Bx25 to dig out a foundation wall?

[check]

I love the BH on my BX 25, but I don't think I would use it to excavate right next to a foundation wall at that depth.

I would rent a mini excavator, because it would be so much faster. The BX 25 backhoe would do the job of course but it would take a lot longer, and there is the problem of room for the stabilizers.

Also, check out the swing angles on the BX 25 excavator. They are not very high, whereas a mini excavator can rotate 360°. Do you have lots of room next to the house for your castings? Also it depends on the soil. If you have lots of rocks in the soil you are going to have problems with your BX 25. If not, the backhoe on the BX 25 is plenty powerful enough.

That said, I could not imagine getting a BX 25 without a backhoe. It has been so useful to me in so many different situations, I could not live without it. I just got the "Ripper Tooth" attachment for the backhoe, from Bro-Tek. Have not had a chance to use it yet, but it looks deadly, and I definitely needed for taking out stumps. Otherwise, stumps can take for ever to dig out just using the normal backhoe bucket on the BX 25.

Good luck with your purchase!

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I have an L-frame tractor with a 9' Woods on it. Not for nothing, but I just got a BX2200 today, and I'd NEVER put a backhoe on it. My woods throws my L4200 around like so much tissue paper. I would think a backhoe that could actually do some work would absolutely destroy any BX. If you're dead set on a BX, rent a mini excavator for a day when you have to do some digging. IMHO, of course.

The backhoe on the BX25 is sized to match the tractor. The BX25 is built plenty strong to handle the stresses put on it by the backhoe.

The BX25 has its limitations due to its size, but I wouldn't worry about damaging the tractor frame by using the backhoe as it is designed to be used. Anything can be abused and torn up, so I'm talking about proper use.

 

[bumperm]

I have an L-frame tractor with a 9' Woods on it. Not for nothing, but I just got a BX2200 today, and I'd NEVER put a backhoe on it. My woods throws my L4200 around like so much tissue paper. I would think a backhoe that could actually do some work would absolutely destroy any BX.

Sorry, but that doesn't make much sense to me . . . sort of like saying a big diesel pickup truck can throw around a compact car, so don't install a tow hitch on the car to tow a small trailer that's within its GCWR.

Have you ever seen, read, or even heard about a BX series tractor being destroyed by working with it's frame mount backhoe??

I've owned two BX series tractors, still have a BX24. It's a solid little TLB, handily able to do a rather astonishing amount of work for its size, and do so while getting into places a bigger hoe could never fit. It get's the job done, just slower than the bigger TLB.

bumper

 

[Egon]

You might be able to get an extender for the dipper. (Make for clumsy working condition)


Also consider making a step trench.

Tractors small enough to get close to the walls.

 

[dragoneggs]

You might be able to get an extender for the dipper. (Make for clumsy working condition)


Also consider making a step trench.

Tractors small enough to get close to the walls.

Step trench? Could you please explain?

 

[dragoneggs]

I love the BH on my BX 25, but I don't think I would use it to excavate right next to a foundation wall at that depth.

I would rent a mini excavator, because it would be so much faster. The BX 25 backhoe would do the job of course but it would take a lot longer, and there is the problem of room for the stabilizers.

Also, check out the swing angles on the BX 25 excavator. They are not very high, whereas a mini excavator can rotate 360°. Do you have lots of room next to the house for your castings? Also it depends on the soil. If you have lots of rocks in the soil you are going to have problems with your BX 25. If not, the backhoe on the BX 25 is plenty powerful enough.

That said, I could not imagine getting a BX 25 without a backhoe. It has been so useful to me in so many different situations, I could not live without it. I just got the "Ripper Tooth" attachment for the backhoe, from Bro-Tek. Have not had a chance to use it yet, but it looks deadly, and I definitely needed for taking out stumps. Otherwise, stumps can take for ever to dig out just using the normal backhoe bucket on the BX 25.

Good luck with your purchase!

All good points! I haven't gone to the max depth yet and I agree that footing is an issue for trenches near walls. That said, the BH has been an awesome tool for me on my BX.

 

[Egon]

Step trench? Could you please explain?

Dig a trench the full width of the tractor. Then drive into the trench and make the final cut to the level you need

 

[dragoneggs]

Dig a trench the full width of the tractor. Then drive into the trench and make the final cut to the level you need

Okay that is what I was imagining but wanting to make sure there wasn't a slick trick I was missing... thanks Egon.

 

[boggen]

Dig a trench the full width of the tractor. Then drive into the trench and make the final cut to the level you need

that sounds like more work than just getting in there and manual digging it out. then again i think neighbor ended up doing this.

was thinking more along the lines of...

house---1 to 2 feet (not dug)---trench with tractor 1 to 2 feet

house ---- manual dig letting dirt slide into --> trench tractor made -> tractor digs stuff out from the outer trench

 

[check]

Okay that is what I was imagining but wanting to make sure there wasn't a slick trick I was missing... thanks Egon.

Well, if you have the room at the side of the house you can certainly do that, but if you have that much room then you can just dig a wide trench with the BX25 BH, and just stay away from the wall with your stabilizers. As Poopdeck Pappy said (how did he get that handle, anyway?), the BX25 BH can certainly handle the job, keeping in mind that it's maximum digging depth is 6'2", and that would only be if you were right next to the trench. Is the ground beside the house hard, or soft?

Regardless of how you do the trench, I would strongly recommend the BX25 BH, for all the other uses you will have for it.