Sysop
Elite Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2013
- Messages
- 3,301
- Location
- Fairmont, WV
- Tractor
- Mahindra 4035HST purchased 2013 - Husqvarna TS348-D purchased 2019 - Craftsman 42" HST purchased 2003
In the case of a backhoe, a whole lot of patience and practice in my experence. That thing really wants to move. I've even contemplated putting a flow restrictors in my swing cylinder circuit. It has a real hair trigger for boom swing.
Agreed, backhoes are generally more to get the hang of versus a loader.
After spending a few weeks doing some drainage ditches around my place, few of my friends had said "aww that's easy work since you got that backhoe". They seemed surprised when I told them it's no "easier" than digging it all by hand. I would tell them, it's much faster thanks to the bigger shovel, but it's honestly no easier. When digging by hand, the pressure and load on your muscles is always changing. When digging with a backhoe, you're setting there with both arms in a constant state of flex while holding and feathering the controls of the backhoe. It's sort of like the difference between doing arm-curls with a 40lbs dumbbell or holding a 20lbs dumbbell out in front of you with your arm fully extended. Repeatedly curling 40lbs seems like more work, but holding the 20lbs extended out in front of you is more tiring.