Backhoe 10 days till backhoe!

[Boondox]

Next Tuesday the dealer will come pick up Clementine and take her in to have the Woods sub-frame fitted. Figured I'd have them switch me over to Super-UDT at the same time...save me the hassle of properly disposing of 11 gallons of UDT fluid. So here I am with the Woods 7500 owner's manual, practicing the hand movements like good old Daniel-san. Wax on...wax off.

I already have about 30 stumps and 120 boulders mentally flagged for removal. Can't wait! This is as bad as waiting to take delivery of the tractor in the first place! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Pete

 

[JC4HD]

Sounds like a lot of fun (er I mean work) planned... watch them rocks they are like icebergs... everyone I have tackled was much bigger than first thought! I guess I could say the same thing about them stumps!

Question: What is the difference in the fluids (Super-UDT vs. UDT)?

 

[AndyR]

Congratulations and welcome to the Nugget Miners Club! I think you will find that the 'hoe is one of the most usefull tractor attachments after a loader.

 

[RobS]

Pete, words cannot describe how jealous I am /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif Maybe one day I'll join you and the others in the backhoe ranks. In the meantime, I look forward to hearing about your experiences. Be sure to post plenty of pictures /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[billfires]

Pete, congratulations!!! I don't know if anyone can truly justify the price of the BH but I do know that it is one of the best stress relievers that I have come upon. The satisfaction of removing a stump or rock or digging a trench and seeing the immediate results is awesome. You thought you had friends when you had Clementine with the FEL just wait til they find out you have the BH. Have fun, start slowly and above all else have FUN!!

Bill C

 

[EdKing]

<font color=blue>I don't know if anyone can truly justify the price of the BH but I do know that it is one of the best stress relievers that I have come upon.</font color=blue>

I have to agree with the stress relief aspects of a backhoe. After having a really, really bad day, I used the backhoe to "customize" an old dodge van I am parting out. Really did a number on ripping the driver door off and adding space for a second door right behind the driver door. I felt much better after that.

 

[Thomas]

Doesn't seem all that to long ago you were were pacing the floor waiting for your L3010 while still useing B1750,and now your going to add another attachment..hey thats great /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif..be careful when backing into the garage. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Rick Jay]

Pete,

Congratulations on the backhoe! I have a Woods 7500 with subframe on my B2910. I only have a few hours of actual backhoe experience, but the unit seems pretty forgiving. The extra weight of the L series should help keep the tractor "planted".

I would suggest making a dolly for the backhoe and frame, it really simplifies removal and installation if you can store it on a paved surface.

As far as someone's comment about justifying the backhoe, heck, I really couldn't justify the cost of the tractor in "foreseeable future" terms. However, over the next 30 years or so, I know it'll more than pay it's keep...the backhoe too! Plus, there's a certain intangible value to just "knowing it's there" when that next project arises.

I wish I had some of your acreage to play on, I'd sure get a lot more seat time then. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Good Luck,

~Rick

 

[Boondox]

Rick -- Thanks! Storage when off the tractor is going to require some thought and preparation. The subframe is so large it would take up an entire garage bay, and that's the only concrete I have. I have plenty of flat ground around the garage, but during mud season things tend to settle a bit. So in the short term I'll probably set some of my 8x8 hemlock beams into the ground to spread the load. In the longer term will probably use the hoe to make a place for a concrete pad where the carport will eventually be built. I need the garage for the tractor, ATV, table saw and several hundred bf of maple and cherry Hurricane Floyd donated to us.

I could easily justify the cost just in the ease with which I'll now be able to repair our several miles of stone walls dating from the early 19th century. But being able to augment my water supply by tapping into that second abandoned springhouse up the hill, being able to ditch the road so it doesn't wash out every year and plug up my culverts, being able to do the excavation for septic repairs at our rental cottage, and having it on hand any time I need to dig are advantages I just couldn't overlook. Besides, $4k for a hoe with only 8 hours on it is a darned good price.

Oh, and the dolly idea sounds great! I saw what Peter Hayden did, but my garage slab is so badly cracked it would have to wait for the new carport slab. I'm really looking forward to this!

Pete

 

[Boondox]

<font color=blue>Question: What is the difference in the fluids (Super-UDT vs. UDT)? </font color=blue>

From where I sit the big advantage is cold weather performance. When my hydraulic filter blew at 10 below zero last winter I couldn't believe how thick regular UDT was! /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Pete

 

[diggernh]

congratulations on purchasing the BH!!..I have a Woods 6500 on my B7500 and do not regret it at all. Just keep in mind that this is a compact tractor and won't rip and tear like a Cat 416, ok? I use mine to dig out stumps then to dig holes to bury them in. I am real glad I bought it. If you are careful with it and use your head when digging, then the Backhoe will do everything you ask of it and then some. Good luck!!

 

[diggernh]

oops..forgot to attach the pic of my hoe..sorry..

 

[EdKing]

<font color=blue>Storage when off the tractor is going to require some thought and preparation.</font color=blue>

Pete, if you have room in your garage to store the tractor with the backhoe mounted, you might be able to do like I do. I keep my backhoe stored in my barn with my tractor. When I have it disconnected, I just park the tractor over the subframe. The only down side to this is I have to remove any other implement when I park the tractor, but my hoe is out of the weather, and realitivly easy to remove/attach this way. The only tricky part about attaching it is backing the tractor up straight over the frame to get every thing to line up.

 

[hayden]

Congrats. Don't forget to go burry that dead coyote that's still up on your hill!

 

[atomichead]

Funny you should mention taking care when backing into the garage...

Had my little NH TC-18 parked in the driveway (lookin' pretty) while I was working around the house. One project was to get the 3-pt tiller out of the garage and store it behind the shed where I wouldn't keep tripping over it. Easiest way I could see to get it over there was pick it up with the fel. So I jumped on, fired her up and proceeded to gingerly drive over the asphalt curbing, located underneath the garage doors, that keeps the rain water out. The tiller was up against the back wall so I drove all the way in, dropped the fel, and manually horsed it into the bucket. I jumped back on and proceeded to back out. That's when I experienced a loud grinding noise that was accompanied by a shudder. Immediately I thought 'What the heck did I just ruin on my tractor?' Funny how thoughts of damaging the house or property never entered my mind.

I was told by many people to always put the b/h bucket on the ground when you park, and I do that religiously. This time however I forgot to raise it up. The end result was the bucket simply wiped out the curbing! Plowed through and broke it down the middle like it was made of styrofoam! Now normally I back into the garage because having the backhoe up against the back wall is just easier from a storage and human ergonomics standpoint. So I'm always watching the b/h as I back into the bay. I never bothered to look at it this time. And I don't understand why I didn't feel the bucket hit when I drove in. But I guess what amazed me the most about this is how even a simple oversight on a small tractor can do some extensive (though thankfully not expensive) damage.

So like the man said, be careful....

 

[Boondox]

Stabilizers..?

I'm getting mixed signals on this one, and the manual doesn't help. Some say to use the stabilizers to lift the rear tires completely off the ground, and others say to just plant them firmly..?

Pete

 

[cedarranch]

Re: Stabilizers..?

My Kelley bh has a lock to lock the bucket in the up position while in storage and transport. Also my manual says to lower the stabilizer completely before using the bh. Actually it says "Never use the backhoe unit without the stabilizers fully extended. Backhoe/tractor/subframe damage could occur."

 

[EdKing]

Re: Stabilizers..?

<font color=blue>Some say to use the stabilizers to lift the rear tires completely off the ground, and others say to just plant them firmly..?</font color=blue>

I usually put mine down until they just start to lift the wheels. With the wheels touching, the hoe doesn't tend to move the tractor as much.

 

[hayden]

Re: Stabilizers..?

I find it's much more solid with the rear wheels lifted off the ground.

 

[alan40]

Congrats Pete, sounds like you have your work all planned out!/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif You'll have to have a wall building party at your place if you have that many to do. Ed must of give you some serious seat time to push you over the edge./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif My implement of choice this summer is a York rake. The only catch is that I have to make about a million termite traps to pay for it./w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif Not really a little extra money never hurt a tractor person./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
Take care,