External power

[1930]

Has anyone here ever considered an external power source for running their backhoe?

I'm wondering if it's doable and cost affective rather than having their tractor engine revving high all day long just to use that particular attachment. Harbor freight predator engine is cheap, pump might be the tricky part.

 

[Utopia Texas]

I personally would not worry about running a engine for extended periods, especially a diesel, for backhoe work. I have used multiple tractors and stand alone generators over the years for my business than run 24 hours a day for weeks at a time with no problems and these are under huge pressure at maximum loads. They are only shut down every 48 hours to monitor oil levels. Also have a neighbor in the commercial plumbing business that has 6 tractors with backhoes that are used on construction sites with 15 hour running days. I am curious if someone has a suggestion to your question.

 

[1930]

I personally would not worry about running a engine for extended periods, especially a diesel, for backhoe work. I have used multiple tractors and stand alone generators over the years for my business than run 24 hours a day for weeks at a time with no problems and these are under huge pressure at maximum loads. They are only shut down every 48 hours to monitor oil levels. Also have a neighbor in the commercial plumbing business that has 6 tractors with backhoes that are used on construction sites with 15 hour running days. I am curious if someone has a suggestion to your question.

Seems like in the tractor world hours on a unit are a major thing, I would have thought and still think that it might not be that big a deal to mount a 12 hp motor and small pump to operate backhoe.

I had demo d a DR towable backhoe, it was comparable in size to the bh77 that my tractor will come with, DR may have been a tad larger, a small gas engine and a puny hydraulic pump are all that powered it

Worked fine at digging

 

[CobyRupert]

I've never used a backhoe, but how long does a backhoe typically stay in one spot?
So wouldn't you be trading tractor running hours for many many more multiple starts?
Appealing for resale, I guess.

This is why I always thought hour meters (and odometers) don't tell the whole story, I wish there was a counter on many times cycled (started).
I'd rather buy a car started 365 times with 36,500 miles, than a car started 36,500 times with 3650 miles (if you get my drift).

 

[Utopia Texas]

I've never used a backhoe, but how long does a backhoe typically stay in one spot?
So wouldn't you be trading tractor running hours for many many more multiple starts?
Appealing for resale, I guess.

This is why I always thought hour meters (and odometers) don't tell the whole story, I wish there was a counter on many times cycled (started).
I'd rather buy a car started 365 times with 36,500 miles, than a car started 36,500 times with 3650 miles (if you get my drift).

The newer diesel pick up trucks do not tell you number of starts but they do log running hours and idle hours. This is important because the newer Diesel engines with all the anti pollution additions regenerate much more often with long idle times and after a certain number of regenerations some expensive maintenance is due.

 

[Utopia Texas]

Seems like in the tractor world hours on a unit are a major thing, I would have thought and still think that it might not be that big a deal to mount a 12 hp motor and small pump to operate backhoe.

I had demo d a DR towable backhoe, it was comparable in size to the bh77 that my tractor will come with, DR may have been a tad larger, a small gas engine and a puny hydraulic pump are all that powered it

Worked fine at digging

One of these is similar I assume to what you are talking about?
https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Bac...hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583657823866643&psc=1

 

[1930]

One of these is similar I assume to what you are talking about?
https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Bac...hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583657823866643&psc=1

Yes same concept, I could see making a small platform on backhoe for a small dedicated gas engine and small pump similar to what these portable backhoes use.

Pump drawing fluid from tractor reservoir thru the tractor controls.

I'm still uncertain what rpms the engine needs to be running at to maintain a decent speed and fluid flow, I hear engines screaming on you tube, I think I've read 2100 maybe as high as 2500 rpm.

In my opinion that's alot of rpm for a little 3 cyl

 

[ArlyA]

My guess is the HF predator engine will be X times more noisy than your tractor engine is. Our are you trying to reduce the wear-n-tear on your tractor? I've worked with a minim walking BH as pictured above and the noise it kicked out, was unbearable.

Has anyone here ever considered an external power source for running their backhoe?
I'm wondering if it's doable and cost affective rather than having their tractor engine revving high all day long just to use that particular attachment. Harbor freight predator engine is cheap, pump might be the tricky part.

 

[1930]

My guess is the HF predator engine will be X times more noisy than your tractor engine is. Our are you trying ot reduce the wear-n-tear on your tractor?

Yes, reduce wear and tear

 

[ArlyA]

Seems by the time you've spent the $$$ and time to set this up, you've out-priced the wear and tear you are worried about. Plus you'll be listened to that predator engine screaming very near your head. :confused2:

 

[MossRoad]

Those smaller gas engines are meant to be run at 3600rpms for proper lubrication and cooling. And, you have to run them at higher RPMs to get the hydraulic pump to put out enough pressure AND flow to run your backhoe cylinders with any power AND speed.

So, yes, it would be very loud compared to the tractor.

I also think it would be hard to plumb it through the existing tractor's hydraulics in order to use the tractor's fluid reservoir. Why? Because if the tractor is off, there's no air flow through the hydraulic cooler (and probably no hydraulic fluid flowing through it at all). With any serious work, you'd overheat the hydraulic fluid.

 

[RPW]

What you want to do technically is possible but you've only scratched the surface to get it to work. Sizing the engine, sizing the pump for correct volume and pressure, creating a cooling system and an appropriate resivoir for the fluid. By the time you do all of your calculations and figure out how much it will cost you it won't make sense. Now to the matter of your tractor. It was built for this kind of work so everything has already been done for you. Tractor hours have little meaning when the machine is well maintained and you can find many used tractors with thousands of hours that still have a high resale value. In my opinion spend your money wisely and maintain your tractor and spend quality time using your machine.

 

[Henro]

Has anyone here ever considered an external power source for running their backhoe?

I'm wondering if it's doable and cost affective rather than having their tractor engine revving high all day long just to use that particular attachment. Harbor freight predator engine is cheap, pump might be the tricky part.

Do you use your back hoe all day long, day after day? Last summer over a three month period I used my backhoe A LOT every day the sun shined (I mean no rain) and it never occurred to me to want a separate power source for my PTO driven hydraulic pump for the backhoe.

I usually run the tractor at 1500 to 1800 rpm when using the backhoe. 2000 RPM max in a rare case, but almost never.

What you are considering is not something I would ever do...just don't feel the need. Actually I think it would make my life more miserable rather than better...:laughing:

 

[1930]

What you want to do technically is possible but you've only scratched the surface to get it to work. Sizing the engine, sizing the pump for correct volume and pressure, creating a cooling system and an appropriate resivoir for the fluid. By the time you do all of your calculations and figure out how much it will cost you it won't make sense. Now to the matter of your tractor. It was built for this kind of work so everything has already been done for you. Tractor hours have little meaning when the machine is well maintained and you can find many used tractors with thousands of hours that still have a high resale value. In my opinion spend your money wisely and maintain your tractor and spend quality time using your machine.

Do you use your back hoe all day long, day after day? Last summer over a three month period I used my backhoe A LOT every day the sun shined (I mean no rain) and it never occurred to me to want a separate power source for my PTO driven hydraulic pump for the backhoe.

I usually run the tractor at 1500 to 1800 rpm when using the backhoe. 2000 RPM max in a rare case, but almost never.

What you are considering is not something I would ever do...just don't feel the need. Actually I think it would make my life more miserable rather than better...:laughing:

I understand and lean toward agreeing, just curious if it had been feasibly done by anyone

 

[John_Mc]

I run my Woods 7500 backhoe off a PTO pump, rather than off the tractor hydraulics (the backhoe has it's own hydraulic reservoir). Since the pump has much higher flow than my tractor's rear remotes, I don't need to run the tractor RPMs very high to get good performance from my backhoe. I also like the fact that my tractor's hydraulic system is isolated from the backhoe's system.

 

[ArlyA]

I'm not sure what tractor and hoe that 1930 has.. Nonetheless, I do thinks its doable and would be much easier if its a "added on hoe". He asked if it would be "cost effective" and I can not see how it could be done to be that,,, although I would like to see how it goes if you do it! Its still a very interesting project.

 

[Baby Grand]

Other considerations: How much gasoline will you need to bring with you and how often will you need to refuel? If the gasser dies while you're digging, can you move the tractor, or are you stuck until you can get the hoe back in transport configuration? At a minimum, I'd want to be able to switch back to the tractor pump without a major effort. Can you even access the hydraulic hoses with the hoe mounted on the tractor?