Backhoe for L4740

[Bob_Young]

I've got the Woods BH-90X for my L4300 and am happy with it. It's a good backhoe, but I can't compare it with the Kubota model.

It is far from a compact installation, however. I think it sticks out the back nearly 6" more than it needs to. So with the hoe on, the tractor is a bit ungainly. Fortunately, it comes off easily enough.

If your are going to keep the hoe on your tractor or trailer your rig, you might want to compare mounted installations of both the Kubota and the Woods models before committing. The Kubota installation might be better integrated.

With the Woods hoe mounted, my L4300 with FEL is a very tight fit on my 20' pipe trailer. The fold-up rear loading gate on the trailer doesn't allow any overhang and the bucket's within an inch of it when loaded.
Bob

 

[canoetrpr]

I would not think twice about having another dealer - or a Massey dealer do the install of a Woods BH. There is no problem with warranty even if you install it yourself.

I would get some quotes, call your dealer, and tell him that if you can't get a better price from him you are going to go with a Woods.

I think he should be able to do better than 4% off list in this kind of an economy.

 

[Green Acres Homestead]

After the initial installation, I assume it doesn't take a day to take the BH off and put the 3pt back on and attach my snow blower? Correct? I am looking at buying a BH but not if it is going to take a day to take off the BH and put on my 3pt hitch.

 

[Green Acres Homestead]

Another question I have is how would the amount of work you get done with a 90 bh compare with a 2 ton excavator?

 

[Grandad4]

Attaching and removing the backhoe is a fairly easy job. I have one that's a couple of generations older than the newest ones and even it is readily set up or removed. It's a little more involved than hooking up something on the 3 point, but not by much. The biggest factors are: 1) how often you've done it, as your familiarity with the procedure makes a big difference; 2) doing it on level, even ground so everything lines up readily.

As for OEM Kubota vs. aftermarket backhoes, the main factor I saw when shopping was the Kubota hoe was better engineered to fit the tractor while the others were generic products made to fit many different brands and models. For example, the Kubota hoe was tucked up snug to the rear of the tractor so it would stress the tractor less and give better ground clearance at the back; some of the aftermarket hoes were jutting pretty far out. Kubota builds a sturdy, rugged hoe although there are some very good aftermarket ones also. The other thing I've noticed is some of the videos you see of these backhoes show some pretty crude operation, particularly when making combination movements (i.e. simultaneous lift, curl, crowd and swing motions, for example). Don't know if that reflects the quality of the controls or the skill of the operator, but my old Kubota hoe does a nice job with that so I figure the hydraulics had to be well engineered. That's worth a lot in the productivity of a backhoe.

The small excavator has a huge productivity advantage over a tractor backhoe because it can be re-positioned much faster. With any small hoe, you're constantly moving it since the reach is so short.

 

[Grandad4]

Double post

 

[FatTire]

I agree with Grandad4, familiarity is the key for BH removal/install. I sort of dreaded it the first few times, thinking it was a significant interruption in my workflow. Now it is routine, I know which wrenches I need for the 3 points removal, I get the 3 point hitch parts off in less than 10 minutes and then about 5 minutes to hook up the BH. The first time I think it took about 15 minutes to hook up the backhoe as I "experimented" with the controls to get the angle and height adjusted. I always store the BH in a relatively level spot, and a stick a block under it if storing for a long time so that it doesn't sink to the ground. That keeps the pivot out of the dirt.