Backhoe Operating JD 448 Backhoe

[brandon1]

Question? I have a 448 Backhoe on a 3320 JD tractor. I was told from someone that I should lift my front and rear tires off the ground when operating the Hoe. Is this the right thing to do, because my manual does not mention it at all. Does anyone have any input on this. Thanks

brandon1

 

[rockyridgefarm]

I still haven't tracked down the 448 manual online.

Here is the blurb from the 48 manual:

Digging Position

CAUTION: Avoid serious injury or death: Check for buried electric cables or gas pipes before you dig.

AVOID SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH: CHECK FOR BURIED ELECTRIC CABLES OR GAS PIPES BEFORE YOU DIG.

IMPORTANT: To help prevent damage to backhoe:

Raise tractor only with stabilizers.

Do not let backhoe bucket contact stabilizers.

1. Lower backhoe stabilizers (A), and loader bucket (B) to ground.
2. Adjust throttle. (See Operating Tractor, in this chapter.)

 

[brandon1]

Yea, thats what it basically states in the 448 manual also. So I don't interpret that as lifting the wheels off the ground, unless they mean lower the stabilizers and bucket as far down as the controls will make them go, which would then make the wheels go off the ground. I guess its a little unclear. I guess I can call my dealer and get his input as well. Thanks for your answer!

brandon1

 

[tillboy2001]

Hmmm....so in that blurb it says to lower them to the ground, but nothing about raising the tractor off the ground. It would seem to me, the common sense solution would be to have the tires on the ground, but to also have the rear stabilzers and the front bucket contacting the ground. Lower center of gravity, etc. I would vote for tires on ground and stabilizers firmly contacting the ground as well.

 

[brandon1]

If someone did not tell me about lifting the wheels off the ground, I probably would never have questioned it at all. Thanks
brandon1

 

[tillboy2001]

I've seen it done before (lift off ground)...construction folks with backhoes mainly. But I still think the best option is as the book describes.

Hmmm... Notice wheels on ground...

http://www.tractorbynet.com/im/110tlb_550.jpg

 

[Dutch445]

That's just a beautiful machine....

and what a Digger!

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[cowboydoc]

I like to lift the front wheels just barely off the ground and the same with the rear wheels. Alot of the time the most important thing is to be level. In alot of the digging I've done that means you've got the tractor leveled with the stabilizers. You get alot more rock back and forth when you leave the wheels all the way on the ground in the front and back. Having the bucket down and the stabilizers helps to eliminate that side to side sway.

 

[brandon1]

Thanks for the tip, I'll give that a try!

 

[dicker]

I agree with cowboydoc. I always have both set of wheels off the ground when the tractor is level. If the ground is not level, I use the outriggers and the bucket to level the tractor accordingly.

Richard