Backhoe Backhoe working like a charm

Rice Rider · Nov 21, 2011

I've have had my BH 76 now for several years and combined with my L3400 HST, it gets the job done and then some. I've moved larger rocks when I was digging out the slope and preparing the pad for my wood shop, but my wife had a camera in her hands when I was digging out this monster. Once I stood it up, I had to drill it and use Dexpan to break it up into moveable chunks.

mguitas · Nov 21, 2011

There's alot of power when you curl the bucket.

nspec · Nov 21, 2011

Nice job! At the risk of being a busybody, I've got to tell you - you really shouldn't have that tractor so high off the ground when you're digging. The stabilizers are just that - meant to stabilize. They work best when the load is just taken off the wheels but the wheels are still making a little contact with the ground. Same with the front end. I know all the Kubota pics show the bucket dumped full as you have it - and it works great like that - but it puts a tremendous amount of stress on those fully exposed curl cylinders.

I've got the BH-75 and I know how strong the hoes are for our light tractors. They will drag the machine all over the place. Four wheels on the ground will help stop the tractor from dragging much better. There really is no benefit to lifting the tractor up as high as it will go with the stabilizers.

Another thing I've done is bolted 'cleats' onto my stabilizer pads so they grip better in soft ground, rather than sliding around. Can be done very easily with a couple pieces of heavy angle bolted into the holes that the street pads bolt onto.

mguitas · Nov 21, 2011

Nspec your wright about the stabs being too high, yet at the same time you see alot of construction workers doing the same thing.

creekbend · Nov 21, 2011

It appears that your backhoe is surely capable of doing the job. Enjoy your seat time and good luck with your project. Please stay safe.:tractor::thumbsup:

Kyle241 · Nov 21, 2011

Thats a nice size bolder to remove with that BH! They are built well and can really surprise you.

nspec said:
Nice job! At the risk of being a busybody, I've got to tell you - you really shouldn't have that tractor so high off the ground when you're digging. The stabilizers are just that - meant to stabilize. They work best when the load is just taken off the wheels but the wheels are still making a little contact with the ground. Same with the front end. I know all the Kubota pics show the bucket dumped full as you have it - and it works great like that - but it puts a tremendous amount of stress on those fully exposed curl cylinders.

I did not know this. I thought having the stabilizers fully extended helped prevent the tractor from moving around.

BeezFun · Nov 21, 2011

mguitas said:
... at the same time you see alot of construction workers doing the same thing.

My experience is that construction workers are the poster child for what not to do when it comes to machine damage or safety.

Is this the 3pt backhoe, or is it on a subframe? Everytime I go on a backhoe purchasing fantasy I get derailed trying to figure out which kind to get.

don white · Nov 21, 2011

I have read several times on this site about the stabilizers being to high. I am not sure I agree. I for one like to get the wheels up off the ground and have no problem with the tractor moving around when they are. What I don't like is to be digging and discover my wheels are on the ground. If the wheels are on the ground while digging it is my humble opinion there is load being applied to the axles. I don't see how that can be good. Even with my B26 and only 150 hours the stabilizers drift down while digging. There is a lot of load on those cylinders. I check frequently to be sure my wheels are off the ground. I also generally keep the tractor out of gear while digging.

I am very interest to hear other opinions and input on this question. I guess the issue is are the axles and transmission meant to receive load while digging.

I do walk my machine while digging to re-position. When I am doing it I have the stabilizers close to the ground and the bucked in scoop position and lightly on the ground. The machine is very stable this way and walks easily. The tractor is in neutral for this operation also.

tshep · Nov 21, 2011

I happen to have the Ober book from a local library right now.

He suggests 2 points.

Tires, front or rear, on the ground will 'give' as the hoe moves and the give will 'echo' throughout the whole motion and operators body parts! I can vouch for that - less over shoot and shake when all the wheels are up and FEL bucket and stabilizers down.

Once the tires are up, you next want the widest stance you can set - typically setting the wheels at the lowest stance where they are still barely up - should leave the 2 stabilizer pads at the largest distance between. They would then resist the greatest torque / angle 'lever' force trying to move the machine. A higher cab is 'tippier' and the 'lever' to resist force is shorter also.

wirenut · Nov 21, 2011

load being applied to the axles

.

Hello.....It's a tractor!

93Mustang · Nov 21, 2011

BeezFun said:
Everytime I go on a backhoe purchasing fantasy I get derailed trying to figure out which kind to get.

I have those fantasies too- I get derailed by the price tag!

Verticaltrx · Nov 21, 2011

wirenut said:
.

Hello.....It's a tractor!

Indeed it is, not an industrial TLB.

Regardless, you can put a tremendous amount of pressure on the rear axle if you don't have the stabilizers down and pry up on something with the bucket (especially with the curl function.) Generally you won't wreck something the first time, or first 10 times, but repeated loading of the rear axle that much is really hard on it.

I've run many different backhoes for more hours than I can remember and agree with lifting the tires a bit off the ground. I don't drop the stabilizers as far down as they go, but do lift the rear wheels 2-3" off the ground.

Anyways, to the OP, that is a great pic. You can do a lot of work with that size hoe with some practice. :thumbsup:

Rice Rider · Nov 22, 2011

I would have to agree that having my wheels off the ground does keep me planted in one place and also keeps the tractor from shaking so much. If you look at the photo, you will see that my FEL is on a concrete ramp headed downhill and one of the stabs is also on the concrete so I needed to make sure the tractor was not going to roll one bit with this big rock, as tipping is NOT an option in my book.

don white · Nov 22, 2011

wirenut said:
.

Hello.....It's a tractor!

I understand it is a tractor and guess what tractors break. Axles bend and housings bust.

I just went out to the garage and got my manual. Kubota does call for the widest stance possible. It states one or both rear wheels should LIGHTLY contact the ground. "If the rear wheels are raised to high, digging depth will be reduced and undue stress will be exerted on the backhoe frame components."
So Kubota Engineers are more concerned with the stress on the frame then on the wheels. I gotta go with that cause I am betting a stress analysis was done.

Kyle241 · Nov 22, 2011

don white said:
I understand it is a tractor and guess what tractors break. Axles bend and housings bust.

I just went out to the garage and got my manual. Kubota does call for the widest stance possible. It states one or both rear wheels should LIGHTLY contact the ground. "If the rear wheels are raised to high, digging depth will be reduced and undue stress will be exerted on the backhoe frame components."
So Kubota Engineers are more concerned with the stress on the frame then on the wheels. I gotta go with that cause I am betting a stress analysis was done.

Thanks for this! I didn't even think to look at the manual. Why then do they allow the stabilizers to go to the extent they do? Is it the only way to engineer them?

kcender · Nov 22, 2011

Kyle241 said:
Thanks for this! I didn't even think to look at the manual. Why then do they allow the stabilizers to go to the extent they do? Is it the only way to engineer them?

The stabilizers have to be useful on uneven ground.I have been in situations where one stabilizer had to be fully extended to touch the ground such as near the edge of a ditch.

nspec · Nov 22, 2011

I didn't mean to open up a whole can of worms. My original point was that the stabilizers don't need to be fully extended and the bucket fully dumped with the whole machine 3 feet off the ground. An inch or two is sufficient, safer, and easier on the machine. There is no added benefit in lifting the tractor all the way up versus an inch or two. Off the ground is off the ground - any higher and you lose stability and stress the equipment more. Of course the stabilizers get fully extended at times; uneven ground, etc... when you so this, you simply level the machine and again keep it just slightly off the ground. Nothing to be gained by going higher.

LBrown59 · Nov 22, 2011

BeezFun said:
My experience is that construction workers are the poster child for what not to do when it comes to machine damage or safety.

Is this the 3pt backhoe, or is it on a subframe? Everytime I go on a backhoe purchasing fantasy I get derailed trying to figure out which kind to get.

Stay away from a 3 point backhoe!