Backhoe attachment, on a trailer. Making it a towable!

texasranger556 · May 1, 2018

Wow your home built backhoe looks awesome! I'd love to see more pics and how you built it!

Larus · May 2, 2018

I have what I guess is a naive question. I have a big 25 hp tractor. By big, I mean the Kubota 2501 is a big compact utility tractor for 25 hp. There are 25 hp tractors half the size and half the weight. My wife has a 25 hp riding lawnmower. On my tractor the backhoe has a subframe it locks into for strength and stability. I am using the backhoe Kubota states is correct for this tractor. When digging, I have the stabilizers down, the front end loader on the ground, and the brake set. When I encounter a large rock, the whole tractor can move. Now, it is probably only and inch or two, but this tells me the hydraulics in the backhoe give this little tractor all it can handle. Can it really be safe to operate a backhoe attached to something smaller than my tractor?

I think that if I had less hydraulic power, I would probably just use a wheelbarrow, shovel, and pick axe. Please don't get me wrong. I am not trying to be a smart arse. I really question if such a device offers something of value. I may be off base on this.

4570Man · May 2, 2018

Try using the hydraulics on a real backhoe. My tractor backhoe could move it around but just barely. The JD310 I used could pick the back of the machine up with the boom at full extent and the loader down. It would lift the front wheels up off the ground with the backhoe stabilizers down. If you’re digging the boom is coming back rather the machine moves or the dirt moves.Its definitely a learning curve to digging with a machine with hydraulics a lot stronger than it can hold back. Around here a towable backhoe would be a joke.

bcp · May 3, 2018

Real backhoe:

Bruce

Reg · May 3, 2018

Groo said:
a backhoe attachment likely has outriggers, so the back will be solid. If its got a decent sized tongue it would have loads of leverage against the ball. it could be easily useful. Like I said, I'd just go a bit slower with it.

The o/p said he wanted to build it ON a trailer.
I think you are suggesting that his trailer will need outriggers ?
I agree in principle, but then cost and complexity go up.

IMO to do any USEFUL digging and do it at any sort of acceptable speed you need plural TONS of mass to dig/push/pull against, 3 tons is a fair start.
A tow vehicle on a very flexible hinge (tow ball and coupler) hardly helps with this.

Reg · May 3, 2018

Biohazarus said:
Thanks everyone for your inputs...
You, well, got mostly all my concern, questioning, written out and some answered!!!
Comes down to do the math and confirm which would be the best for me.

Another question, as for counter weight, or leveraging with the smaller weight of the unit.
I thought of using some land screw fix under the carriage. That should give me more holding power while remaining a lighter unit.

The "holding power" of whatever you use as a land screw (with whatever lever advantage you can gain by positioning it) would need to exceed the "digging power" of the hoe, or it would simply pull out.
Power to the land screw(s) ? probably complex and unscrewing them for every move might be a hassle.

ONE possibility to the question of mass might be to add liquid ballast, water if you are within hose pipe range of a faucet, e.g. if you are just digging around the house.
55 gallon plastic drums ~=440 lbs
A dozen or so of those SECURED plus the weight of the machine and trailer would add up to a small tractor and frame mounted hoe - still not a land clearing machine but you might be able to get some useful work done with it.
BTW, they are about 2 ft diameter and 3 ft tall, so would take up quite a bit of deck space on a trailer.

TMGT · May 6, 2018

Couple thoughts on some of the responses, the OP said he was looking at using a available backhoe attachment so it should already have outriggers, there's also many towable backhoes on the market ranging from small light units to very capable self propelled.

I don't see any reason the OP plan won't work, like most things it has to be used within its capabilities.
A lot of backhoe operation is technique, larger then needed equipment can sometimes overcome a lack of skill but shouldn't be used as a benchmark for needs.

I'm no expert on a backhoe, but if I haven't run one in awhile it's not pretty until I get a little time on it. I can go from dragging the tractor around and not getting much done to working pretty efficiently and smoothly with just a little bit of time to refresh.

TMGT · May 6, 2018

texasranger556 said:
Wow your home built backhoe looks awesome! I'd love to see more pics and how you built it!

I think I had some of the build over on Mytractorforum.com and there's a little video of it working on YouTube under TooManyGT (same handle for both). I wasn't doing a lot of posting when I built it.

Reg · May 10, 2018

Larus said:
I have what I guess is a naive question. I have a big 25 hp tractor. By big, I mean the Kubota 2501 is a big compact utility tractor for 25 hp. There are 25 hp tractors half the size and half the weight. My wife has a 25 hp riding lawnmower. On my tractor the backhoe has a subframe it locks into for strength and stability. I am using the backhoe Kubota states is correct for this tractor. When digging, I have the stabilizers down, the front end loader on the ground, and the brake set. When I encounter a large rock, the whole tractor can move. Now, it is probably only and inch or two, but this tells me the hydraulics in the backhoe give this little tractor all it can handle. Can it really be safe to operate a backhoe attached to something smaller than my tractor?

I think that if I had less hydraulic power, I would probably just use a wheelbarrow, shovel, and pick axe. Please don't get me wrong. I am not trying to be a smart arse. I really question if such a device offers something of value. I may be off base on this.

Yes, it can be "safe", it can also be DANGEROUS.
The difference between safety and danger is likely more a function of operator judgement than any (perceived) mismatch between machine mass and attachment forces.

It is a common situation, i.e. many/most back hoes have enough force to pull the whole rig toward whatever you hook into if that doesn't move - an example being ledge.
The machine's mass is usually the limiting factor, not the hydraulics.
Even the BIG excavators have their limits and if you watch skilled operators you quickly realize that they do a lot of work very quickly by working WELL WITHIN the capacity of the machine - not taking the biggest bites possible.

There are rocks my hoe can't lift - OK the usual and acceptable solution is to dig a big enough and deep enough hole beside them and roll them in, i.e. just bury them deeper.
I don't do construction, so it isn't as if they HAVE TO come out.
Clearly SOME rocks do have to come out and that is why you will see VERY BIG machines on some construction sites.
Drilling, cutting or blasting are other possibilities <grin>

BTW, digging stumps (to me) is usually a bigger challenge than digging rocks.
I know I'm close when I can spin it around a bit, but root balls can be incredibly heavy and I have had to PULL out more than I have been able to LIFT out.

At 25 HP I doubt your whole rig adds up to much more than 3,000 lbs, maybe not even that - in which case saplings may be a reasonable challenge, not "Tree" stumps.