Backhoe BX2230 BX2200 Woods backhoe install

Woods · Apr 2, 2005

This week I dug a trench for a pipe under my drive way and the BH6000 backhoe performed great. I think I'll leave the wheel weights on because the ability of the bucket to dig down is related to the weight of the tractor pushing down against it. I purchased the backhoe from Lawn Care Equipment Center in Martindale, Pa. 717-445-4541 for $3899(in the heart of Amish country near lancaster, 15 mins. from the Pa TNPK) They were very nice, but gave their "lowest price" on the first quote, even on the multiple item purchase. At least they're honest because the prices appeared to be the lowest I could find. Reach of the bucket as stated in the manual is 96.3" from the swing pivot with the 12" & 16" buckets. An 8" bucket is available also that I'll be getting to dig trenches. Specs are available at woodsequipment on the web. The ability to remove the teeth on the Gannon bucket looks nice for smooth edge digging in soft soil which I'll be doing this weekend for a sidewalk at a friends house. The idea of one of these on a BX1500 or BX1830 seems feasible as long as there is a loader installed and the frames are the same. Ground clearance from the bottom of the BH frame is 6" on the BX2230, so it would be less on the BX1500 due to the smaller tires. Another nice feature of the BH6000 are the 2 chain fastening points (holes) on the bottom of the BH frame. I was running at half engine speed while digging even though the BH manual states idle speed is all that is needed. That wasn't enough due to the gpm. flow and 1780 psi required by the backhoe. So far-so good /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Tractorman77351 · Apr 2, 2005

Did you ask your Kubota Dealer how installing a Woods BH on a BX2230 would affect warranty? Was told there is a reason that Kubota does not offer a BH except on BX22/23. The rear axle housings on BX1500,1830,&2230 are not designed to carry a BH and if you crack a housing you are SOL because warranty will be voided. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Woods · Apr 2, 2005

Haven't "herd" anything about a warranty being voided due to rear implements being installed ... or inferior axle housings on the non BX23 Kubotas . In fact, because the BX2230 I purchased used only had 8 hours on it, I'm receiving basically a full transferred warranty on it. This issue has been mentioned before with no substantial evidence of different axles or trannys. As long as the tractor is maintained properly (save your receipts for oil changes and parts) and operated properly within its design parameters, the warranty should be honored. Dealers, what's your opinion?

LBrown59 · Apr 4, 2005

( 1*Needs change. Origional plans do not always come out as expected.
2* That's where the Woods unit will come into play. Having the Groundbreaker available will allow the flexibility that Kubota will not allow by marketing the 23's hoe as an add on. )
1*Good point.
2*Wonder how many BH sales Kubota will loose to due to this?

LBrown59 · Apr 4, 2005

( ( However I have never seen a case where it was cheaper to add the BH to a new BX later than it is to go with the BX22 or BX 23 from the start.)

I bought a BX2200 in 2000. No bh was then available on any BX. Buying a Woods bh would be far cheaper for me than trading in on a BX23. Some people cannot afford a BX23 now and just don't like the idea of financing. You can't get the BX23 without the bh, which means you can't simply add it later. For these folks, getting a BX2230 now and adding the Woods bh later is an alternative which meets their financial abilities. Some people need a tractor now, but are not sure whether buying a new larger property in the future will necessitate a bh. Again, the Woods gives them flexibility in meeting their changing needs.

It is Kubota who put themselves in this situation by deciding not to sell the BX23 without the backhoe. If they wanted to, they could offer the bh as an option which could be added at a later date. )

Wonder how many kubota BH sales will be lost to Woods because of this?

Tom_H · Apr 4, 2005

My "topsoil" is heavy clay, anywhere from 10" to 4' deep. My "subsoil" is a type of hardpan known as silica cemented Durapan. This Durapan is very hard and anywhere from 2 ft. to 16 ft. thick and totally water impermeable. The ground is flat. In places where the clay is only 10" thick, it literally turns into soup during the winter rainy season. Vintners around here use CAT-D11 dozers with a pair of 8' rippers on the back to rip up this hardpan so excess rain can drain down. The pan is so hard that backhoes on full sized UTs have a difficult time trenching in it. Ultrarunner has a BX23 and has had some success in a hardpan he calls "serpentine rock" at the foot of the Oakland Hills, a few miles inland from S.F. Bay. I am trying to get a feel for what the Woods BH6000 can do in this material whose hardness is somewhere between the hardest of packed soils and stuff that has already turned into sedimentary rock. I wonder whether the hoe teeth can actually bite into it and whether there is the possibility of warping the frame when digging at an angle. I don't mind taking time, if the hoe can dig at a slow speed. Using one of those 15 lb., 6' prybars with the pointed end, I was able to make a hole 12" wide and 4' deep into the hardpan after 6 hours of slamming the pointed end of the bar straight down. (God, talk about sore biceps.) So, I know the stuff can be chipped away, but I'm not sure slamming the bucket into this stuff repeatedly is going to be highly effective and I don't want to wreck the bh by doing this. The local dealer won't let me test a BX23 in it, (he won't even let me rent one to try in the stuff), so that method of testing is out. I want to dig big holes, backfill them and jet the soil up, then plant a couple of hundred trees so that the roots can go deep and the upper root zone not be waterlogged in winter. There are about 65 spots where I'd need to dig down into a considerable amount of hardpan. I would really appreciate reports on the hardest material into which people have successfully dug with the Woods BH6000 (and the BX23 for that matter). What was the limit, the point at which the bh could no longer penetrate and excavate the material?