Using backhoe as grapple ...

[CincyFlyer]

Whilst I save up some bucks for a lightweight EA grapple, I had some brush that needed moving. I've been doing a lot of it by hand, or pushing it with the bucket, or on the forks, but I was destumping the creek bank, and thus had the backhoe attached ... and did a few loads like this.
It worked quite well, as long as I grabbed enough stuff to keep it compressed against the stick. No hoses were endangered. At the point I'm gonna have to get a thumb, so I can have a mini-grapple all the time.
I'm sure everyone has done this, I have no idea why it took me so long to figure it out.

 

[TractorGuy]

My backhoe has hoses exposed under the boom so I try to never crowd stuff against that area like you have done in the photo. I did install a mechanical thumb and it has proved invaluable for moving stuff. Not nearly as handy as a grapple would be. I have tried a couple different clamp on forks but the 8000 lb loader on my machine makes short work out of trashing them.

 

[CincyFlyer]

My backhoe has hoses exposed under the boom so I try to never crowd stuff against that area like you have done in the photo. I did install a mechanical thumb and it has proved invaluable for moving stuff. Not nearly as handy as a grapple would be. I have tried a couple different clamp on forks but the 8000 lb loader on my machine makes short work out of trashing them.

Yeah, my hoses run on the top, except where they cross the joint. This is not the way I plan to handle brush in the future! It was just a quick and dirty way. My tractor is a toy compared to yours (with 4x the lifting power!)

 

[Gary Fowler]

I use my backhoe like that to carry big stumps and trees when they are too big to put in the FEL. Works great as long as you don't have to go between trees. All my oil lines are well out of the way.

 

[4570Man]

Any backhoe I've ever seen has the hoses inside the boom. I don't think any damage is likely to result. Even then if a hose was all I tore up I'd be happy.

 

[CincyFlyer]

Any backhoe I've ever seen has the hoses inside the boom. I don't think any damage is likely to result. Even then if a hose was all I tore up I'd be happy.

On most smaller backhoes, the hoses are on the outside (see my picture, above.) I don't know why any would run on the underside of the thing, but apparently some do.

 

[Eric102]

Whilst I save up some bucks for a lightweight EA grapple, I had some brush that needed moving. I've been doing a lot of it by hand, or pushing it with the bucket, or on the forks, but I was destumping the creek bank, and thus had the backhoe attached ... and did a few loads like this.
It worked quite well, as long as I grabbed enough stuff to keep it compressed against the stick. No hoses were endangered. At the point I'm gonna have to get a thumb, so I can have a mini-grapple all the time.
I'm sure everyone has done this, I have no idea why it took me so long to figure it out.
View attachment 522824

Yup, did the same before I got an EA grapple, now its much easier to pluck and place rocks (don't have a thumb on the hoe).

 

[fried1765]

Whilst I save up some bucks for a lightweight EA grapple, I had some brush that needed moving. I've been doing a lot of it by hand, or pushing it with the bucket, or on the forks, but I was destumping the creek bank, and thus had the backhoe attached ... and did a few loads like this.
It worked quite well, as long as I grabbed enough stuff to keep it compressed against the stick. No hoses were endangered. At the point I'm gonna have to get a thumb, so I can have a mini-grapple all the time.
I'm sure everyone has done this, I have no idea why it took me so long to figure it out.
View attachment 522824

I suppose that can work, but a mechanical thumb is cheap, and far superior.
I had one custom built, but inexpensive aftermarket thumbs are readily available.

 

[Rmart30]

You can add what they call a dead thumb to it. Its how we do backhoes and excavators at work. Here is a small one. Amazon.com: Backhoe Thumb Excavator Bolt On Universal Claw Tractor Attachment Kubota Deere: Home Improvement

 

[CincyFlyer]

You can add what they call a dead thumb to it. Its how we do backhoes and excavators at work. Here is a small one. Amazon.com: Backhoe Thumb Excavator Bolt On Universal Claw Tractor Attachment Kubota Deere: Home Improvement

I thought of going with a thumb, and my tractor is actually set up for one (no welding!), but Mahindra values it dearly (over a grand!) At that point, I'm halfway to an EA grapple.