Building a Small Backhoe

Carol in CA · Jun 22, 2014

Totally cool! Nice job. Bet you are having fun. Thanks for the update. Certainly re-inspires me.

demigodofa · Jun 22, 2014

Thank you. It's finely doable, and you certainly don't have to do it all at once I bit off little pieces at a time.

demigodofa · Jul 8, 2014

Just a quick update, I've dug approximately 25' of trench approx. 3' deep in very rocky N.H. soil, dug around four 6" diameter maples and pulled the stumps with my truck. The backhoe is sized very well to my tractor. If there was more power in the backhoe I think I would use less finesse and break some things. I put a pressure gauge on the inlet side of the valve and I set the hoe to 1500 psi. Max pressure per Cub's recommendations of max psi for the hydraulic system of the tractor. I'm happy with the height I manufactured my seat at, and would suggest spending some time thinking about that.. that's why I decided on a second seat rather than swiveling the existing seat around. I'll update when I attempt the larger trench. Oh, also at 1500 psi the 2" cylinders with 1.125" bore will not lift my tractor off of the ground. (My tires are loaded with windshield washer fluid) but it is plenty to take almost all of the weight off of the axle and transfer the forces to the frame.

Zick · Jul 9, 2014

Great job! :thumbsup:

notme · Jul 10, 2014

how bout some more info on those bucket teeth...where did ya get em and how much?

demigodofa · Jul 10, 2014

ooooo. good question. That was the hardest part for me to find at a good price. I don't know anything about bucket teeth so sizing etc. was a shot in the dark. I went with a bolt on type, I could have gone either way, they are sized pretty decent to the 12" bucket I made I think. I ended up buying the

Hensley 099-HX Bolt-On Tooth. Part#

S1975B Price:$9.78.
I can't remember how much shipping was but they came within the work week from http://augerteethonline.com/
I was pretty proud of that find, I spent a while on the inter web and I can usually find things fairly quickly but teeth that weren't 20-30$ a pop proved hard for me.

jkarst · Jul 10, 2014

What was the total cost for this? I'd like a backhoe but not sure if the cost is a lot more than a few days rental.

demigodofa · Jul 10, 2014

Definitely more than a few days rental. Especially a small machine. Total cost approx. $2200 and I already had welding wire, hole saws etc. The valve control was approx. $500. Approx. $500 in cylinders. I spent approx. The same in hoses and fittings. And then the steel and misc. That being said, I did not shop well for parts. Had I been more patient, scoured salvage, junk yards, craigslist and got the steel and cylinders that way I'd have saved some big money. And you only have to bite off a little at a time if there's no rush. I would guess the total weight of the hoe at 400 lbs. Maybe another 75 to 90 lbs. For the subframe I made. The thing I love about this hoe is the weight to power. I was looking at Woods etc. But aside from the price, the weight was a factor for me. Should I have rented? Yes. Is my tractor worth a little more now? Yeah maybe, plus it forced me to put rear auxiliary hydraulics on the tractor which will prompt me to build a woodsplitter now.

jkarst · Jul 10, 2014

That's not too bad though. Definitely a lot better than purchasing one for over $5000 (what I've seen). It looks good and gets the job done. Hats off to you.