B26 or L39 PHD

[gotcha]

Wish I could see pics of the PHD on a Kubota Hoe...

I think you are correct that such pictures are not available. I have seen images of the hydraulic PHD used on the Kubota mini excavator. They were included in a color brochure but, oddly enough, not on their website. It would seem to me that this same PHD attachment could be used on a TLB backhoe.

All guesses at this time since I will wait until May 2008 to approach a sales person regarding a TLB purchase. The two features I want and will use extensively are a hydraulic thumb and a hydraulic PHD. If the B26 can accommodate the PHD, it'll have everything we desire for now and certainly into the future.

When we purchased our B26 it was said that the PHD can be attached to the hoe the same as the excavators and yes the foot pedal does the operating of the thumb and would operate the PHD. Our thumb was back ordered as is everyone else's I believe. It is to be dropped shipped any day now in fact we should have had ours by now.
The Gotcha Man

 

[bandit67]

You may want to still consider an FEL mounted PHD (the QA type, not the bucket mounted type), as one of those will be much easier to come by. I can forsee pros and cons to both FEL and BH mounted PHD's - getting the FEL mounted PHD to each hole would be easier when moving the machine as you are sitting in the same position to move to each hole and to get the loader in position. The BH mounted PHD would probably be easier to get set directly over the spot you want to drill, but you've got to move the machine, then (most likely) get off and hop into the backhoe seat to drill the hole - that procedure may get old after a while.

At least with the B26, you could rig up something to hand operate the hydro pedal so you can stay in the BH seat while moving the machine into position. You'd probably be on your knees in the seat leaning over to reach the pedal and the steering wheel. I've done that with a BX22, but between the one hand on the hydro pedal and the other on the steering wheel, after a while, you may be ready to see the chiropractor.

It depends on how perfectly straight you need the holes to be, as the BH mounted PHD should allow for you to line everything up perfectly, but it will be more time consuming. I personally would go for the FEL mounted PHD, after using PHD's on a stand-on skid steer unit, a regular big skid steer, and a rear 3pt unit. I have not ever used a BH mounted unit, but for the perimeter fencing posts that I will need to install, an FEL mounted PHD would do the job just fine, and be faster and easier on me after a day of drilling holes.

 

[_RaT_]

You may want to still consider an FEL mounted PHD (the QA type, not the bucket mounted type), as one of those will be much easier to come by. I can forsee pros and cons to both FEL and BH mounted PHD's - getting the FEL mounted PHD to each hole would be easier when moving the machine as you are sitting in the same position to move to each hole and to get the loader in position. The BH mounted PHD would probably be easier to get set directly over the spot you want to drill, but you've got to move the machine, then (most likely) get off and hop into the backhoe seat to drill the hole - that procedure may get old after a while.

At least with the B26, you could rig up something to hand operate the hydro pedal so you can stay in the BH seat while moving the machine into position. You'd probably be on your knees in the seat leaning over to reach the pedal and the steering wheel. I've done that with a BX22, but between the one hand on the hydro pedal and the other on the steering wheel, after a while, you may be ready to see the chiropractor.

It depends on how perfectly straight you need the holes to be, as the BH mounted PHD should allow for you to line everything up perfectly, but it will be more time consuming. I personally would go for the FEL mounted PHD, after using PHD's on a stand-on skid steer unit, a regular big skid steer, and a rear 3pt unit. I have not ever used a BH mounted unit, but for the perimeter fencing posts that I will need to install, an FEL mounted PHD would do the job just fine, and be faster and easier on me after a day of drilling holes.

Good points. A hoe mounted motor/auger would be a slow way to drill many holes. One mounted to the loader would be faster, I see them that way around here quite a bit. For auger work, nothing makes positioning/plumbing up the auger both before and during drilling easier then HST. Its a snap.

 

[The Gardener]

FEL mounted presents another nice consideration. I agree that the time savings would be substantial over a long effort.

Of course, the upside to keeping the FEL free of the PHD duty is the potential to mix cement in the FEL which we did regularly with our last tractor. It sure beats a wheel barrel. It would allow us to complete each post [positioned, cemented, plumbed, and supported] before we moved onto the next.

If the B26 backhoe had its own seat [not a shared seat], that would allow two people to operate in tandem which would make for a very nice solution. I'll definitely look at both hydraulic PHD options: backhoe and FEL.

I am still leaning toward the backhoe approach because we also envision using the hydraulic PHD to create holes for planting trees, shrubs, etc. The FEL can then carry the necessary mix of soil enhancements to refill the hole before planting.

More to think about which is why tractors [the TLB especially] are so amazing. They offer many answers to landscaping jobs.

 

[bandit67]

I've only ever used a backhoe to dig holes for trees and shrubs, and I can't say that even with owning a PHD, I'd ever use one to do the holes - you'd have to do a lot more manual digging and dirt removal by hand. I don't know about you, but I get plenty of excercise getting the trees and shrubs out of the FEL bucket, into the hole, positioned just right, twisted around, etc.

I dig the hole with the hoe, and transport the tree or shrub and whatever planting mix in the FEL. That way works out well because I have the loader bucket available to mix up the ammendments with the stuff I dig out of the hole, and out here, it's rare to actually dig soil out of the hole. Because of our clay and nutrient sparse dirt, I often times over dig the hole by about 3 times, to add more ammendment and create a larger perimeter of softer soil for the roots to spread out to, so that's where a backhoe becomes much more efficient than using a PHD.

Now, being up in the northeast, you may not have to dig as much and add as much ammendment, especially if you are in the woods. Folks out here think I'm crazy when I tell them how good freshly dug, dark soil smells because the dirt out here is just that - dirt. Anyone want to mail me a ziploc full of fresh soil from the New England woods? Boy, I miss that smell.

Hey Gotcha, how 'bout some more action shots of that new machine?

 

[witel]

I was thinking more along the lines of setting the tractor between two posts, swing the boom right, drill, swing the boom left, and drill. Or, depending on the fence-rail length and the reach of the BH, planting the tractor at one post and drilling three holes from one spot.

For me, accuracy is important, and I'll take my time to get it right.

 

[_RaT_]

Usually the PHD is not on the bucket but attached to one side of the boom or the other. You continue to use the bucket but obviously without the auger/motor attached.


Using the PHD on the hoe would probably be a stretch (literally) to do 3 holes, maybe but two would be more like it.

 

[The Gardener]

I often times over dig the hole by about 3 times, to add more ammendment and create a larger perimeter of softer soil for the roots to spread out to

We often do the same as well. We'll commit a lot of added ingredients to the hole to increase our chances of a long term success. Our Zone 4 climate is a bear. We lose a few things every spring, and they can be trees or bushes that had survived several winters before succumbing to whatever.

 

[_RaT_]

I often times over dig the hole by about 3 times, to add more ammendment and create a larger perimeter of softer soil for the roots to spread out to

We often do the same as well. We'll commit a lot of added ingredients to the hole to increase our chances of a long term success. Our Zone 4 climate is a bear. We lose a few things every spring, and they can be trees or bushes that had survived several winters before succumbing to whatever.

Just saw one of these today. Going through some fairly tough stuff. Quite large auger.

Toro Dingo Compact Utility Loader Attachments – Mini Backhoe – Commercial Trencher – Earth Augers

 

[witel]

Some backhoe-mounted hydraulic post-hole-diggers (with augers) from Belltec Industries, Inc.: