How not to dig a stump...

[KyleH]

So this is a video of the B2650 digging out a dead elm stump when the stabilizer arm broke. As shown in a previous thread the weld let go on the arm causing the failure, however you can tell that I am not gentle on the backhoe and it doesn't seem to matter whether the bucket is flat or cutting edge dug in, the tractor lifts and moves wherever the backhoe forces it. The Kubota dealership assured me there's nothing that should break from pulling on something with the backhoe, however I am now concerned those stabilizer arms are not strong enough to keep using it as I do. I would normally dig further out from the stump but there was a tree close by that I didn't want to disturb by digging its roots up. I am waiting to here back from the dealership about trading up to a new L45 as it seems better suited to what I want it to do. If I decide to keep this tractor I will be making up some stronger arms with 1/4" thick tubing rather than the 1/8" it has from the factory.

Thanks for watching and if anybody has suggestions on how to keep the machine from moving around let me know.

 

[Snobdds]

Once is fluke, twice is a trend, and three times is a pattern. I wouldn't condemn it yet.

I can dance around both my Massey and the cat with the power of hydraulics. That's every backhoe. Finesse is an acquired skill, haveing lots of hours on the machine will develop a feel for everything...only then will you know what you can and can't do.

 

[PhysAssist]

Thanks for watching and if anybody has suggestions on how to keep the machine from moving around let me know.

We had to use our little B2320 as a winching point when I got the F350 and plow stuck in a 3-4' bank of packed snow last winter, and at first it wanted to slide toward the truck, after all it only weighs about 1400# stock, plus the weighted rears and about 800#in the ballast box vs about 8K#+ for the F350, plow, and weight in the bed (about 750# of metal and gravel).

What we did to lock it in place was to park it with the bucket edge dug in and angled as far down as we could curl in, kind of like the bottom blades you see on those big logging winches.

That might could stop you from rolling every time you curl that backhoe bucket towards you.

Thomas

 

[chuck172]

That's not even much of a stump.

 

[redman135]

You are not hammering your backhoe. That is slow and steady.
The only change I would make is to dump the bucket so it is open face to the ground then lift the front wheels off the ground, you won't get pulled around as much. This trick works with a JCB 2cx,so it should work for you.

 

[bellweather]

Elm is very tough...ever try splitting an elm log?

 

[CreekyB]

I still think that your's suffered a defect from the factory. You were not abusing it. Sure the BH77 and B2650 (or L2501 for that matter) are not full-fledge backhoes but they are strong little beasts. I can tug mine around pretty good and have not yet had a failure nor much if any flexing that I noticed. Mine is an L2501 with the BH77, a far cry from my old Case 580C but it does what I need it to, which coincidentally has been digging up elm stumps for the last few weeks.

I say give it some abuse when you get the new parts in and see how it does I almost got a B2650 but the L2501 was a good bit cheaper and came with a boxblade and loader as a package deal.

 

[Billrog]

Use the front bucket placed face down and apply the E break much firmer the wheels shouldn't be turning when your pulling . All the stress is going straight to the stabilizers.

 

[KyleH]

Thanks for the suggestions, you can't set the face of the bucket on the ground, only the cutting edge as it wont tip that far.

I have dug much larger stumps, but elm is the toughest so far, the wood is very stringy and hard to break the roots with the bucket.

I think if I keep this tractor I'll build stronger arms for the backhoe just for piece of mind, would cost a lot less than replacing a broken cylinder later on if it happens out of warranty.

 

[2458n]

Vermeer first came out with their directional boring machines and the front of the machine was held in place by pounding a 1nch by 3 ft. long rod, into the ground on both sides of the front end. Large 3 inch washer was welded on top of rod. Drill a hole in each outrigger pad and pin it in place. This will keep the machine from getting pulled around. Out riggers will pull the rods up out of the ground when you are done.