Backhoe dolly - John Deere 485 on 3720

CntryDR · Nov 13, 2016

I finally got around to building a dolly. Mostly to ease storage and moving it around my shop when not on the tractor but also to see if I could lessen the aggravation of getting it on and off.

My 485 has always been unruly - despite multiple trips back to the dealer for adjustments when it was new it just never went on easy, often binding as it lifted up and then needing a floor jack or hooking up the outriggers to lift it up a bit more one side or the other to allow the pins to go in.

After a lot of mocking up and trial and error I ended up getting the right height and the 5 degrees of backwards tilt that allows it to go on easily. It sets on the dolly perfectly and moves around easily with one person.
No more risking life and limb trying to wrestle this thing into a corner to store for the winter!

Have a look!

daschluck · Nov 13, 2016

Great job! I would love to do something similar. One point holding me back is that I worry it will be a little unstable setting on casters. Have you noticed anything like that?

Billrog · Nov 13, 2016

Nice work looks good :thumbsup:

CntryDR · Nov 13, 2016

No daschluck, it is not unsteady at all.
The hoe sits in the tabs made on the front crossmember and cannot move sideways or backwards.
You can't see it clearly but I have a chain hook on my bucket and positioned the angle iron between the two uprights such that the hook catches it as it sits down on the dolley - works great so that the hoe is held in place on both ends.
I worried about stability as well but looking at pictures of other peoples builds, as well as a video from a previous thread on this forum, showed me the idea would work.
The front crossmember is built a bit heavier as I figured it would take more direct weight, the casters are rated for 500 lbs each ( the heaviest I could get at the right height ) but there is definitely enough weight on the bucket end too as it does not seem front heavy when moving it.
You can literally grab the cylinder on the bucket end and pull it around on the cement floor with one hand.
300$ Canadian dollars and about 10 hours of my time to complete.

Aquamoose · Nov 14, 2016

I'm surprised by the type of wheels you used. Don't you worry that it will get flattened over time? I did the same thing for my BH and at first, I used neoprene wheels that didn't work very well so I switched them out for steel wheels.

CntryDR · Nov 14, 2016

Aquamoose said:
I'm surprised by the type of wheels you used. Don't you worry that it will get flattened over time? I did the same thing for my BH and at first, I used neoprene wheels that didn't work very well so I switched them out for steel wheels.

View attachment 487871

I looked at steel wheeled casters wandering the same thing. I couldn't find a steel set that were the right diameter to get the height I needed ( they were all a larger diameter wheel and hence too tall).
According to the staff person at the industrial supply store where I got them they are heavy enough to withstand the load and not deform - they don't sag at all that you can see when you put the hoe on - I guess I'll know for sure in the spring!!

dickfoster · Nov 14, 2016

Good job. Having a dolly is well worth the effort. I had to make a modification to mine so it would work but now it's great. It makes getting the hoe back on so much easier.

MNgrayBeard · Jun 17, 2017

Would you be willing to share dimensional drawings? I have a 485 coming and would really appreciate being able to move it around easily. Thank you!

CntryDR · Jun 20, 2017

MNgrayBeard said:
Would you be willing to share dimensional drawings? I have a 485 coming and would really appreciate being able to move it around easily. Thank you!

I don't have any plans drawn out but I can measure it and come up with a drawing. It won't be draftsman quality! - but it should help you out.
Mine is a 2009 version of the 485.
I am uncertain if there were any changes over the years that hoe has been made so I would measure yours before you start.

I can tell you it is one of the best things I have ever built - it works great, both for storage and getting it on and off the tractor, and also for keeping my root rake and ditching buckets all in one place as well as it turns out! ( you can store them on it as well with the hoe in place).

Someone previously asked about the casters - I can tell you they held up fine - no flat spots etc and roll like the day I finished it after sitting for 5 months on a concrete floor. I purchased them at Princess Auto here in Canada.

I will post some additional pictures and a drawing with the measurements as soon as I can.