Backhoe Backhoe learning curve

[Harv]

<font color=blue>As for rocks . . . well, we don't have any.</font color=blue>

Want some? /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[Bird]

NO!!! But thanks for the offer, Harv./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Bird

 

[RichNJ]

I was told this walk-behind ditch witch could handle rocks about as large as a cantaloupe. And I did hit one that large. It took a minute or two for the machine to get it up out of the trench. I have bigger rocks here and lots of them. I was hoping that I wouldn't run into too many of the big variety in the 100 feet I had to go.

 

[dmccarty]

Vermonster,

Its a MIRICLE! I found the book. Took a while but I found it after giving up hope of every finding it. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
The name of the books is "TLB Operating Techniques Revised edition." I'm reading from the bill of sale and I'm sure thats not the complete title but is what they have listed. The book and shipping was 45.00 dollars. OUCH! Its only a large paper back but it is an book that a union of Operating Engineers use as a text book which is why it cost the dollars. I somehow found this book at http:// [url]www.equiptrain.com. [/url] I don't have a clue how I found this site much less the book! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

This is a very good book for operating/maintaining a back hoe and front end loader. The safety info about the tractor's changing center of gravity is pretty good as well as using the hoe and FEL to hop over ditches. I need to go back and reread the book. Lots of good stuff.

I found my copy of the "Excavation and Grading Handbook" book that I had listed previously. This book is written for the contractor building roads and parking lots. Interesting but well beyond what I need to do on my property. If I was a paving/grading contractor this book would be in my work truck.

I ordered the book I found on Amazon, "Backhoe Loader Handbook : Advanced Techniques for ..."
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0924659726/ref=pd_sim_books/104-6531222-5787968

Hope this helps....
Dan McCarty

 

[GlueGuy]

I used a ditch witch to do the propane line to our house; about 140'. It did NOT handle the rocks very well at all. Small ones up to about 8" or 10" in diameter were OK, but larger were impossible. I ended up doing half of the trench by hand with a pick axe. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Since I had to go 24" deep, I had to use the "jumbo" model. It must have weighed 800 or 900 lbs. Was a mother bear to maneuver.

One wheel dropped in a hole, and I could not get it out. If I had had Lucy, I would have done something different. At the time, the best I could do was chain it to the jeep to pull it out.

The GlueGuy

 

[mikim]

Dem witches are heavy fer sure ... I've rented several over the years for a variety of reasons and you'll know you did a days work when you're done. The one thing I learned (the hard way of course) is always rent a bigger one than you think you need. the ones that say they'll dig 24" deep ... yeah but... you'll be using a trench shovel to clean out to reach that depth. I've used 'em in rocky areas too where the rocks were up to 12" in diameter and PLENTIFUL - in otherwise loose soil and it handled that --- otherwise it may be hoe time.
mike

 

[PaulT]

I have a 4672 kubota hoe on my 2710. I just dig a ditch for a neighbor who wanted to run water to his new horse barn. Since you're up here in the northeast, you'll need a ditch at least 4 feet deep (I am assuming you want to go below the frost line). It would be cheaper to use a hoe than a trencher to go that deep. I am a newbie hoe operator, and I was able to dig the 100 foot trench in about 5 hours. This included the fussy work at both ends (can't understand why my neighbor cared about keeping the side of his brand new house unmarred/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif), and a 45 degree turn in the middle. I have a 12" bucket, and I would say that you could get 10/15 yards per hour dug per hour at that depth. If you have the 4690 hoe I should have bought, you could probably go about 10-20% faster (easier to reach the depth before moving the tractor)

I vote buy a 90inch self-contained hoe!

PaulT

 

[RayBee]

Boondox
The most difficult part of having the BH maybe deciding to part with the $7k. Once you have it you won't know how you
worked without one. I never ran one before I bought the Woods 7500 for my B2710 and I marvel at all the digging
projects I've had in the 10 months since I bought it.
Heck, I don't want to take it off the tractor. Take the plunge, you can always hire out to your neigbors. The
self contained / frame model works very well. Good Luck

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Try one of these, you do not have to worry about stones.
http://www.wolfeequipment.com/wheel.jpg
http://www.wolfeequipment.com/wolfe.jpg
http://www.wolfeequipment.com/plow.jpg

<font color=blue>Robert Turk Jr.</font color=blue>
<font color=blue>Whitetail Splendor Deer Farms</font color=blue>
<font color=blue>Silver Creek, NY</font color=blue>

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Muhammad on 11/07/01 09:43 AM (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Ummm... where does the guy sit when he is piloting the first contraption there? Or is it a three-point mounted jobbie with it's own motor?/w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

New Kelley B750 3pt. hoes w/15" buckets $3750.00 for a freight quote email your zip code to agwholesaler@hotmail.com

 

[hayden]

Pete,

Bring me another bag of coffee and I'll tell you exactly what you want to hear. You can even try my backhoe to set the final hook so you buy one!

But back on a serious note.....

As for trenchers, I rented a walk behind for running an electric line and and would not recommend assuming your soil is as rock-laden as ours. The grapefruit sized rocks are fine, but when they approach the size of a dog the rock will win. Also, I couldn't get any deeper than 18-24 inches. 4 feet would have been out of the question. Maybe a bigger unit would work better, but the really big rocks will still be a problem.

I dug my water line with a 16" bucket and kind of liked the size since I could walk down the trench to roll out the pipe. I don't think the larger width slows the digging, but it does make a bigger scar.

It's not hard to learn either. A bit clumsey at first, and the advise to run slow while you're learning is well worth taking.

 

[PaulT]

I bet you're right about the speed of a 12" bucket vs a 16" bucket. I bought my 12" specifically for digging drainage trenches, because a 12" ditch uses 25% less gravel backfill than a 16" ditch. Purely economical. Pete , if you're going to dig big holes and if you will usually backfill with the dirt you removed, go with the 16" bucket. But if you think you will do a lot of trenching and refill with gravel(or sand - like a propane pipeline) I'd go with 12" to cut backfill cost.

PaulT

 

[dmccarty]

Since everyone is talking about bucket size and how important size can be, /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif, I'll add my two cents.

When the power company contractors came out to dig the trench to put in the conduit for my neighbors they had a backhoe and not a trencher. I asked the power company and they said they used backhoes not trenchers. I was not smart enough to ask why. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Code required them to dig either 36 or 48 inches. I forgot which. They used and old Ford 555 back hoe with a very LONG 12 inch bucket. Not a short bucket but one that must have been designed for digging deep thin trenches. My area has lots of rock and they brought up quite a bit. And they were diggin on the side of a many made road bed. Even then they were getting some big rocks.

SOOOO, if you where going to be doing a lot of trenching a 12inch bucket might be worth a thought. I compromised and got a 18 inch bucket. Seems just the right size.... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Later...
Dan McCarty

 

[JiminMI]

I vote for getting the backhoe and keeping it. It is cheaper to rent stuff but I like collecting attachments. A buddy suggested that I practice with mine by picking up "Dixie Cups" in the backyard. I got so that I could pick them up and pile them in a wheelbarrow. Then on to my first ditch!!! It went without a problem and I have since dug a number of 200 ft diches 48 inches deep and was really proud of them.
Great way tp practice was the paper cups....

JiminMI

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Rent a trincher, and use a roll of quest pipe, less joints to glue.

 

[Hightech]

Re: Woods 9000 Hoe

Does anyone have a pic of a Woods 9000 with Subframe? (not mounted to tractor) If so, could you post it?
Thanks

 

[Anonymous Poster]

HO-Ho-ho. I was releived to find another that saw the trencher better than the bhoe. I've layed in a number and unless big rocks are the problem the trencher is the answer. When the soil is rocky bed pipe in sand or it can be sleeved in an up size of pipe. Thats my 2 cents.