I run mine around 2200-2250 rpm, and you are correct on the Regen. These motors are high rpm, clean burn tier 4. ie the higher rpm the cleaner they burn. I haven’t tested the hydraulic pressure at this rpm but I’m convinced the hoe has better digging force at this rpm range than the lower rpm.
Backhoe rpm speed
- Thread starter RandyinTN
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I run mine around 2200-2250 rpm, and you are correct on the Regen. These motors are high rpm, clean burn tier 4. ie the higher rpm the cleaner they burn. I haven’t tested the hydraulic pressure at this rpm but I’m convinced the hoe has better digging force at this rpm range than the lower rpm.
Oldoak
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What is most important when operating a backhoe at any RPM is that operators use a little finesse on the control levers. Precise movements are more important than rapid movements. Smooth and accurate operation only comes with experience which only comes with operating hours, many of them. 
What is most important when operating a backhoe at any RPM is that operators use a little finesse on the control levers. Precise movements are more important than rapid movements. Smooth and accurate operation only comes with experience which only comes with operating hours, many of them.
You got that right! I only used mine for a few hours but the first hour was WILD!
Jchonline
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Randy did you look for the hydraulic fluid leak? It could just be a loose fitting. You probably know this but dont operate if there is a considerable leak. Check your fluid level to be sure it isnt low.
Shop mechanic showed up and fixed it. It was a loose fitting on the bottom of the backhoe. Not sure how it happened but it was only finger tight. He topped it off with fluid and cleaned up the mess so I am good to go. Feel slightly embarrassed I didnt try to find and fix it myself. But with only 13 hours on it didnt want to be responsible for messing something up.
Superb customer service......Crossville Tractor in Crossville TN.
Superb customer service......Crossville Tractor in Crossville TN.
Sysop
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Congrats on the timely fix! As for the question on RPM, as most indicated, it really depends on your level of control. That being said you want the highest RPMs you can control the movement at.
At low RPMs there simply is not enough hydraulic flow to operate multiple functions, but it keeps the unit from moving too quickly if your movement of the controls are not gentle enough.
At high RPM, if you can properly feather the controls, you can get three functions at once which allows you to curl the bucket while dragging the dipper in while also bringing the boom up to maintain a level cut with the bucket.
Start with the lowest RPM you feel comfortable with and work one function at a time. As you start to get the feel for the controls, you will naturally start feathering the controls to get more than one function. Once you do that and are successfully getting more than one function at a time, you can increase the RPMs to gain back some speed of operation.
A lot of care must be taken in the operation at high RPMs. Operating two functions at once will cut the speed of each function by more than half. Operating three functions will cut the speed of each by about 75%. If you are running a high enough RPM to run three functions efficiently, operating a single function will be EXTREMELY fast unless great care is taken in feathering the control very gently.
I've often said that digging a hole with a backhoe is just as tiring as digging it by hand. The only difference is it gets done faster cause you have a bigger shovel. Holding your arms and hands in a constant state of flex with the extremely tiny movements required to operate a backhoe smoothly is extremely tiring.
I use my backhoe pretty often, nearly half of the hours on my tractor were spent running the backhoe. Even running it often, it isn't a daily thing and I'm no pro (by any means), so the way I generally work with mine is I'll start the job with low RPMs while I get back into the feel of it and run the RPMs up a couple hundred at a time until I get a good pace going. I can always tell when I start getting tired, as my control over the backhoe starts to diminish and movements start getting jerky. At that point I turn the RPMs back down to finish, or call it something to finish another day.
If I had a tip to give, it would be to pay special attention to the range of motion of each joint on the unit and learn to feather each control to a stop before the full range of motion on the joint is reached. When you have mastered feathering the controls and are running more than one function, the reason becomes more apparent. If you are feathering it to get three functions and one of the functions reaches the full range of motion it can provide, the flow gets diverted into the other two functions and they will speed up. Learning to watch the functions and feathering them to a stop before reaching the end of motion helps keep you from taking a big scoop from the bottom of what should be a flat bottomed hole or knocking the side in on a trench you've dug.
Good luck!
At low RPMs there simply is not enough hydraulic flow to operate multiple functions, but it keeps the unit from moving too quickly if your movement of the controls are not gentle enough.
At high RPM, if you can properly feather the controls, you can get three functions at once which allows you to curl the bucket while dragging the dipper in while also bringing the boom up to maintain a level cut with the bucket.
Start with the lowest RPM you feel comfortable with and work one function at a time. As you start to get the feel for the controls, you will naturally start feathering the controls to get more than one function. Once you do that and are successfully getting more than one function at a time, you can increase the RPMs to gain back some speed of operation.
A lot of care must be taken in the operation at high RPMs. Operating two functions at once will cut the speed of each function by more than half. Operating three functions will cut the speed of each by about 75%. If you are running a high enough RPM to run three functions efficiently, operating a single function will be EXTREMELY fast unless great care is taken in feathering the control very gently.
I've often said that digging a hole with a backhoe is just as tiring as digging it by hand. The only difference is it gets done faster cause you have a bigger shovel. Holding your arms and hands in a constant state of flex with the extremely tiny movements required to operate a backhoe smoothly is extremely tiring.
I use my backhoe pretty often, nearly half of the hours on my tractor were spent running the backhoe. Even running it often, it isn't a daily thing and I'm no pro (by any means), so the way I generally work with mine is I'll start the job with low RPMs while I get back into the feel of it and run the RPMs up a couple hundred at a time until I get a good pace going. I can always tell when I start getting tired, as my control over the backhoe starts to diminish and movements start getting jerky. At that point I turn the RPMs back down to finish, or call it something to finish another day.
If I had a tip to give, it would be to pay special attention to the range of motion of each joint on the unit and learn to feather each control to a stop before the full range of motion on the joint is reached. When you have mastered feathering the controls and are running more than one function, the reason becomes more apparent. If you are feathering it to get three functions and one of the functions reaches the full range of motion it can provide, the flow gets diverted into the other two functions and they will speed up. Learning to watch the functions and feathering them to a stop before reaching the end of motion helps keep you from taking a big scoop from the bottom of what should be a flat bottomed hole or knocking the side in on a trench you've dug.
Good luck!
It is all starting to come together. Backed off the rpms to 1,900 and paid attention to how fast I was moving the controls. Even the wife said I was doing a much better job. We been on a quest to get some fruit trees planted and the backhoe has been a godsend. Getting rid of a lot of the hard, rocky, clay soil and mixing in a lot of good potting soil and manure. It sure makes a difference compared to a pick and shovel
Gary Fowler
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On my B26, 1800-2000 RPM is a sweet spot. Increasing the RPM beyond that doesn't make it operate any faster or have any more power, it just increases motor noise. I too will throttle back to 1200-1500 for finesse work, although feathering the control levers works well also. I have close to 500 hours on mine and can do most anything at full throttle if I wanted to but why waste fuel and damage your hearing with a much louder engine noise.
Note: since I dont have to concern myself with DPF, I can operate at any speed without any issues.
Note: since I dont have to concern myself with DPF, I can operate at any speed without any issues.
atsah
Elite Member
Unfortunately after purchasing any new machine you have to go around them with a socket set and open end wrenches and tighten things. I haven't purchased many things that didn't have something loose, There are many techs in dealerships that are just plain lazy..
