Backhoe Added a ripper to my Woods BH90x: Trees beware

[Shutesbury]

BTW, I have a ripper tooth that I got at Tractor supply.
It was my INTENTION to punch a couple of holes in the side of a backhoe bucket so I could use it for GENTLY picking and scratching at roots.
I still keep meaning to do that and if/when I do I might just put a set of holes on each side of the bucket.

Yeah, I know, I know; It will twist the B'Jeepers out of the sheet metal side of a bucket if I REALLY push/pull on it.
Not sure of the details for the backing strip; at least angle iron, more likely C section.

I did just that, for my BX24 BH bucket. No reinforcements on the sheet metal, just washers, and it has worked fine. Something with more hydraulic power might be able to damage the bucket, but I've used it many times without a problem. When pushing down on the ground with the tip, I've lifted the rear of the tractor.

I can't rip apart a thick root, but I can nibble it, or pull/tear or snap the smaller ones, but I find it MOST useful for stripping the soil from the roots under a stump, working within the perimeter trench I've dug. That stripped soil can then be removed from the trench, since you still have full use of the bucket.

Attached is a photo, with the tooth facing the *wrong* way. I quickly learned it was more effected facing the same direction as the bucket.

Paul

[barry1me]

If you talk to MIE, they will send you a pdf where you fill in basic dimensions for your bucket that they will then use to built your ripper. Here's what the pdf looks like:



I filled in this sheet for my Woods 1050 bucket (which is different than a BH90), and they built my ripper last week and I received it a couple of days ago. Here's what mine looks like:









Can't wait to hook it up and make sure it fits, and then put it to some use!

So how did your setup work out for remowing stumps? That setup looks amazing!

[IslandTractor]

So how did your setup work out for remowing stumps? That setup looks amazing!

I have the original Mark I MIE ripper and have used it very successfully remove about a hundred trees as well as a few dozen stumps. The tool is great and much more efficient than a standard backhoe bucket for ripping roots. A side benefit is that there is much less damage from digging too. I also use mine to trench and pop out rocks.

[jim_wilson]

If you talk to MIE, they will send you a pdf where you fill in basic dimensions for your bucket that they will then use to built your ripper. Here's what the pdf looks like:



I filled in this sheet for my Woods 1050 bucket (which is different than a BH90), and they built my ripper last week and I received it a couple of days ago. Here's what mine looks like:









Can't wait to hook it up and make sure it fits, and then put it to some use!

That looks great. I pulled out some tree stumps this weekend with my BH77 on my B3200 - and I was wishing that I had a ripper claw.

Any idea what the price range is for a claw to fit say a B26 / B3200-BH77 sized backhoe?

[IslandTractor]

That looks great. I pulled out some tree stumps this weekend with my BH77 on my B3200 - and I was wishing that I had a ripper claw.

Any idea what the price range is for a claw to fit say a B26 / B3200-BH77 sized backhoe?

I had the first one built by MIE and I recall paying $500 plus shipping a couple of years ago. Not sure what the current price is.

This is what I did this weekend. Notice how small the pile of spoils is compared to the stump size. Also the spoils are largely torn up side roots. Digging out a stump with a ripper is much less trauma to the surrounding soil.

[pclausen]

So how did your setup work out for remowing stumps? That setup looks amazing!

I have not had a chance to try it out yet.

I did mount it once just to make sure it fit.



Price is still right around $500 plus shipping.

Peter

[IslandTractor]

I have not had a chance to try it out yet.

I did mount it once just to make sure it fit.



Price is still right around $500 plus shipping.

Peter

Nice.

How did you mount it? Did you put in the main pivot pin first or the "curl" piin? Did you mount it yourself or with help? I'm still trying to work out the most convenient way to switch out the bucket and ripper.

MIE once thought about making a quick attach system for our little TLB BHs similar to what the big boy excavators use. I'd love one of those. In the meantime I get a friend to help line things up and have chamfered the pins by about 1/8" to avoid needing to perfectly line up the ripper and BH holes especially as I have a thumb to line up simultaneously.

[pclausen]

How did you mount it? Did you put in the main pivot pin first or the "curl" pin? Did you mount it yourself or with help?

Main pivot first. The raised it up a little and was able to tilt the ripper to line up the curl pin holes. Reversed the procedure for removing and repeated for putting the bucket back on. Did it myself.

[IslandTractor]

Main pivot first. The raised it up a little and was able to tilt the ripper to line up the curl pin holes. Reversed the procedure for removing and repeated for putting the bucket back on. Did it myself.

I'm beginning to wonder if it is the thumb that makes it so difficult for me to get things lined up. I just bought a big used spud wrench to help line stuff up so I'll see how it goes next time. I may also put a bit more chamfer/bevel on the pins.

[nickel plate]

I'm beginning to wonder if it is the thumb that makes it so difficult for me to get things lined up. I just bought a big used spud wrench to help line stuff up so I'll see how it goes next time. I may also put a bit more chamfer/bevel on the pins.

Island,
So true-you and I have the same model of MIE ripper tooth and the same model backhoe attachment and the same hydraulic thumb and the same set of time consuming ripper tooth mounting issues. pclausen's backhoe does not have a hydraulic thumb to thread pins through. Having any brand of a CUT backhoe with a hydraulic thumb, mounting a ripper tooth will flat out will take longer to attach. Having no thumb or having a mechanical thumb will take less time to attach as there is no extra set of hydraulic pin holes to line up and thread through. I say this because this thread is so long, some may have not read it completly.
I wouldn't have it any other way-the value of a hydraulic thumb far outweighs the extra time spent attaching the ripper tooth.