Backhoe How Best to Power a Woods Backhoe--PTO or Tractor's Hydraulics?

[jfay]

Lots of questions. In my view using tractor hydraulics will be much easier. As others noted check the recommended flow rate for the hoe against your tractor specs. Attaching and disconnecting a pto pump is a PITA and really hard on your bad back. It is more expensive due to pump and remote tank. No difference in power, only speed. No difference in noise, it's the engine you will be hearing.

Three point hitch attach could work for your use, although most advise against it for any heavy digging or lifting. 3pt will be looser. I've used both and subframe is a lot more solid. 8 foot hoe seems too big for this tractor, especially if you are going 3pt hitch.

A new subframe with a four point connection will likely be easier to hook up and remove than a 3pt.

 

[k0ua]

Let me ask you this as just food for thought.. as you don't really anticipate doing much if any digging with the hoe, just wanting a nice easily movable crane.. perhaps could you achieve most of your goals with just a nice grapple or dare say even just a set of pallet forks on your front end loader.. You can reach pretty high and move slowly by feathering the FEL controls. And of course idle down to make the controls less responsive. I have always been able to unload heavy things with my forks and you could put things pretty high with them, and if not high enough you could easily fabricate a boom pole for you QA (quick attach) to go on the front and lift things easily. Now this might not work for you, but is something to think about and save about 8000 dollars? There are several threads on here of guys using boom poles on their quick attach plates to lift trussed very high during building construction. Also your 3pt is going to always be on and always free for your gardening endeavors.. just saying

James K0UA

 

[happy jack]

I might be kind of late to the show, but I have a 7610 with a woods bh 6500 on a subframe with a pto drive pump. When it runs on "pto rpm" the bh throws the tractor around like it's a toy. I can't get over the power of the machine. one thing I don't like is the lack of ground clearance between the bottom of the backhoe frame and the ground. very low especially if your working around stumps or boulders. very low to ground, have had a couple of times where the rear wheels have come of the ground because the tractor got hung up on the backhoe. frame used to scrape on ground when loading it onto 16" landscape trailer. had to put blocks under ramp to lessen steepness of ramp. I also had a problem where the frame bolts to rear axle housing. It shattered the housing. make sure you check bolts regularly.also it's very heavy. I take it off for the winter so I can put more weight on front for using fel and piling snow on bankings, if not bh hits ground.