Branson BH 76 Backhoe mounting

Hayloft · Dec 21, 2020

For the 3520H. OK I know this is a dumb question but has anyone had trouble mounting the backhoe onto the tractor ? Supposed to be kindergarten simple. My backhoe has been off the tractor while I have been using 3-pt attachments and now that I'm ready to do some trenching I'm finding it is hard to get backhoe mounted back on the tractor.
See awhile back when the backhoe was getting dismounted I had some family help to remove & park the hoe. (At my age I take all the help I can get loading and unloading things) Yep - it got set down on uneven ground. Now I can't seem to get the twin alignment fittings to line up. Wondered if there are any helpful tricks getting the hoe lined up to remount ? I know now that the hoe should have been parked in a good level spot on hard ground - but that don't help right now. It's a good lesson learned if I can just get the hoe back on now.
If you fellas get done laughing I appreciate your suggestions.

Branson Bob · Dec 21, 2020

If you managed to get the hydraulic lines connected consider that a small but necessary victory. There's lots of people who struggle with that simple operation due to the hydraulic pressure that builds up in the backhoe based largely on whether there's any hydraulic sag/drift when the backhoe is sitting. That's a different conversation though.

Our property doesn't have a flat spot to place the backhoe so I feel your pain. My best advice doesn't amount to much. Obviously you have to line the subframe up just about perfectly. The only other thing I can say is that you have three levers at work, the backhoe bucket and the 2 stabilizers/outriggers. You should try to anticipate and understand the cause and effect for each of these so that you can get the right elevation to drive the hooks into the rear pins and then lift the front end of the backhoe into place to swing up those little hook arms.

It's likely I didn't tell you anything you didn't already figure out. Good luck.

ericm979 · Dec 22, 2020

Mine's parked on a slight slope too.

Once the hydraulics are connected, I use the outriggers to lift the hoe up high enough for the hooks to mesh with the 3pt mount bolts on the axle. I had been backing and filling the tractor to get it lined up, and found that since it's on a slope, when I raise the hoe it also moves sideways some too, making it a frustrating exercise. But I found that I can use the bucket on the ground (moving the boom) to move the hoe sideways a little to line it up. Once the hooks are in and it's resting on them, then you need to line up the front. Again, the bucket on the ground and the boom can help with this, though it does not take much motion. Pushing down with the boom lowers the end of the BH frame with the latches on it, raising it lets the frame come up to the tractor.

To address the hydraulic pressure build up I made two gadgets that has two quick connects on a tee with a valve and cap. They get plugged in to the BH and grapple when they are removed from the tractor. I can remove the cap (keeps dirt out) and open the valve to let the pressure out before unplugging the gadget and connecting the hoses to the tractor.

defranks · Dec 22, 2020

Like eric979, I attach the hydraulics and then manipulate the entire hoe using the outriggers and bucket. Sometimes it goes on in 30 seconds, sometimes it takes five minutes, depending upon how well I perform the manipulations.

Hayloft · Dec 23, 2020

Thanks for the responses. Today I had to put the boxblade back on for some driveway repairs after the latest downpour but I plan to be back on the backhoe mounting adventure next week. Regards all.

houska · Dec 23, 2020

I'm a pretty new tractor owner; got my first tractor (+backhoe) less than 2 years ago. That means I have lots of experience cursing while putting on the backhoe badly, but much less experience doing it well.

Like you, I don't have a nice flat concrete pad for my backhoe. When off, it gets stored under a convenient tree.

Like @ericm979, I've found manipulating the bucket part of the "tripod" invaluable. The videos (that make it look easy) show moving the boom up and down. In addition, especially when there's a bit of sideways slope, moving the boom very slighly from side to side pivots the hoe a tiny bit around the bucket "leg" of the tripod. So I fiddle with the positioning of the tractor and the outriggers enough to get one side to mount perfectly, and then I use this little side pivot, plus the boom up down and outrigger on the remaining side, to swing in the other side. It only works for an inch or so, but that's enough to get around the frustration of getting one side aligned, but not the other, and repeating over and over again.

By the way, I've learnt (the hard way, of course), once both back hooks latch on to the hoe, to also use that bucket side-to-side to ensure the hoe is "flat" against the back of the pins, so that the front of the subframe is centered under the tractor chassis when it swings up. Otherwise one side or other is crowded when you try to put in the front L-shaped pins and hold them in place.

It's all easier as a two-person job, one person on the tractor seat and the other operating the BH controls, and both contributing curse words as necessary.
The last time, the ground was squelchy and I found myself making a mud hole with the bucket rather than pivoting the BH. Very sensibly, my wife (at the tractor controls) suggested it was worth it to disconnect the hydraulics, go fetch a boulder with the loader and dump it beside the BH bucket for the bucket to press against, *and* back up properly in more optimal position rather than continuing to wallow like a hippo in the mud.

Good luck!