down and forked over the cash (about 5,800) for the hoe. Now I can't believe I survived that long without out it. I find this hoe is sufficient for stumps, trenching, and general landscaping, and small excavation projects (e.g., heating oil tanks). I'm pretty impressed with what it can do.

JEA