Backhoe Best option for digging 6+ft with PT425

[ponytug]

Can I offer two cents?

You might want to figure out how much pipe you intend to lay and price getting it done by someone else, vs renting a 8' trencher vs trying to get it done with a PT. If you think you are going to do a lot of trenching, there is always the 2425.

If you went the route of getting a longer trencher welded up, it won't be cheap, but it might be the cheapest of the the options. Bear in mind that the 425 only has about 13HP of PTO power, so trenching 6' down may not be terribly quick.

All the best,

Peter

 

[PTWannaHave]

I think this skidsteer minihoe would be a good alternative to the PT one: eTerra E60 Backhoe. (Similar to Lackender one I assume.)

I am quite impressed with the product offering by SSS... If PT does not make what you want, check SSS. You might find what you need in either the Skidsteer or Mini-skidsteer sections. (Think rock (skeleton) bucket.)

In some cases, the SSS price is better, and quality should be the same? (Think adjustable forks for the PT1430...)

At less than 500lbs, the E60 minihoe could probably be used by a PT425...

Cheers,

 

[KentT]

At less than 500lbs, the E60 minihoe could probably be used by a PT425...

Since the 425 only has 800 lbs of lift, theoretically at the QA plate, you wouldn't have a lot of power/capacity left to lift things in the bucket. Remember that the farther away you get from the QA plate, the less you can lift due to the leverage -- the front wheels are the fulcrum for this weird, articulated lever...

In comparison, I'm not sure what the PT minihoe weighs, but I'd guess its 100 lbs max.

 

[PTWannaHave]

Good point about the weight/balance on a PT425, Kent. I don't know if there would be a way of figuring out the actual effectiveness of an E60 minihoe on a PT425, without actually trying/testing it...

It's one of the reasons I'm leaning towards a PT1430, as digging 4-6ft deep is fairly high on my "jobs that I currently contract out" list. A PT1430 should be able to handle the E60 minihoe with relative ease...

Merry Christmas to all,

 

[woodlandfarms]

So, this is just me...

I am not a fan of my Lackender / PT styled backhoe (which I own the Lackender and it is well constructed and does the job as designed). It is WAY too hard to get a job done, but I know lots of you are very skilled in this use. Maybe it is the 1850 wheel setup, but the process is too heavily blocked by the lift arm to see where you are digging, and the results are always marginal with the digging tailings not getting moved far enough away, and the ground damage from the wheels turning left and right.

I have to say I have really liked the guy who just bought the 2XXX Series backhoe and added it to his lift arms of his 1XXX Series. He can sit on it and operate it like a real backhoe. A PITA if you are doing long trenching and you have to climb on and off, but I think a much quicker way to get the work done and a lot less surrounding ground damage.

 

[SpringHollow]

I have done quite a bit of trenches (>400') and foundation holes with the Lackender and have been really impressed. I was able to do the work more comfortably than with the ford tractor i had with the 9' deep backhoe. The PT was faster for trenching but the Ford could lift bigger rocks. Once i got the hang of it, the work went fast. Pivoting to dump can damage the ground so i use the treadle to move back and forth while doing that. That made the digging faster and less damaging. I was amazed that i could dig through 5' of layers of shale and clay in a relatively small hole. I thought i was hard on the tractor but it seems to have taken the abuse.

Now the Lackender Boomer Hydraswing would be sweet but it is 650 lbs:
http://www.lackender-fab.com/boomer-hydra-swing.php

Ours are probably 450 lbs, maybe less

Ken

 

[woodlandfarms]

No one should get me wrong on Lackender. It is VERY well made stuff, I am just not patient enough to do 400 feet of trench...

 

[SpringHollow]

Seriously, I can do 400' of shallow (2' -3' deep) trench faster with the PT than I could with a permanently mounted conventional tractor backhoe. Six feet deep would be faster with the traditional backhoe setup. Now if i had a nice dedicated extend-a-hoe with 20' or more of reach - well, now we are talking! Although backhoes are pretty hard on a lawn. A trencher does the least damage.

Ken

 

[J_J]

Hello all,

Thought my question would best be asked in a new thread rather than continuing with my previous thread about potential owner questions...

I've read quite a bit of material about minihoe & backhoe for PTs, but am still left with the following question:

Like KenT, I live in the North and would like to dig 6+ft to get past the frost line. Unlike KenT though, I do not plan on owning a PT larger than the 425.

The minihoe won't do, a Lackender skid-steer hoe is too large/heavy/demanding for a 425, and I seem to recall that the fella who custom-fitted the backhoe of a PT2425 on his 425 had some stability challenges...

So, does anyone think they have come up with the best off-the-shelf solution to digging 6+ft with a PT425?! (I say 'off-the-shelf' as fabricating a hoe is not an option for me, for several reasons.)

Worst-case scenario, I suppose a beefier and longer version of the minihoe could be built.

Pls. feel free to refer me to earlier threads that I may not have been able to find in researching an anwer to this question.

Thank-you in advance,

PTWannaHave

Perhaps something like this. Use the backhoe of the chain trencher

 

[MossRoad]

Hey, Santa's back on TBN! Nice to see him again! :thumbsup: