jtfrench
New member
If your getting a new 3016, its worth the wait for the 3720 backhoe. I just got it yesterday and I think I have one of the first ones made, they have made lots of improvments over the 3715.
I got my 3616 yesterday. It came with the 3720 also. I was wondering how it jumped up from a 3716 to a 3720. It looks plenty heavy duty to me. I cant say about improvements as I have nothing to compare it too. Tomorrow I dig my first stump!
Good luck with it and be careful, I snapped the bucket ram digging out a stump.
Don't try to hook the bucket on a root and then try to drive the tractor forward, as that may well snap the bucket ram. Also don't hook a chain to the bucket and try to drive the tractor forward as that may also snap the bucket ram. Just a word of caution.
Good luck with it and be careful, I snapped the bucket ram digging out a stump.
Thanks guys: Well I found out how strong roots can be. The stump was a fir but it was huge. I had to be careful not to catch onto large roots fully with the bucket or it would just stop digging. I spent a lot of time going up when I wanted to go down or out when I wanted to go in, but I got the hang of it. :laughing:
The root ball was about four feet deep. I hit stone at about five feet. The roots spread out instead of down . The mountain is like that having a few feet of soil mostly crab orchard stone underneath. I worked on it for over four hours. pulled it out and pushed it aside with the loader. I will have to pull it to the burn pile with a chain. If I had a grapple I would be able to keep it in the bucket.
I have a smaller stump to work on tomorrow. Hopefully I will be a little faster too!
The biggest problem I had was getting the bucket to empty. Its been wet and the clay like soil stuck in the bucket like glue.
I had to dig it out with a stick . Maybe need to carry a shovel with me.
Kind of hard to explain, but I was pulling on a 3 inch diameter root, it wouldn't pull anymore so I pushed the boom back on the bucket for some leverage and the ram snapped like a pretzel stick right in the middle. Mahindra replaced it sight in seen, but when dealer saw it he said if they had known what it looked like they wouldn't have. It also bent the 1 in diameter pin that connects it to the bucket, I had to beat it out. In my opinion it should be stronger than that or not able to hydraulically do what I did. Haven't had any problems since with the exception a leak that I fixed with a new o-ring.
I like the looks of the new 3720 BH. I have the older 3710. Only thing I hate is the swing chains.
Just food for thought, but does anyone know if there are any after market bolt on thumbs that I could install on mine? I saw somewhere on the forum where a guy either bought an after market thumb or built his own for a Kioti.
I like the looks of the new 3720 BH. I have the older 3710. Only thing I hate is the swing chains.
Just food for thought, but does anyone know if there are any after market bolt on thumbs that I could install on mine? I saw somewhere on the forum where a guy either bought an after market thumb or built his own for a Kioti.
My dealer told me, Rankin makes one for the 3710. I believe they are around $650.00. Rankin Backhoe Thumb