Backhoe for B2710

[B_Childress]

Hi all,
Okay winters over and due to hardly any snow this season I've only logged 10hrs on my new last fall B2710. Good news is the front mount 63" blower & rear mount Herd sander worked great.

So spring is in the air and the wife says to me how much money did we save in plowing/sanding bills? Well dear $690...
but I'm sure it will snow like crazy next year!

So she says to me why don't you get the backhoe & a trailer so you can tackle some land scaping projects. Can you believe it. Gotta love a wife like that.

So to my question for all of you more experienced Kubotaites? I'd like some opinions on the rear mount backhoe for the B2710. This is to be used for light to medium duty landscape projects like digging about 200-250 ft along the drive for plantings, digging holes for planting trees, moving some rocks etc. Property all woods except where cleared around home. I also have a lot of downed trees I want to cut up or fire wood. Would a backhoe with a claw/thumb work well for moving logs?
Thanks,
Barnett

 

[Richard]

<font color=blue>Would a backhoe with a claw/thumb work well for moving logs?</font color=blue>

I would think unequivically yes..with the one caviat of the additional weight of thumb reducing the amount of lifting power.

I have been cleaning up local woods and would LOVE to slap an opposable thumb on Brutus. I do not care much for the price though. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

As it is..I end up with little divots (and some not so little /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif ) as I try to scoop them up to either carry or simply move to burn pile. Pinching a tree/branch/stump/rock would add VERY much speed and ease to what I've been trying to do.

Richard

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Barnett, Your B2710 uses the B4672 or B4690 backhoe. These hoes have the same power but different depth and reach. They share the same owners manual. In the manual under "lifting or craning" it says "WARNING: This backhoe has been designed for excavating only! DO NOT use this unit for lifting or craning. This light utility backhoe unit does not have sufficient capacity for most loads and lacks the necessary stability for most lifting operations. If lifting or craning is required on your jobsite, locate another backhoe that has lifting capabilities"

I can attest to the lack of stability while lifting. I was digging a good size hole last week and had piled the dirt pretty high on both sides of the hole. I lifted a rock out and placed it on one of the piles. The rock rolled back in the hole. I lifted it out again and placed it on the other side and it rolled back in again. After a few more repeates of that, I lifted the rock, raised the stabilizers a bit and started to drive forward so I could place the rock away from the pile. As soon as I touched the hydo peddle the front of the tractor went about 18" in the air due to the weight of the rock on the back. That was not an enjoyable experience with a big 6 foot deep hole right behind me.

Kubota's warning about stability is valid. I would not plan on being able to move much of a log around with the backhoe and not at all with the stabilizers up. Before I purchaced the backhoe, I was planning on making a thumb. Now that I have the hoe, I am no longer planning on making one.

Andy

 

[Richard]

Barnett..

I'm afraid Andy has removed some of the rose coloring from my glasses. What he says makes LOADS of sense..I too have experienced some of what he says.. I spoke from "my" perspective, and since Brutus weighs something like 18,000 lbs with me in it../w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif I suppose I have not had to be as sensative to some issues that operaters of lighter machines may need to be.

I envisioned you doing some of what I've been doing..parked, stabilizers out and using b/h to pick up felled loggs/trees to place onto burn pile (my situation) Trying to scoop them digs my aforementioned divots and a thumb would make plucking them up much easier.

Andy's situation of lifting something..lifting stabilizers & moving DURING the lift...well...I've flat out carried entire 12/16 inch diamater trees...whole length.. So the temptation and situation IS going to be there and you will end up doing what he found to be very unstable/dangerous for his machine. I've yet to find a log/tree that I can pick up that gives hardly any feeling of unstableness to machine. Unless hoe extended for what ever reason, then it's wheelie city /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

now..while picking up and manouvering said logs..I HAVE smashed a cab window as a branch came around the wrong way, and yes..I've even smashed & needed to replace my exhaust stack from another branch as I held the tree parallel to the machine and wasn't looking "behind" me to front of machine. So carrying these things to different locations does has its risks..physical, monetary and safety.

Richard

 

[B_Childress]

Thanks for the info and warnings. I was thinking I could drag logs to a central area with a chain, shackle and the hitch, then pick up the logs (with stabilizers down) to cut to length. Then split & load into a trailer. Sounds like it would be much safer to just cut them on the ground.
Barnett

 

[hayden]

That's reasonable. Never use the how without the stabilizers down - just don't do it.

I'd strongly suggest the 4690 over the 4672 for the extra reach and digging depth. Even with the 4690, you will find reach limited, perhaps too limited to make log picking very productive, but it's worth a try.

You can also get a Woods 7500, and I'm sure there are other brands too. If you get the woods with the frame mount, keep in mind that it's not compatible with a MMM, in case you have one of those.

 

[B_Childress]

Yep would be the 4690. No MMM as I don't have a lawn with this house so nothing to mow! It's 8.5 acres of woods mostly oak with some pine. Clearing around house gets lots of bark mulch. I'll check out the Woods BH. Any specific model?
Barnett

 

[hayden]

The Woods 7500 is comparable to the 4690

 

[vlsavage1985]

[You can mount a frame mounted bh-75 FYI. And yes you can use a mmm with it. Don't let anyone tell you that you cant I have one myself. it take the same sub frame as the 7800 or 2910.

 

[newbury]

Amazing! revival of an 11 year old thread.