Backhoe Backhoe Usage

[Mousefield]

Along this thread -
How much "force" to use on the hoe?
I'm trying to break out a maple stump with some major roots. Using my ride in my sig.

Some are thick enough that I have to cut them with a chain saw. But frequently I find myself curling the bucket and the front end, with FEL dropped to ground, lifting a foot off the ground, where I HAVE TO GRADUALLY LOWER IT. I'm going to try and add weight to the front (chain on a box blade) but I am concerned about damaging the hoe.

If it's strong enough to curl are the cylinders strong enough to take it?

I have found I need to dig a bigger hole around the stump to get the smaller roots. Trying to get the stump up digging right next to it pretty hard. I have cut a few roots with the chainsaw in my time but don't want to do that any more.

 

[Barely Smokin']

Yeah, definitely, if you can't break through the roots, you're too close to the tree. Such is life with a small backhoe, but the same is true with a big one.

Also, always visualize what cross-section of the bucket you presenting to the dirt you're trying to excavate. Unlike a dog digging a hole, the technique with a BH is to knife in behind the dirt, and knife through it/under it, not scrape it up out of the hole. The attitude of the bucket relative to the "pull" direction is critical.

 

[pat32rf]

My JD hoe has the hydraulic lines exposed on top of the outrigger cylinders. If you are out in the bush building trails and drop a rock on the line (or its fittings) it will be the LIFT port that breaks off, leaving you stuck with the feet down a long way from your tools....

 

[HunterWare]

I can't speak about using a ripper from experience (yet... mine's on order), but looking through the threads it seems like several people with smaller CUTs have used them to good effect. Cheapest implement I've purchased too.

 

[FLHayman]

I have a 3pt rhino 65 backhoe and I've found that it works much better for digging up stumps with the smallest bucket (8" wide) since you can get more leverage. I like to use the curl of the bucket rather than pulling the whole arm to break roots or hard dirt. If you use the side of the bucket to push dirt back in the hole after you're done, go very easy since it's a force that all the joints aren't as strong in........better if you use a bucket/loader or come back with a box blade. One other suggestion is that even though I put mine up in a shed, the top cylinder rod is almost completely exposed when I park it, so I smear some lithium grease over that to prevent pitting, unless I'm using it again very soon.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I hear you on the smaller bucket. I thought ours was 18" but when I look closer it is a 24" JD makes a 12" for it and that would be ideal and really cut my dig time. Today it was a very old box elder with some very large roots. After making a triangle around the tree the FEL pushed it over without much stress.

It had rained on the grass and hard ground was so slick on to it was had to move well with the BH. After it went over I had to use the hoe to pull the BH back up the hill away from the crater.