Backhoe Learning Backhoe

[MarkV]

Martin, it is like everyone has said, the hoe will be second nature soon. Most everyone has the same problems you are having until they don’t have to think about which movements of the joy sticks do what. Running a hoe smoothly is all about it doing multiple functions simultaneously.

AndyMA’s suggestion of moving the bucket along the ground without digging is a technique I use when new people are learning to work my backhoe. Keeping the bucket flat on the ground while crowding the dipper toward you without digging into the ground or raising the rear of the tractor uses all the functions you use to dig. You have to continually use the curl function to keep the bucket flat. Use the dipper control to crowd or bring toward you the dipper stick and continually raise the boom to keep from lifting the tractor. When you can do that you can dig a flat bottom trench which is a harder skill than some would think.

Another tendency I see new users do is to start the dig with the bucket teeth perpendicular to the ground. Keep the teeth facing you so they are cutting the dirt to be removed. There is much less resistance that way and you will be less likely to drag the tractor or lift the rear of the tractor.

Hang in there, you’ll get it soon.

MarkV

 

[dfkrug]

Well, that's part of my problem - trying to run at full pto speed. I was wondering if the lower rpm also reduces power, which I'm guessing here is 'no'. Or not enough to notice.

Yeah, full PTO speed is too fast. It might even be too fast when
you get good with the controls. You will be amazed how much better
you get after just a few hours of seat-time.

As for the lower RPM, as long as you are not bogging the engine down
at idle speed, your forces will be the same, but power will be reduced.
Power is the measure of how fast you are doing work. Fast is not what
you want. I would start with an engine speed just above idle, as stated
by others. Have fun, Martin.

 

[chucko]

My G-dad always told me the bast way was to park it between two big trees. By the time you beat the trees down by learning not to hit the tree you would be OK with it. or something like that

 

[Harry c]

In 1970 I asked the Job Superintendent if he would teach me to operate a backhoe. He, my "teacher", said "Get on and fire it up. Pull a lever. If it doesn't do what you want it to do, let that one go and pull another one!" Then he turned around and walked away leaving me in the middle of a field with a Case 580.

 

[LBrown59]

In 1970 I asked the Job Superintendent if he would teach me to operate a backhoe. He, my "teacher", said "Get on and fire it up. Pull a lever. If it doesn't do what you want it to do, let that one go and pull another one!" Then he turned around and walked away leaving me in the middle of a field with a Case 580.

Did it work?

 

[Harry c]

Sure did! Several years and several thousand operating hours later it still worked! I learned some little trick every day.

I bought the little BX24 last year and used the same teaching method on my 19 year old son. Worked just as well. An hour or so later he could dig. A few hours after that he could maneuver the tractor pretty well with the BH.

 

[EddieWalker]

Reduce engine rpm untill you learn to control it. The lower the rpm the slower the hoe will work.

I picked it up pretty quickly, but my dad struggled with it for a very long time. He kept pushing the same lever and was suprised every time it did the same thing. I was very frustrated with him on it, but knew there realy wasn't anything to do about it until he figured it out on his own.

Jim makes a very good point. Keep the tractor at idle when first learning the controls. Going slow lets you see what's happening and allows you to stop or correct it allot faster and easier then when you are at working throttle.

If my dad could figure it out at 70 years old, you will too!!!

Eddie

 

[Rara Avis]

Two backhoe exercises:
1. Floating the Bucket...the object of this exercise is to follow the contour of the ground with the bucket teeth raised one inch above the ground...
Extend the backhoe out all the way and lower it to within one inch of the ground. Now by raising the boom and pulling in the stick at the same time the teeth of the bucket should follow the contour of the ground...
When the bucket is close to the chassis...Reverse the process...Slowly increase speed of operation...

2. Dipping Water...the object of this exercise is to dip the water,(oh yeah, you need a pond or body of water) with the bucket, swing it to the side and dump it, simulating the act of digging... Smoothness is required to keep the load in the bucket and avoiding splashing or spilling...

 

[SLOBuds]

I picked it up pretty quickly, but my dad struggled with it for a very long time. He kept pushing the same lever and was suprised every time it did the same thing. I was very frustrated with him on it, but knew there realy wasn't anything to do about it until he figured it out on his own.

If my dad could figure it out at 70 years old, you will too!!!

Eddie

What makes you think I'm not 70 years old??? Well I'm not, but that backhoe makes me FEEL 70 years old. Seriously, I've said it before, but I truly am rather uncoordinated. Known that since a kid when all of the coaches wanted my 6'3" frame out there catching footballs or tossing a basketball through a hoop. Took them less than a minute to figure out about their questionable asset.

Came back to this thread after a couple of days and got some really good ideas. The one about digging water sounds great.

Got some seat time coming up this weekend, so we'll just have to see if a bit of improvement is in the cards.

Thanks again.

 

[Paul2000]

I taught my 8 year old nephew how to use it in about 10 minutes. They learn fast when they are that age. I idled it low as I did when I learned to use it. This slows it down and is much less jerky. I used my hand and arm to simulate what each lever did for him. When we started digging I gestured with my hand and arm what I wanted him to do to dig. I did this in one step motions to get him use to the controls. I learned that way too. Only use one control in one direction at a time. I still start out that way when I have not used it in a while but in no time I am making coordinated movements. Low Idle, and practice with only one movement at a time until you are moving the right lever in the right direction every time. One final thing as far as digging, picture you bucket as a shovel you have to move yourself. I put a friend on mine and he kept trying to dig by scratching the dirt. The teeth should cut through the dirt by moving them into it, not cupping into it. The harder the dirt the more this comes into play. Other than that, time and practice. Oh, my nephew saw the directions printed on the hoe as to what lever did what. He was working it fine until he saw that, then he could not move them right to save his life. I asked him what happened and realized that the more you think about it the more complex it seems. I covered the directions and his coordination returned. You are really building coordination more than knowledge here so sit back and enjoy.