mpsmith60
Silver Member
Thanks, Jim!
DIY backhoe dolly
- Thread starter Gofast
- Start date
Thanks, Jim!
cglaser104
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2016
- Messages
- 746
- Location
- Lockport, NY
- Tractor
- Massey Ferguson GC1710, Cub Cadet 2206
I made one of these in the spring as well. Absolute life saver when just trying to store and move stuff around in limited space. I used wood but would love to revisit this with metal at some point. Like others I used the largest capacity harbor freight wheels I could locate.
GeneV
Elite Member
See that's what I'm talking about, drops right in.
mgstevens
Silver Member
- Joined
- May 5, 2019
- Messages
- 241
- Location
- Nelson, BC, Canada
- Tractor
- MF GC2410 "Cliffy", JD R72 "Moe Greene"
So it's time to put these dollies to work storing the backhoe and loader for the winter. I used pneumatic casters hoping to stay on top of the gravel in my shed. A week before "dolly-day" I took my 100 lb lawn mower across the gravel on a pneumatic-wheeled hand truck. The wheels moved the gravel and sunk too much. If that is 100 lb, 900 lb just ain't going to make it. Crap!
I was re-surfacing some of my driveway with "crusher dust" or 3/8 minus rock, no dirt, that locks together very well, and had enough to put a topping on the shed floor. It made a huge difference!
The dollies were also my first welding project. So, with that, the not-so-solid floor and the potential for the backhoe to be too "tippy" on 10" casters at most 30" apart, this would be an experiment.
Also, I noticed the casters did lose some air pressure over time. So that too needed to be protected against.
The pics show the process. Overall, it went very well. First, position the dolly, then use the bucket to roll the dolly under the base once it is raised on the stabilizers. Then raise the stabilizers and hope for the best on rolling 900 lb around.
Here is a link for the images (if you use the link, click the first image and scroll through to get descriptions..)
Backhoe Dolly: First Run - Google Photos
Otherwise here is a start and end pic. After getting into place, I jacked and blocked the dolly to make sure any air loss in the tires would not topple the backhoe.
.......... 
The crusher topping made it possible to roll the dolly quite easily. The casters and platform sizing was just stable enough to make pushing it by the dipper arm workable.
Next: The loader dolly. Obviously easier at 1/3 the weight. We'll see...
I was re-surfacing some of my driveway with "crusher dust" or 3/8 minus rock, no dirt, that locks together very well, and had enough to put a topping on the shed floor. It made a huge difference!
The dollies were also my first welding project. So, with that, the not-so-solid floor and the potential for the backhoe to be too "tippy" on 10" casters at most 30" apart, this would be an experiment.
Also, I noticed the casters did lose some air pressure over time. So that too needed to be protected against.
The pics show the process. Overall, it went very well. First, position the dolly, then use the bucket to roll the dolly under the base once it is raised on the stabilizers. Then raise the stabilizers and hope for the best on rolling 900 lb around.
Here is a link for the images (if you use the link, click the first image and scroll through to get descriptions..)
Backhoe Dolly: First Run - Google Photos
Otherwise here is a start and end pic. After getting into place, I jacked and blocked the dolly to make sure any air loss in the tires would not topple the backhoe.
.......... The crusher topping made it possible to roll the dolly quite easily. The casters and platform sizing was just stable enough to make pushing it by the dipper arm workable.
Next: The loader dolly. Obviously easier at 1/3 the weight. We'll see...
Pixguy
Super Member
Nice and easy. Great. Video!
MF RED in MT
Veteran Member
mpsmith60
Silver Member
Thank you for your kind words!