Finally got the backhoe

[grandad]

Have been thinking about adding a backhoe for nearly a year. Over the holidays, finally took the plunge. Had no luck finding an OK nearby dealer for Bradco or Woods, so I went to my Kub dealer to see if they could locate a Kubota subframe hoe for my L4610. Turned out to be a long search since the newest backhoe for the L30's doesn't retrofit to the L10's. But everything finally turned up and now I have this beast. Yes, it is built like a tank... something over 1,800 lbs.

 

[grandad]

The business end.

 

[grandad]

Down the switchback with a bucket of gravel.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Congradulations. One of the local water districts has something that looks just like that. I was really impressed at it's capability.

You're a lucky man.

But you already knew that.

 

[Boondox]

Congrats! What a nice rig! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Pete

 

[grandad]

Thanks, Harv. Life is indeed good, with or without the toys. Five years ago, the man upstairs let me live through something that takes many lives, and every day since has been a gift.

Now, I have seen guys that can part your hair with a hoe. I am so far from being good with this it ain't funny.

 

[sassafraspete]

Grandad....that hog daddy makes my 7 1/2 footer look like a tonka toy. Just had mine 2 months, but can't wait to rip up the place when better digging weather arrives. We are both going to have fun. The bombing test range will look good compared to what my place will look like after pulling out those stumps. My wife still gets that look of fear when I mention the backhoe. Just don't dig yourself into a hole you can't get out of. Have fun.

sassafras

 

[herdfan]

Nice looking setup.
What are the specs on the hoe?

 

[bebster]

Nice backhoe. I noticed you had some nice work lights on the front of the canopy. Did you install them yourself?

 

[grandad]

Thanks!

That's a typical L4610 with the 852 loader. The hoe is kinda rare... most folks get Woods, Bush Hog or Bradco aftermarket units, but I'm a nut. It's Kubota's factory unit for the L10 tractors with 18" bucket, digs to 8 1/2 ft, independent PTO pump, transport height 102" (doesn't go in the shed without dropping the boom!), 6060 lbs on the curl, 2430 lbs on the crowd, subframe integrates to the FEL frame... using the FEL and pads all 4 wheels are off the ground so there is no additional loading to the tractor.

They had to hunt down a different ROPS that is taller and has unique bolt pattern matched to the backhoe to put it on the tractor. But everything is a perfect, up close fit behind and underneath the tractor.

I downed a 70 ft, 18" diameter pine this afternoon with it by cutting the roots down to 2 ft. about 3 ft out from the trunk and then giving it a shove with the reverse curl. All over in about 30 minutes! Doing it that way is definitely not for windy days though!

 

[frank_f15]

grandad: that is one sweet looking unit. i am enveious /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[grandad]

Just a home-brew setup. The canopy sits on a frame that extends about half-way forward from the ROPS. I made a U-shaped extension to the front out of 1" square stock and put a couple of halogen lights on it. Have a rear light also, but never seem to find time to put it on.

 

[grandad]

Thanks! Wish I had more time to work with it. Tractor has 217 hrs. over 2 years. At this rate, I'll be an old coot before it's broke in!

 

[herdfan]

Grandad - Are you going to use your tlb for any excavation for the new house you mention in your profile?
I'm waiting on delivery of my new Century to do some site prep for a new home in WV, but have pretty limited backhoe experience. What sort of site jobs (besides taking down those trees /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif) might you do?

 

[Deerlope]

You sure can move some serious gravel with that set-up. And you can never get stuck if the hoe is on the tractor,well you can but you got to work real hard to do it.

 

[grandad]

We have plans to put up a small horse barn and a somewhat bigger workshop this year, then wait a couple years and build our house out on our "farm". The shop building will go in a flat, wooded area that has dozens of junk pine trees that need to go. I could have contracted a dozer guy to go through it - he'd be done in a day - but there are also some beautiful oak and maple hardwoods I don't want harmed, so doing it myself seemed the right thing. Besides, I get to spend time with chainsaws, log chains and a mini TLB doing the job myself. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Depending on how that goes, the house will have a walkout basement to be dug on the side of the hill. All the experts here tell folks to bring in an excavator and be done with it in a day. That makes perfect sense, but I'm just pig-headed enough to think about doing it myself.

Then, 5 acres of deadfall and leaners to devour.
800 ft. drive with drainage and utility trench.
1/4 mile privately maintained road to ditch and grade.
Septic field... real fussy job to get the grades right... contractor may not want trenches dug by some amateur dude, but who knows?
Neighbor needs pond edges re-dug.
Etc., etc.

These are all jobs most people would hire done, but it will keep me busy doing them myself. I tend to work slow and careful, so there is enough here to keep me going for the next 10 years!

 

[frank_f15]

GRANDAD; got a friend that lives in winston salem and another that is moving to south carolina. so i may be down that way this summer and will be happy to put some hours on that baby for u /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[herdfan]

That hoe will pay for itself with those jobs!
You could always rent an excavator for the basement job later and still have some fun while getting done a little faster.
Keep us posted on your progress and any tips or pitfalls you "dig up."
btw - happy TBN registration anniversary. Might be a good excuse to get an implement to celebrate?

 

[wroughtn_harv]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I tend to work slow and careful,)</font>

Man I can relate to that. I drive the young guys crazy. But I've found that doing it right, in sequence, and with attention to detail pays off. Once instead of over is one benefit.

Of course the young guys that are going ninety miles an hour in twleve different directions at the same time drive me crazy too. Almost as much as the young guys who stand there with their hands in their pockets wondering what I'm going to do next. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I have a little saying that I use on myself all the time. "Just because you can doesn't mean you should." I use it to attempt to keep my feet on the ground. Doesn't always work, but I try.

I think it might be a good idea for others to sometimes use that saying in their own lives. Just because one can write a check to make it happen doesn't always mean it's the right thing to do. Sometimes the doing is better than the "done".

 

[grandad]

Let me know when you will be here. Love to show you our little spread if you have the time.

If you are into antique iron, the Southeast Old Thresher's Reunion runs every 4th of July weekend not far from here also - this year it's June 30 - July 4.