backhoe dolly

[rjmack]

i was surfing youtube last year and saw a good idea for a backhoe dolly out of wood. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRNO35pwUkE]backhoe dolly - YouTube[/ame]

so I decided to build one out of scrap steel, and used 6" casters instead of 5".

it works okay, next one i will build an offset into the front of the frame to enable it to wheel in and out from under the backhoe without having to use the outriggers to lift the machine up. i'll probably go to a harder caster as well, either poly or steel instead of rubber... that hoe is fairly heavy so the soft material on the caster makes wheeling the dolly a bit more difficult than it could be.

Massey Ferguson GC2410 backhoe dolly - YouTube

 

[not2old]

Excellent information. This video will be a great help when I build one for myself. Thanks for posting.

 

[sfloggie]

Agreed..very good. Thank you.

 

[bumperm]

Just finished a dolly for the BH77 on my B3350. Using a simple T shape with 3 casters requires the extra 4 X 4 "block" to raise the bucket end so the lower end of the boom has clearance over the dolly. Tubes are 3" X 1.5" .120 wall, so fairly heavy, but it's what I had laying around :c). Cups for holding lower pins are from 1.5" ID pipe. Dolly has clearance to wheel into place under backhoe with stabilizers up. Will take another picture later with the hoe on it.







bumper

 

[irvingj]

Nice work! When you going into production??:laughing:

 

[bumperm]

Nice work! When you going into production??:laughing:

Thanks for the compliment.

Any decade now!

I started retiring in my early 50's, as Mondays were hectic at the office . . . so I took Mondays off. Tuesdays immediately got way too busy, so I took them off too . . . etc. This went on for a few years until I was down to 3 hours a week - - sign checks and say "Hi" to everyone, then go fly my planes or glider :c).

Late 60's now and haven't set foot at the "company" for years. Son and his wife run it. Still, I've never been busier, and have no idea why I never seem to quite catch up! But I *am* having fun when I don't dwell on what's happening in DC and to the country I love.

bumper

 

[murphy1244]

Anyone make one for a Kioti 2485?

 

[bumperm]

Anyone make one for a Kioti 2485?

Murph,

I'd think most any steel fabricator or someone handy with wood could do it.

While I prefer steel for this sort of project, I've seen quite serviceable dolly's made from wood. The important thing is to select casters with adequate load rating and wheel diameter, and to locate them under the support points or nearly so. That way there's not much stress or loading, other than vertical compression, to the frame itself.

If I were building another*, I'd move the two wheels at the front a little further apart, maybe a couple of inches each side to add more stability (on my rig I can't go a lot further and have the dolly fit in easily. It's probably stable enough as is, as the center of gravity on the hoe is fairly low - and I can push hard on the assembly in any direction without apparent instability. It's one of those more is better things I guess.

Another design consideration is height of the dolly, especially the front, heavy end, supports. It's nice to be able to roll it in place without having to lift the back of the tractor with the hoe stabilizer. Also, and depending on the hoe attach design, I made mine so it is just tall enough to engage the "guide flanges" on the frame mount to keep the dolly right where it want's to be when lining up to reattach the hoe to the tractor.

* I honestly cannot think of anything I've ever invented or made that I didn't almost immediately think of a "better way" right after I'd made the first one!

bumper

 

[tractchores]

wow really nice! I made a wood one for my BH65, but very similar design. I was able to get the height to match with the tractor perfectly so there's no using the outriggers to raise or lower it, I just wheel it into plact, push up with the bucket and pop the pins in. Metal would be better, though the wood has held up well for over a year now.

I created a platform for the bucket on mine that was a couple inches wider than the bucket. That's wehre the force is applied when lifting it into place, that allowed me to also get 2 casters under it to handle the weight better and to let me move it around with more stability. For the casters i went with heavy duty rubber ones as I find they tend to roll over small bumps on smooth concrete VS hard plastic, which likes to slide if you hit anything.

This is a link to the one I did out of wood, there's a few good designs on TBN for different tractors, but they all seem to look similar to the 't' type of style. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/236155-bh65-backhoe-dolly-build.html

 

[bumperm]

tractchores,

I agree re. plastic wheels. The ones I used are here:

Albion 16 Series Industrial Medium Duty Caster - 6" x 2" Mold-On Rubber on Iron Wheel Swivel Caster - Amazon.com

BTW Albion used to be US made, but the forks and frame on these look suspiciously similar to something you'd find at Harbor Freight. Seem to be good quality though.

6", rubber on steel, 500 lb capacity. They seem to deal with the weight very well. IIRC, my BH77 is 850 lb, so there's plenty of reserve with only 3 wheels. One thing I've learned is not to take import wheels near their max load.


bumper

 

[tractchores]

Nice, very similar to what I got (got them at home depot, not sure of the brand). Where'd you get the weight on your BH77? Kubota lists my BH65 at 1400 lbs and I assume it's smaller.

 

[bumperm]

Strange that Kubota doesn't include the BH77 weight "up-front" in the Op manual or brochure . . . but I saw that weight, 850 lb *somewhere*! Searching the net, it's listed on this page as 850 lb: BH77 Kubota BACKHOES

As well, from moving and dealing with machinery (I have a "hobby" machine shop at my hangar), 850 lb "seems" about what it should weigh, rather than 1400.

Note that the BH77, as equipped for mounting on the new B50 series tractor, probably weighs at least 100 lb more that the normal version as it has a bolt on extension to move the 4 point mount almost a foot (I think 11") further out. This due to the clearance issue with the enclosed cab. The net effect is the operator position is still a bit cramped if you're tall, and the extension causes a bit more aggravation when transporting the rig with a trailer.

Also, when I had my B3350 delivered, we did some doe-see-doeing getting the attachments off the truck. With the backhoe on, and the loader removed, you can lift the front of the tractor with one hand! Totally weird as the tractor willingly does wheelies and doesn't steer worth a darn in that config.

bumper

 

[tractchores]

That weight sounds more reasonable. I could only find the bh65 weight as the 'shipping weight' in the specs... I bet its closer to 700-800 and the 1440 is a typo, or maybe includes the sub frame or something. I never tried it without the FEL, but the light front end doesn't surpise me. A loaded carry-all of wood does the same thing on mine.

 

[irvingj]

Hey, Bumperm... another aviator? Still working on my license, but have spent the last two years (almost) fixing stuff. Bucket list kind of thing, nearing retirement, shoestring budget, but I got myself a '56 PA-22-150 and have been having a blast (most of the time) learning how to fix full-scale things with wings.... Here's my baby: