I suspect both the PTO and Engine dirven pump will develop the same "power"--pressure actually.
What you should check is the pump volume. Check the ratings for both at the same engine speed. More pump volume will get the job done quicker.
To answer the next question: Do you have to run the tractor engine at a faster speed to run the backhoe?
There has been a hot debate here on Tractorbynet.com about the engine speed at which to operate your tractor at while running the backhoe. Some say run at full PTO speed, some say slow it down. It comes down to experience and desired speed of digging.
For a beginning backhoe operator, the backhoe will be jerky to operate at first. Try the first ten or so hours of use at ~75% of PTO speed, which on a
B7610 is around 2,000 rpm, maybe even 1,800 RPM for the first several hours. This is just to keep the bucking down as you learn. What happens is at first you tend to operate only one control/spool/valve/cylinder at a time and all the pump power goes to that one cylinder and it operates real fast--too fast--especially in swing and boom lift. So, running at slower speed, things slow down and you get used to feathering the valves and doing multiple operations simultaneously.
As experience comes you begin to do multiple operations simultaneously and the backhoe will seem too slow. It actually will be slower because the pump power is spread across several functions. You can now speed up the engine and get faster cycle times. When you can "rake" the ground level toward you with the bucket teeth, you've gotten the feel of how to feather the valves and multiple valve operation down. And, you can likely run the engine at PTO speed comfortably. This will get the work done quicker, you will get tired of the length of time it takes to swing the bucket out and back.
One more tip--The greatest power of the backhoe is in the bucket curl. And it's best applied closer to the tractor when the curl is coming up out of the hole, this pulls down the back end of the tractor against the outriggers and exerts great force. Running the curl out at the boom extension limit will try to drag the tractor backwards--and it will succeed most of the time.
You will be tempted to operate the curl and boom or dipper simultaneously in hard to dig situations. This actually decreases the power available as the boom or dipper will stall and open the pressure relief valve, dumping hydraulic fluid and power. The bucket curl is the most powerful of the controls, use it alone in tough dig situations.
On the humorous side, you will catch your self pulling real hard on the backhoe controls in tough digging—to try and “help” the tractor dig. When you catch your self doing this—ease up. You’ll only wear yourself out, get a stiff neck, sore shoulders and back. Ask me how I know.
