New baby is here!!!
- Thread starter billyo
- Start date
Stef
Platinum Member
Nice baby, have fun! Thanks for posting some pics.
rico304
Gold Member
Looks great! I agree, everytime I see a backhoe I want one as well. Everyone says,"you won't use them nearly as much as you think, don't waste your money" or "rent one when you want one. It's cheaper" But those are the guys that have them! I don't see them selling them on E Bay!!!!! haha
Awesome machine!
Awesome machine!
JDFANATIC
Veteran Member
Sweeeeeeeet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Garrabo said:
Hello Garrabo...It's really not hard at all. (It would probably have been easier if I hadn't read the operator's manual...
Per the manual, you just latch the boom upright, roll the bucket until the bottom is parallel with the ground, raise the stabilizers, and then disconnect the hoses and hook up the bypass hose to the power beyond. Then, you raise the rockshafts to free up the 2 pins on the top of the subframe on either side. Pull the pins, and let the hoe down onto the ground with the rockshafts.
This is basically what I did, but the rockshafts would not move the hoe into the correct position to free up the pins. I ended up putting the bucket on the ground and using the main boom hydraulics to move the hoe to free up the pins. After the pins were out, then I locked the boom upright, (rockshafts hold it in position - leave lever in full up position...) disconnected the hoses, and lowered it with the rockshafts. I decided it was leaning back too far on the ground, so I hooked it back up and put an 8"x8" block of wood under the bucket which put it at a much better angle for reinstalling. (I figure this would not be necessary on a 448 with the longer dipper...)
It sounds much harder than it is. This was my first time. I believe I could do it now in 10 minutes easily. Putting it back on was just as easy. Just back up to it and align the pins on the rockshaft arms with the hooks on the hoe. (Hooks are big - doesn't have to be aligned perfectly) When you raise the shafts, they basically "capture" the hoe and lift it into the bracket. (Again, I had to use the backhoe hydraulics to line up the pins, but it was easy...) Once the pins are back in, release the tension on the rockshafts and let the pins hold it.
I believe the reason that it wouldn't work like JD intended has to do with the adjustment of the hooks that engage the rockshaft pins. When I have time (and it's not 101 degrees outside...) I'll play with it some more.
Took the hoe off today, and installed my new Frontier BB2060 box blade. To any newbies out there who are just getting their first toy (like myself), YOU'VE GOT TO GET ONE OF THESE!!! I planned on putting it on and trying it out and then finish up a couple of cars in my shop and watch the Nascar race. Well, 8 hours later I was hosing the dust off my tractor, the cars didn't get finished, and I have no idea who won the race. But an old rutted, washed out road that goes up onto a flat behind my garage now looks like a professional landscaping crew spent a day with it! I had no idea what a box blade was before joining this forum. Thanks, guys. (I kind of hate to say it, but I believe it is going to be more useful than my backhoe...)
I planned on putting it on and trying it out and then finish up a couple of cars in my shop and watch the Nascar race. Well, 8 hours later I was hosing the dust off my tractor, the cars didn't get finished, and I have no idea who won the race. But an old rutted, washed out road that goes up onto a flat behind my garage now looks like a professional landscaping crew spent a day with it! I had no idea what a box blade was before joining this forum. Thanks, guys. (I kind of hate to say it, but I believe it is going to be more useful than my backhoe...)