BACKHOE BUILDING PLANS

jimgerken · May 5, 2009

One more recommedation: Price a new one. I recently payed just a bit over $5000 for a JD 46 attachment. Yes, ignoring the labor I could have built one cheaper. Not a lot cheaper. I am giving an educated guess that there would be $3000 in a homemade one. Fittings and hoses add up fast, not to mention valves and cylinders. I own an NC plasma cutter, so would have made all my own plates. Even so, I would have spent all summer making one. Instead of building and painting and guessing it wouldnt break my tractors butt off, I spent my time working: moved half a dozen seven foot spruces, routed buried cable for electrical service to my shed 300 feet underground, dug some stumps, buried more wire to the front gate 120 feet away, dug some concrete footings out, dug out some rotted off stumps, and more stuff. When I first looked at the John Deere small backhoe attachments they cost over $9K. When I could get one for about $5K, I jumped. No regrets. I am sure I will never wear it out, but it has been used more than I would have guessed so far this year. On the other hand, I build more attachments than I buy, so I understand your desire to build it. Good luck. Keep us posted, lots of good ideas on TBN as you progress.

Iplayfarmer · May 5, 2009

I think those of us who build do it because we like the challenge and the creativity of building. There's also something very satisfying about using something I built myself. I you don't enjoy the actual build and fabrication it makes no sense to do it yourself. There's a lot of work into these projects.

welderboy14 · May 5, 2009

Iplayfarmer said:
I think those of us who build do it because we like the challenge and the creativity of building. There's also something very satisfying about using something I built myself. I you don't enjoy the actual build and fabrication it makes no sense to do it yourself. There's a lot of work into these projects.

the other good thing about building it your self is that you can build it to what your needs are.

Iplayfarmer · May 6, 2009

welderboy14 said:
the other good thing about building it your self is that you can build it to what your needs are.

True. I only have to meet my needs, not the generic needs of a few thousand potential buyers.

David Devuono · May 6, 2009

Some real good advise here. Don't build one to save money. I figure with the savings over buying a 3pth hitch backhoe equate to about $2.50 per hour over buying one. Some of my costs, 250 for shielding gas, $150 for 5 10lb rolls of welding wire, $600 for hoses and fittings, $1000 for cylinders and controls (all purchased at excellent sale prices)$500 for steel, and $250 for misc pins and steel bushings, grinding wheels, bandsaw blades, drill bits, holesaws. Probably something like $3,000 to build. After all is said and done, I could have maybe borrow a couple of grand and bought one and spent the time working on the Kitchen.............

Here is a video of me working the backhoe last weekend. Its hard to stop smiling while digging in the dirt.

YouTube - Homemade Backhoe 4