Backhoe 1500D and Kubota BT600 backhoe?

rbeitz · Jun 17, 2012

I have a chance to pick up a small kubota backhoe (from the BX series) for a good price. The current owner has converted it to a 3 point hook up and he used it on his John Deere 855 which has remote hydraulic ports on the back of the tractor that powered the backhoe. I am trying to figure out the best way to plumb the backhoe into my 1500D. I already have a Koyker FEL and I can see how it was plumped into the tractors existing hydraulics. Can I tie into this the same way for the backhoe and is the sytem strong enough to run this backhoe? Or do I need to look into a PTO pump and seperate resevior tank?

I know a 3pt backhoe is not really recommend for my 1500D due to the forces it would be subjected to. I plan try and build a subframe to help secure it and my digging will only be for light duty projects around my 2 acre yard.

rbeitz · Jun 18, 2012

Lot's of views but no comments yet. Nobody has put a backhoe on one of these small yanmars and used the tractor hydraulics to run it?

winston1 · Jun 18, 2012

It would seem from this thread your pump is good for 3 or less gpm. I sort of doubt that is going to be adequate for a backhoe but maybe you have the specs on it. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/yanmar/231895-ym1500d-green-hydraulic-pump-flow.html

Understand I am not trying to say yea or nay just putting some things out there for looking at. This chart shows the BT600 backhoe to have a working weight of 1520#. I don't know the definition of "working weight" but if it means the backhoe weighs 1500# it would be to heavy for a 1500. http://www.myuniverse.us/construction/specs-loader-backhoe-kubota.asp

The John Deere 855 hydraulic pump is rated at 5.6gpm/

rbeitz · Jun 18, 2012

winston1 said:
It would seem from this thread your pump is good for 3 or less gpm. I sort of doubt that is going to be adequate for a backhoe but maybe you have the specs on it. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/yanmar/231895-ym1500d-green-hydraulic-pump-flow.html

Understand I am not trying to say yea or nay just putting some things out there for looking at. This chart shows the BT600 backhoe to have a working weight of 1520#. I don't know the definition of "working weight" but if it means the backhoe weighs 1500# it would be to heavy for a 1500. Kubota Loader Backhoes

The John Deere 855 hydraulic pump is rated at 5.6gpm/

Thanks for the reply.

I have not been able to find the GPM the BT600 requires. The BT600 was made for the BX22 and BX23 tractors and they have 5.5 GPM pumps. So even though my 3 GPM works fine for my loader it may not be enough for the backhoe.

The working weight in that chart has to be the digging force. This backhoe only weighs 500-600 lbs.

rbeitz · Jun 25, 2012

Well I bought the backhoe and before I purchase a pto pump and tank I am going to try plumbing it into my system and see how it works. My koyker 110 loader calls for 4 gpm and it seems to work fine on my 3 gpm pump. If the backhoe is too slow, I am only out a couple of hoses and some fittings.

I found a message where someone put a 3 point backhoe on their JD 650 and it worked just fine on the tractors hydraulics. My yanmar 1500D is not a whole lot different than the JD 650.

284 International · Jun 25, 2012

If you do it properly, you will have gained a set of remote valves, whether the backhoe is too slow or not!

What is the rated engine speed on your 1500? 5cc/revolution gives 2.38 GPM at 2000 RPM, 3.17 at 2400 RPM, and 3.43 GPM at 2600 RPM.

My little Brantly hoe works about right at 4 GPM. Much over or under that is either too jerky or too slow. The main cylinders are 2" diameter, and the swing cylinders are 2 1/2". I'm interested to see how you attach yours, and how it operates.

I wouldn't attach it to a small tractor unless it were on a subframe. "Light duty" and backhoe don't go together, in my opinion.

rbeitz · Jun 27, 2012

Got the hydraulics hooked up tonight and I am happy to report that the backhoe works just fine off the tractors system. It has plenty of power and speed for my needs. I played around with it for a while digging a test hole and it worked fine. Now I need to figure out how to fab up a subframe or at least some 3 point reinforment to protect the tractor.

California · Jun 28, 2012

You are going to love it. I have a similar hoe on my YM240. I think its a little heavier but not better in specs.

An experienced dealer advised me that a 3-point hoe is much harder on a small tractor than the tractor was designed for, and to watch out for tearing the back out of the transmission. On some tractors with an aluminum transmission housing, the hoe makes enough force to do this. Yanmars are a little tougher but he advised that bouncing while driving is the worst stress. I hear the relief valve on mine squeal when I drive over a bump so I must be near the limit of what the tractor can take. And I was advised to never close the valve under the front of the seat when driving or using the hoe. That seals the hydraulic system solid with no pressure relief aside from breaking something.

Also, it is not unusual for some tractors to split in half at the bell housing due to stress from a loader or backhoe. Yanmars don't seem to have much of a problem with this but it would be a good idea to have some sort of subframe from the loader back to the rear axle to lessen this stress. Here's a photo in an old post showing how mine was reinforced. (The other photos in that thread show the loader's subframe).

I have bent a 3-point arm trying to drag the tractor sideways with the hoe. Don't do this.

It was easy to remove the arm and hammer it back straight on an anvil, but it made me realize the hoe stresses the tractor beyond what it was designed for. I think the most critical stress points are where the 3-point's link pins screw into the lower sides of the transmission. I have thought about ordering the special YM2000 long link pins that go across and bolt to a point near the wheel bearing, the point where each sway chain starts from. I don't know if a similar design exists or can be fabricated for YM1500.

Don't be afraid to use that thing, just keep in mind its purpose is to tear things up and you need to consider the stresses it is loading on the tractor.

Enjoy!

rbeitz · Jun 28, 2012

Thanks for the info California. I have a couple jobs targeted for the backhoe (dry wells for my down spouts) but other than that I really don't need one, I just like having toys to play with. I wish I had more property to justify a larger tractor.

Thanks again.