RonMar
Elite Member
Well what started as a simple change morphed into a "While I have it apart" project that took me nearly 2 weeks of evenings to complete. It started as a pivot point re-engineering project. This involved adding upper and lower pivot plates and turning out some new longer pins. Now the pins don't flop around, the pivots are tight and the whole thing swings nicely without bouncing around.
My next goal was someplace to sit. My tractor didn't have a swivel seat, so I fabbed up a new base and pivot for a swivel seat out of 2 X 6 channel and 3 1/2" and 4" pipe. The original seat plate with slides welded to the outer tube. The inner tube is welded to the base plate. It is held from rotating by two round notches in the bottom edge of the outer sleeve 180 degrees apart. These rest over a piece of 1/2" rod welded to the base plate. The whole affair has a 5/8 bolt running down thru it with a nylock nut that only allows the seat and outer tube to lift far enough to clear the welded lock rod.
Once I spun the seat around, I realized I had a problem. I don't think the HW03 backhoe was ever designed to be frame mounted. It was probably configured for a 3PH mount with it's own seat, as the controls are on the boom side of the control box. With the seat spun around, and even extended as far as the slides can go, the handles on the control levers were uncomfortably high and out of reach. A few internet searches later, and I noted that almost every other BH has the controls on the tractor side of the box. So I spun the box and valve around, and reconfigured the hose connections. I had to modify the cabinet anyway to accommodate the new boom top pivot. I also shortened the cabinet about 1 1/2 inches which gave a better control relationship when seated. I shortened the outrigger control handles so they didn't interfere with the boom, and relocated the return filter I had added earlier to the outside of the cabinet for easier servicing.
The BH puts an incredible strain on the sub-frame. In examining things, I was looking for ways to reduce this strain. One was to add a brace to the toplink attach point as others have done. Another was to relocate the BH structure closer to the tractor(shorter moment arm). I did both. I was able to easily move the BH 2.25" closer to the tractor by putting new holes up where the front of the subframe attaches to the loader subframede of the box. So I spun the box and valve around, and reconfigured the hose connections. I had to modify the cabinet anyway to accommodate the new boom top pivot. I also shortened the cabinet about 1 1/2 inches which gave a better control relationship when seated. I shortened the outrigger control handles so they didn't interfere with the boom, and relocated the return filter I had added earlier to the outside of the cabinet for easier servicing.
The BH puts an incredible strain on the sub-frame. In examining things, I was looking for ways to reduce this strain. One was to add a brace to the toplink attach point as others have done. Another was to relocate the BH structure closer to the tractor(shorter moment arm). I did both. I was able to easily move the BH 2.25" closer to the tractor by putting new holes up where the front of the subframe attaches to the loader subframe with pins. The standard rear attach bolts easily slid in their slots this far. This brought the BH base plate right up to touch the drawbar hitch. 2.25" proved to be a fairly easy move, except for having to relocate the hydraulic tank to clear the hydro pump
Relocating the tank solved another annoyance, that while seated in my fancy new swivel seat, it felt like my knees were touching my chest when placed in the only place they could go, on top of the tank. My best plan for this, reused the tank, by relocating all the fittings except the pump outlet and standing the tank on end between my legs. In experimenting with this position would work, I discovered that the original tank foundations were the perfect height and location for footrests. I welded the original diamond plate footrests cut from the bottom of he cabinet to these foundations. All these movements placed me in a comfortable seating position and the controls in the near perfect operating position. I don't even have to adjust the seat, I just pop it up, spin it 180 degrees, and set down and go to work. The lower footrest position also means I can easily stand and peer over the controls down into the hole if I need a better view. I can also easily step in and out alongside the controls when the outriggers are down. Around the relocated tank I built a heavy box frame that is welded to the BH frame and attaches to the tractor with the topplink pin. The tank(welded to the control box backplate) lifts up thru the frame easily once the tank is drained and the pump supply hose is disconnected. This thing is tight with the tractor now. It doesn't rock back and forth with outrigger placement
My next goal was someplace to sit. My tractor didn't have a swivel seat, so I fabbed up a new base and pivot for a swivel seat out of 2 X 6 channel and 3 1/2" and 4" pipe. The original seat plate with slides welded to the outer tube. The inner tube is welded to the base plate. It is held from rotating by two round notches in the bottom edge of the outer sleeve 180 degrees apart. These rest over a piece of 1/2" rod welded to the base plate. The whole affair has a 5/8 bolt running down thru it with a nylock nut that only allows the seat and outer tube to lift far enough to clear the welded lock rod.
Once I spun the seat around, I realized I had a problem. I don't think the HW03 backhoe was ever designed to be frame mounted. It was probably configured for a 3PH mount with it's own seat, as the controls are on the boom side of the control box. With the seat spun around, and even extended as far as the slides can go, the handles on the control levers were uncomfortably high and out of reach. A few internet searches later, and I noted that almost every other BH has the controls on the tractor side of the box. So I spun the box and valve around, and reconfigured the hose connections. I had to modify the cabinet anyway to accommodate the new boom top pivot. I also shortened the cabinet about 1 1/2 inches which gave a better control relationship when seated. I shortened the outrigger control handles so they didn't interfere with the boom, and relocated the return filter I had added earlier to the outside of the cabinet for easier servicing.
The BH puts an incredible strain on the sub-frame. In examining things, I was looking for ways to reduce this strain. One was to add a brace to the toplink attach point as others have done. Another was to relocate the BH structure closer to the tractor(shorter moment arm). I did both. I was able to easily move the BH 2.25" closer to the tractor by putting new holes up where the front of the subframe attaches to the loader subframede of the box. So I spun the box and valve around, and reconfigured the hose connections. I had to modify the cabinet anyway to accommodate the new boom top pivot. I also shortened the cabinet about 1 1/2 inches which gave a better control relationship when seated. I shortened the outrigger control handles so they didn't interfere with the boom, and relocated the return filter I had added earlier to the outside of the cabinet for easier servicing.
The BH puts an incredible strain on the sub-frame. In examining things, I was looking for ways to reduce this strain. One was to add a brace to the toplink attach point as others have done. Another was to relocate the BH structure closer to the tractor(shorter moment arm). I did both. I was able to easily move the BH 2.25" closer to the tractor by putting new holes up where the front of the subframe attaches to the loader subframe with pins. The standard rear attach bolts easily slid in their slots this far. This brought the BH base plate right up to touch the drawbar hitch. 2.25" proved to be a fairly easy move, except for having to relocate the hydraulic tank to clear the hydro pump
Relocating the tank solved another annoyance, that while seated in my fancy new swivel seat, it felt like my knees were touching my chest when placed in the only place they could go, on top of the tank. My best plan for this, reused the tank, by relocating all the fittings except the pump outlet and standing the tank on end between my legs. In experimenting with this position would work, I discovered that the original tank foundations were the perfect height and location for footrests. I welded the original diamond plate footrests cut from the bottom of he cabinet to these foundations. All these movements placed me in a comfortable seating position and the controls in the near perfect operating position. I don't even have to adjust the seat, I just pop it up, spin it 180 degrees, and set down and go to work. The lower footrest position also means I can easily stand and peer over the controls down into the hole if I need a better view. I can also easily step in and out alongside the controls when the outriggers are down. Around the relocated tank I built a heavy box frame that is welded to the BH frame and attaches to the tractor with the topplink pin. The tank(welded to the control box backplate) lifts up thru the frame easily once the tank is drained and the pump supply hose is disconnected. This thing is tight with the tractor now. It doesn't rock back and forth with outrigger placement
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