Backhoe attachment

[droptop]

I wonder why they will void the warranty now.I bought brand new and have a 3 pt woods 750 with no problems at all. I'm wondering if the tractor and or mounts are less beefy now that 20 years ago?

All tractors ARE less beefy than they were 20 years ago, some of the beef was lost due to cost reductions, more aluminum castings and some was lost due to meeting the customers desire for flat deck operator stations. Look at the transmission section of an old 8N vs a new CUT of the same HP, not even close. I've read of people breaking the transmission case in two with a 3 pt BH.

I lightly used my 3pt backhoe on my JD770 and after less than 50 hrs of use you could see wear on the top link mount and it was also hard on the lift arm splines due to the side to side twisting of the BH during operation. I won't even put it on the new tractor until I get a subframe.

[newbury]

If you weed thru all the posts on TBN about backhoes, 3pts, subframe etc. I think you'll find only 1 or 2 incidents of someone breaking a tractor due to improper backhoe mounting/use.

I think the general rule of thumb was if you got into the 50+ HP range 3pt mount was generally acceptable with an upgraded toplink. I don't remember if that was 50 engine or 50 pto HP.

[Coldwater]

we do a small backhoe for 3pt and they do a good job on small tractors. $2700..... USA MADE.....

[mahlers]

I've got a Bradco 611 on my TN70S and I love it. It has a subframe mount, and there are definitely pros and cons to the mounting system (3pt vs. subframe). The subframe mount is much harder to install initiallly (it's a massive unit) but once it's installed, it's almost like a second frame for the tractor and probably doubles the strength of the frame. It connects to both the rear axle and the hinge-point of the FEL - so it pretty much removes any risk of cracking the tractor in half. The downside is that it is so big that it definitely robs the tractor of some ground clearance. I've gotten high-centered on things a few times and it took some getting used to. Having to do work on the tractor is also a bit more complicated once that subframe is on.

3pt mounts are a bit sketchy in my opinion. When I bought my backhoe, I was assured that the 3pt system was perfectly fine to use, and it was less expensive up-front (no subframe to buy). Even so, I figured that even if people say it's safe, if I don't totally trust it, it's going to bug me - so I went with the subframe.

All in all, I think it was a good choice and I've been very happy with that Bradco 611.

[Qapla]

We have the Woods BH 70-X Sub-frame Backhoe on our NH. It works fine. Since I use the BH quite a bit I would be skeptical of a 3-pt one since I do not think they are as stable or as strong as a sub-frame.

I have not yet removed this BH to use the 3-pt but it looks to be easier than the one we had on the FarmTrac we used to have.

I find that installing and removing the 3-pt parts takes more time and effort then the r&r of the BH.

[glkingar]

I have a Bradco on my TC33D with a subframe mount. It was on the tractor when I bought it and I'm pretty sure it had never been taken off. When I took it off to put 3 point hitch hardware on the pins that hold the lower arms to the tractor were stuck in there big time. I tried PB Blaster and several other products and heated up the frame a little to no avail. I ended up having to remove the subframe which involve grinding off the welds that had been added to the point where the frame attached at the front end loader mount. With the frame off I had to put the frame in an arbor press and it was all it could do to get them to budge them. I finally got the pins out and have coated them pretty liberally with anti-seize. I leave the lower arms attached when I have the backhoe on and remove the top link and lift arms.
After mounting the backhoe I raise the arms up tight to the backhoe and hold them like that with chain like you see on swings. I clip the chain with mini caribeaners. This has served me well for a couple of years. Like others on here I can't wait to make a dolly for the backhoe to aid in mounting/dismounting.