Backhoe Build A Backhoe For PT425... It Could Happen

[Beechwood]

Hmmm. I set the left/right angle of the blade with the quick attach circuit, the height of my blade with the dump/curl circuit, then put the FEL arms in float.

Are you saying you put the plow's left/right (quick attach) circuit into float with your new valve? So you now have float on the quick attach circuit and the FEL arms? That sounds interesting. If the plow is free to pivot left/right, how do you keep it from flipping back and forth on you as you turn your steering wheel? Maybe we should start another thread on this, as it sounds interesting.

MR; I don't have the quick attach hydraulic circuit on the 180 (It's a manual quick attach ) All I did was change out the tilt (curl ) cyl. spool with a float spool so now my snow blade will pivot up and down on an uneven surface without having to put the lift arms in float. I just have to remember to pop it out of float when I'm piling up the snow. Any way I didn't mean to hijack your thread.

 

[MossRoad]

Hey, it's a discussion about hydraulics and I am currently in the hydraulic stage of my backhoe build. That makes it completely rellevant! Thanks for the explanation.

 

[MossRoad]

Picked up three 3x16 cylinders over the weekend for $92.00 a poke. Also spent about two hours sanding, priming and making more brackets from that 1/2" diamond plate.

Running totals:
Time = 46 hrs.
Approximate Cost = $850

 

[MossRoad]

Threw another hour at it the other day. Mounted the boom cylinder.

Running totals:
Time = 47 hrs.
Approximate Cost = $850

 

[MossRoad]

In the up position, once the dipper is installed, I am guessing I will be able to lift well over 6'. Probably closer to 7' and still keep the bucket curled up. In the down position, once the dipper is installed, I know it will be able to dig 6' deep. The boom cylinder still has another 4" of travel and that does not include the depth of the bucket, either. So I'm guessing it will be closer to 8' deep. Not bad. Hopefully I can get back on it this weekend and mount the dipper and start working on the outriggers.

 

[MossRoad]

Picked up $80.00 worth of bolts for pins. I should have everything I need now, except the hydraulic valves and hoses.

Still need to fabricate bucket linkage, floor, valve stand and a few other things. On hold for the holidays....

Running totals:
Time = 47 hrs.
Approximate Cost = $930

 

[MossRoad]

Ordered three, two spool valves with joysticks from Surplus Center yesterday. Due to arrive in a week or so. I also ordered three power beyond plugs, just in case I need them to power stuff down stream. Total was under $700.00.

Plan is to stack them across the front of the operator on a pedestal. Left and right joysticks will control boom swing, depth, dipper extension and bucket curl. The center joystick will control the left and right outriggers and I will add a manual diverter valve to allow it to control a powered thumb. I don't want to use an electric diverter valve so I don't have to run DC to the attachment.

The reason I chose the valves with joysticks already attached is that assembling a stacked valve, then adding joysticks to it, like the prince valves, turned out to be more expensive to get all the features that the valves I ordered already had.

Now, if it would just stop snowing and raining for a few days at the end of next week, I can get this thing wrapped up and ready for hoses and paint! Hopefully it will be finished by the end of May.

Running totals:
Time = 47 hrs.
Approximate Cost = $1600.00

 

[KentT]

Thanks for the update, MR. I was wondering when you'd get back to this -- or if if was going to turn into another "grapple bucket" project...

Did you get straight or angled shafts on the joysticks? Just wondering, as to how the operator position and the mounting of the valves would be considered. It seems that short, straight shafts would be the better alternative for the operator...

 

[MossRoad]

Straight shafts.

 

[MossRoad]

My valves with joysticks arrived this week and I was able to mount them today. Here are some pictures. All I need to do now is plumb them, make sure everything works correctly, add the floor, the outrigger pads, a bucket and linkage, then disassemble everything and paint it.

 

[MossRoad]

Here's a link to the valves that I bought. They are made by Brand Hydraulics and I got them through Surplus Center. They have float on one spool and regen on the other. I bought three of them. The one on the right will control the boom up and down and dipper stick in and out. The one on the left will control left and right swing and the bucket curl in and out. The center one will control the left and right outriggers and I will probably add a manual diverter valve so that it can control a hydraulic thumb out by the bucket. I still have to purchase that.

 

[MossRoad]

Grubbed up a nice piece of 3/8-1/2 diamond plate. It is about 3' x 5' with some weird wing shaped pieces that are about 18" by 25". I estimate the weight at 300 pounds. I cut out some 2" wide stips. These will be the linkage for the bucket, as well as the bucket re-enforcement, and bucket teeth.

I only have about 8" of my 1" I.D. tubing left. I hope I can make it without having to buy any more.

Running totals:
Time = 49 hrs.
Approximate Cost = $1600.00

 

[Rivco]

MR;
Are you planning to fabricate your backhoe buckets, or buy ready made buckets and reto fit them to your backhoe?, and are you going to direct link the dipper arm( curl ) cyl. to the bucket or use pivot arm linkage like the PT mini hoe?. I've been following your progress since the start,great job.

 

[J_J]

Here's a link to the valves that I bought. They are made by Brand Hydraulics and I got them through Surplus Center. They have float on one spool and regen on the other. I bought three of them. The one on the right will control the boom up and down and dipper stick in and out. The one on the left will control left and right swing and the bucket curl in and out. The center one will control the left and right outriggers and I will probably add a manual diverter valve so that it can control a hydraulic thumb out by the bucket. I still have to purchase that.

David, Do those joystick valves come with power-beyond? Will you be able to operate more than function at a time, and are you going to use the AUX circuit or the PTO circuit? I tried mine on the aux circuit, and it worked fairly well. I still might use the PTO circuit with a throttle valve in-line to regulate speed.

JJ

 

[MossRoad]

MR;
Are you planning to fabricate your backhoe buckets, or buy ready made buckets and reto fit them to your backhoe?, and are you going to direct link the dipper arm( curl ) cyl. to the bucket or use pivot arm linkage like the PT mini hoe?. I've been following your progress since the start,great job.

Thanks for the kind comments.

Yes, I am going to fabricate my bucket(s). I have some triangular shaped plates that I want to use for the side. If one works out well, I will be able to eventually make several identical buckets of different widths.

The plans call for pivot arm linkage, so that's what I'm doing. I'm using 2" wide strips of 3/8 diamond plate about 12" long. I have 4 of them. As soon as I get some time, I have to drill holes in the ends and tack on some bushings.

 

[MossRoad]

David, Do those joystick valves come with power-beyond? Will you be able to operate more than function at a time, and are you going to use the AUX circuit or the PTO circuit? I tried mine on the aux circuit, and it worked fairly well. I still might use the PTO circuit with a throttle valve in-line to regulate speed.

JJ

JJ,
I bought three power beyond plugs. I think I will need two. The valves say you can use one function or a combination of both functions of one assembly by positioning the joystick. So, I think I will run the in feed to one joystick valve assembly, then out the power beyond port to the next assembly, then out that second assembly's power beyond port to the third valve. I see no need for the power beyond port on the last valve on the circuit, but I have it just in case. They were less than $20 each, so that is cheap insurance.

I plan on using the main PTO circuit and being very gentle on the throttle and joysticks through the learning curve. If it proves to be too much flow, I will switch to the aux circuit.

Did you happen to follow that link I posted earlier to the Brand website and the valve that I am using? What do you think? I liked that the valves are rated for 4000psi and 10GPM. They are factory set to 2000 PSI.

 

[J_J]

JJ,
I bought three power beyond plugs. I think I will need two. The valves say you can use one function or a combination of both functions of one assembly by positioning the joystick. So, I think I will run the in feed to one joystick valve assembly, then out the power beyond port to the next assembly, then out that second assembly's power beyond port to the third valve. I see no need for the power beyond port on the last valve on the circuit, but I have it just in case. They were less than $20 each, so that is cheap insurance.

I plan on using the main PTO circuit and being very gentle on the throttle and joysticks through the learning curve. If it proves to be too much flow, I will switch to the aux circuit.

Did you happen to follow that link I posted earlier to the Brand website and the valve that I am using? What do you think? I liked that the valves are rated for 4000psi and 10GPM. They are factory set to 2000 PSI.

Yes I did. That sounds like a good package of valves that you have. I should have done that, but I messed up and picked up something here, and something there. A big miss-match. Mine is just sitting there waiting to be finished. I have lots of projects and to little time. I did build a Mine-hoe to use until I finish my front-hoe project.

 

[MossRoad]

Cut out the last of the major holes in the dipper stick tonight. Two one inch holes in the end that will have 1" tubing going between them and two 1.5" holes 12" in from the end that will have 1" tubing going through them. The hole at the end is for the bucket pivot and the holes 12" up are for the linkage pivot point.

Running totals:
Time = 50 hrs.
Approximate Cost = $1600.00

 

[J_J]

Cut out the last of the major holes in the dipper stick tonight. Two one inch holes in the end that will have 1" tubing going between them and two 1.5" holes 12" in from the end that will have 1" tubing going through them. The hole at the end is for the bucket pivot and the holes 12" up are for the linkage pivot point.

Running totals:
Time = 50 hrs.
Approximate Cost = $1600.00

David,

On the linkage for the bucket, you mentioned 12 in. Did you figure this out by how much the bucket has to swing, or just by trail and error, I have changed mine about 4 or 5 times. There has to be a mathematical relationship between the length of the cylinder travel, the bucket rotation in degrees, and the linkage rod length. Sometimes it seems best to just follow someones plans that got it right the first time.

 

[MossRoad]

David,

On the linkage for the bucket, you mentioned 12 in. Did you figure this out by how much the bucket has to swing, or just by trail and error, I have changed mine about 4 or 5 times. There has to be a mathematical relationship between the length of the cylinder travel, the bucket rotation in degrees, and the linkage rod length. Sometimes it seems best to just follow someones plans that got it right the first time.

YIKES!!! Math!

For the most part, I just followed the plans, give or take an inch here and there since my tubing is 4" square and the plans call for 3" square.

Tonight, I drilled 1" holes in each end of the 4 linkage pieces. I then losely assemble the linkage to the dipper stick and measured the throw of the linkage. It has 18" of movement. Since I am using 16" stroke cylinders, I should end up exactly right when I add in the space taken up by the clevis on the cylinder, maybe a half inch to spare on each end of the stroke. The guy that did up these plans really did a nice job, especially since they were FREE!!!

Running totals:
Time = 51 hrs.
Approximate Cost = $1600.00