Backhoe operation and stability

[GeneV]

I don't raise the tractor off the ground when putting the stabilizers and bucket down...just enough downforce for the stabilizers and bucket to make solid contact with the ground. Also, I put the tractor in 4wd and set the brake. All that helps keep the tractor from dancing around when I'm on the hoe.

 

[Carl_NH]

It's really better to shave dirt when digging. Take 2-3 inches of dirt over a longer pass. Don't try to hog a bucket full, in the length, or so of the bucket. With the right pitch/angle on the bucket, it will somewhat crumble the dirt, making it easier to empty the bucket. Making a longer pass like that may seem like your not digging much, but a bucket full over that area, is a bucket full, whether hogging with a short pass, or over a long one. And, may save you some time if you pack wetter clay like material, and time spent hammering the bucket to get it empty. That will probably cause more damage than anything.

Doing 2-3 functions at once smoothes operation. Crowd/boom up/curl bucket/swing all at once, can make it so smooth, it will hardly rock the tractor. It's not something you can pick up in an hour, or even a day. It takes hours of seat time, to get progressively faster, and more efficient. Wobble sticks make doing all of those functions at onceso much easier, than on the 4-stick Ford I cut my eye teeth on.

I've never operated a 3pt. hoe, but have operated more than several TLB's, and excavators for over 35 years. On TLB's, it mainly about adjusting engine RPM's, and feathering controls per your skill level. You have to get the feel of the hydraulics, for the amount of work load your doing. For a while, you'll be concentrating on what your hands are doing on the controls, to get said work accomplished. At some point down the road, you'll be concentrating on the boom, stick, and bucket, and it will be more like an extension of your arm, hand and wrist. You won't even really realize the movement of your hands, to orchestrate what you're doing. 99.9% of it is eye to hand coordination. Bottoming out cylindersat the end of it's stroke is probably harder on the machine, than anything you can do. It's going to happen, just learn your machines limitations on reach/stroke.

Excavators engines are pretty much ran at wide open throttle, and have electric, over hydraulic controls. Very easy on the arms, and wrists, just takes a bit to learn to feather the controls when you first get on a different machine, they work so easy. Again, at some point, you should be able to look at the bucket like an extension of your arm, and make the other functions do what you want, from point A, to point B, concentrating on it, instead of what your hands are doing on the controls. It just becomes second nature.

Excellent explanation - putting into words what just takes practice and time to learn.

 

[Jim Nelson]

Like anything else on a machine, it's time in the seat, don't get in a hurry and in time it will all seem natural. If you move a little it's not usually a big deal and easy to correct.

 

[GeneV]

It's really better to shave dirt when digging. Take 2-3 inches of dirt over a longer pass. Don't try to hog a bucket full, in the length, or so of the bucket. With the right pitch/angle on the bucket, it will somewhat crumble the dirt, making it easier to empty the bucket. Making a longer pass like that may seem like your not digging much, but a bucket full over that area, is a bucket full, whether hogging with a short pass, or over a long one. And, may save you some time if you pack wetter clay like material, and time spent hammering the bucket to get it empty. That will probably cause more damage than anything.

Doing 2-3 functions at once smoothes operation. Crowd/boom up/curl bucket/swing all at once, can make it so smooth, it will hardly rock the tractor. It's not something you can pick up in an hour, or even a day. It takes hours of seat time, to get progressively faster, and more efficient. Wobble sticks make doing all of those functions at onceso much easier, than on the 4-stick Ford I cut my eye teeth on.

I've never operated a 3pt. hoe, but have operated more than several TLB's, and excavators for over 35 years. On TLB's, it mainly about adjusting engine RPM's, and feathering controls per your skill level. You have to get the feel of the hydraulics, for the amount of work load your doing. For a while, you'll be concentrating on what your hands are doing on the controls, to get said work accomplished. At some point down the road, you'll be concentrating on the boom, stick, and bucket, and it will be more like an extension of your arm, hand and wrist. You won't even really realize the movement of your hands, to orchestrate what you're doing. 99.9% of it is eye to hand coordination. Bottoming out cylindersat the end of it's stroke is probably harder on the machine, than anything you can do. It's going to happen, just learn your machines limitations on reach/stroke.

Excavators engines are pretty much ran at wide open throttle, and have electric, over hydraulic controls. Very easy on the arms, and wrists, just takes a bit to learn to feather the controls when you first get on a different machine, they work so easy. Again, at some point, you should be able to look at the bucket like an extension of your arm, and make the other functions do what you want, from point A, to point B, concentrating on it, instead of what your hands are doing on the controls. It just becomes second nature.

This is good advice, yes.

 

[4570Man]

That is an option. But then you put the stresses on the outriggers. Think I would rather just slide things a little once in a while, rather than risk damage to something that is not designed for excessive horizontal stress. Just me maybe...

Edit: My outriggers already have tabs bend down on two edges perpendicular to the axis of the tractor. So if one's pads are flat like the blue backhoe in the picture, then probably the modification shown would not be an issue...

My Kubota pads already have a cleat built in. I had a Deere 310 with slick pads and it was about useless like that. Adding angle iron made a huge difference.

 

[nikerret]

I wouldn’t want something on the bottom of the FEL bucket. Often, when I use the backhoe, I next use my FEL.

 

[Aquamoose]

I wouldn’t want something on the bottom of the FEL bucket. Often, when I use the backhoe, I next use my FEL.

I believe the OP was referring to something on the backside, not the bottom, of the bucket so when the bucket is curled up, the backside bites in the ground but allows normal functions of the bucket when flush on the ground.

 

[Smokeydog]

Have found the rubber pad option useful on both Kubota TLBs Better bite and couple of inches extension. Don’t have to worry about concrete or asphalt. Often use outriggers and FEL to level machine on hillsides.

 

[nikerret]

So I am in the process of talking myself into buying a bh77 attachment for my kubota B2650. One thing that always seems to pop up in watching videos or reading reviews of backhoe attachments is the backhoe pulling the whole tractor when in use. On regular dedicated machines, the bucket is able to be completely curled and used as an anchor point in conjunction with the outriggers. I know doing this with a regular loader setup could result in bending the curl cylinders due to the force being put on them. So it does seem that most people just keep their front bucket level and lowered slightly to help out with stability. So an idea popped into my head to get some more gripping power out of the front loader without having to curl the bucket and potentially bend stuff. What if there was something like a toothbar on the bucket, but it was perpendicular to the cutting edge of the front bucket when it was in the level position. This would give you something to push down into the ground on the front while you are digging. I may be overthinking this, and I don't even have a backhoe yet, but would like to hear from people with experience using a backhoe on a compact tractor.

I believe the OP was referring to something on the backside, not the bottom, of the bucket so when the bucket is curled up, the backside bites in the ground but allows normal functions of the bucket when flush on the ground.

I quoted the OP, so we wouldn稚 have to flip back and forth.

When the OP says 菟erpendicular to the cutting edge that places the proposed anchor on the bottom of the bucket. What I don稚 understand is how curling the bucket would hurt the cylinders. When curled, all of the cylinders connected to the bucket are retracted either fully or almost fully. Perhaps, he meant having the bucket in the 電ump position, instead of curled could hurt the cylinders?

Aqua moose, what you are saying is not what the OP said, but what you said may work. On my BX, I don稚 know if I have enough curl angle to get much of the back of the bucket onto the ground.

 

[fried1765]

My Kubota pads already have a cleat built in. I had a Deere 310 with slick pads and it was about useless like that. Adding angle iron made a huge difference.

The pads on my L48 flip over from "steel bite", to rubber.
Isn't that the same on your M59?