Backhoe BX23 backhoe works pretty good as a boompole..

[Volfandt]

Greetings,
Finally took delivery of the 60" MMM. I didn't want to wait until next year for delivery so I went & picked it up during lunch today. The crate took up all of 45" of the available 48" between the wheelwells of my F150 but it did fit.
After getting it home, I remembered I had sold my boompole along w/the TE20 so I was, ahem, forced to finally utilize the BX23's BH for something finally. It worked out very well as a boompole with the added benefit of more flexibility. Don't think I'll be needing to purchase a new boompole after all /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Heres a somewhat blurry pic of the BX23 getting into position to lift. I did drop the stabilizers for additional support as I didn't know how the tractor was going to respond to approx 325-350lbs hanging off the back end.

Once I pulled the F150 away, I got brave and raised the stabilizers and the little ole toy, errr, ahhh, BX23 handled the weight hanging off the back so well that I turned the tractor around and drove it into the shop, depositing the MMM exactly where I wanted it. The FEL provided a good counter balance and the rear tires hardly flexed if at all!

Afterwards, I loaded up the crate onto the FEL and carried down to the back 40 and deposited it on my growing burn pile, all without leaving the seat /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I gotta say that this little toy, errr ahhh tractor performed very well in it's 1st major test for me and yes, it now has some scratches on it too. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Now I'm gonna have to come up with a vertical storage plan for the MMM as that monster sure takes up alot of space in the shop. I've got some hd casters so I just may fab my own out of 2x4's and use the BH to R&R it into it.

Volfandt

 

[davidseaquist]

Nice use of the backhoe. Congrats. on your bx23
David

 

[aardvark]

I've also used mine as a boom pole on many occasions, and it works great. Next month I'll be using it to pull the engine and transmission out of my Nissan that got totalled.

You will find it has lots of other uses too. Pulling over broken fence panels. Pulling down broken branches from trees. Lifting buckets of tools to the roof edge so you don't have to carry them up the ladder. There's probably a million or so more uses that I haven't discovered yet.

 

[Junkman]

I also have used my BX22 backhoe for lifting, but keep in mind, that it isn't designed for lifting in the way that we have used it. Don't count on the hydraulics relief valve to keep you out of trouble. The boom can and will bend if you over stress it in a direction that it wasn't designed to work. I saw one at a dealers lot this past summer that had a bent boom and piston as a result of someone lifting with the boom. The boom was intended to dig, not lift in the method you have pictured. Also, it you overextend the boom with weight on the end of it, the tractor can go over backwoods. There are a lot of variables to consider when you use a product in a way that the engineers didn't allow for. If some damage happens, it will be called abuse and not covered by the manufacturers warranty.

 

[aardvark]

Junk, I understand what you are saying. In my BX23 manual Kubota published a spec for lifting with the backhoe, based on bucket position. I keep that in mind when it comes to lifting with the hoe. The hoe is rated at a minimum of 430 lbs to lift, at a position where the bucket is two feet under ground. The minimum lift rating from ground level up is 447 lbs. Does the BX22 manual have the same diagram? I try to judge whether what I'm going to lift is more or less than 400 lbs, that's how I decide if it's a good idea.

 

[Henro]

<font color="blue"> I also have used my BX22 backhoe for lifting, but keep in mind, that it isn't designed for lifting in the way that we have used it. </font>

Junkman,

I don't dispute what you are saying here as I believe my backhoe manual may say the same thing, more or less...

However, I have some difficulty seeing how having my bucket under a root and pulling upwards to the point of stalling the boom and/or stick would be much different than lifting something.

Actually, lifting something that did not stall the upward motion seems like it would be easier on the backhoe than hooking it under a large root or large rock and trying to lift unsuccessfully.

I wonder what the motivation for the "no lifting" warning is?

All I can think of is maybe there is risk of side thrust on the boom/stick when the backhoe is swung to one side or the other? More than would be felt with just a bucket full of dirt?

Bottom line is while I have not reallly used my backhoe as a boom pole substitute, I do not fear doing so at all.

It certainly would be helpful if manufacturers would explain the "why" when they say don't do something...

 

[Junkman]

It is just like the post in the Safety forum where the crane truck picking up the car went into the water. At a certain point the weight can overcome the balance of the complete unit and turn it over. In those pictures, you can see the truck starting to lean. The time frame from that point to where it went over into the water was probably less than 15 seconds. The reason that it went into the water was the weight of the car and the water were too much for it at the angle that it was lifting. Also contributing to this was the fact that the water was draining out of the car at the time and the weight kept shifting causing a rocking motion at the end of the boom. An experienced retrieval operator would have known about this and never attempted the lift with the truck positioned the way it was and the boom at the angle that it was. When lifting with the boom, you never know when the weight on the end of the boom can exceed the safe balance point. When lifting a object this can happen suddenly. I had that happen to me when I was installing my in ground oil tank. I had over reached and when I started to swing the boom around to put it in the hole the front end started to come up. I was able to drop the tank quickly enough because it was only inches off the ground, but had it been higher, the tractor would have gone over. This was a 8000# machine and the tank only weighed about 1500#. After that, I repositioned the machine and it had no trouble handling it at all. It was all in the position and the angle of the lift. That is why cranes have such wide stance outriggers. I have noticed that all the new fire ladder trucks not have outriggers that extend from the body about 6 or 8 feet and then have a leg that drops down to the street. It is a much more stable situation than the older type that resemble the outriggers on our backhoes. With a small light weight machine such as the BX, it is very easy to get into trouble more quickly since the weight factor isn't there to keep it firmly planted to the ground. More than once I have found that the BX has become very precarious while moving loam when one of the tires is up-heaved by going over a larger rock unexpectedly. I have learned that it is best to clear the path of all obstacles before working, unlike with my other machine that would just roll over them like they were pebbles. Having turned that machine over on its side once was enough for me to learn that you can get into trouble faster than you can get out of it. I had a total of 2 mishaps with that machine and decided that I wasn't a cat with 9 lives. For that reason I sold it before it was the reason for my early demise. I always said that it was possessed since it came from a cemetery where it was used to dig graves. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Volfandt]

In reading the same specs from the manual as aardvark pointed out, I came to the conclusion that the BH would safely lift approx 350lbs out of the bed of my pkup. I wasn't sure it could transport it but once I raised the stabilizers & drew the load in closer, it became apparant that I could slowly manuver it to where I wanted it.

The specs:
The BX23 manual on pg 10 gives the rated "Lift Capacity" of the BH at 87% of maximum lift force.
At 2' above ground x 6' extended it's 470lbs, 4' x 5.75'=496lbs, 6' x 4'=507lbs & at approx 6.5' x 2.5'=463lbs.
The scale is layed out in a diagram with the symbol of the BH being fully extended and forming an arc at the different levels.

Knowing that my 12" bucket won't lift anywhere near this weight, I'm led to believe that "lifting" must have been designed into the BH. It doesn't indicate whether the bucket figured into the load but I assumed it didn't. I could be wrong but then again I'd be highly puzzled at the meaning of this particular BH spec.

Of course, one must use caution, common sense and work within the design limits of any machinery inorder to operate it.

I've since installed 3 each 5/16's chain hooks on the FEL inorder to use it for heavy lifting. I like the load out front where I can see it when moving. I will still utilize the BH for lifting material where it's reach is needed, and of course the load doesn't exceed the design specs as listed in the manual.

I have also done some digging with the BH (finally) and it did very well.
It's a very useful tool that I'm very glad I decided to purchase along with the BX. Can't cost justify it but it has already spared my back many strenuous activities and made short work of some small stumps that I had to avoid when mowing. Hey, I think I just justified it after all /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Volfandt