Backhoe mf 1260 - woods 7500 backhoe

wilkesland · Nov 28, 2005

Hello all. This is my first post. After months of looking and reading, I recently bought a nice used 1260 with fel and thus far am pleased that I think I bought the right tractor for my needs. I really appreciate all the great information I was able to obtain here in TBN.
After the holidays, I want to put a backhoe on this tractor. My local MF dealer has quoted an attractive price for a Woods 7500 backhoe, subframe mounted. My question is about the ease of taking the backhoe off and putting back on. Will this be a relatively easy hoe for one person working alone to get on and off? If not, is there a better choice?

Thanks in advance

Nasty135 · Nov 29, 2005

Hi and welcome to TBN, I will respond to this because while I was on thanksgiving break in OHIO I just happened to check out backhoes and the woods 7500 was one of them...

It is a one man job , By removing the two threaded bolt pins that keep it in the the subframe cradle where the wrench also resides on the frame, and then slightly raising the feet to lift it off the subframe shut it down and remove pump or disconnect hoses... the subframe stays on the tractor (of course)...

The price I was quoted in Ohio was about $7700 is that close to your quote? Also the massey BH was a little less at about $7000. I sure would be a nice addition to the arsenal /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I was looking at it for a 1433v massey basically the same sized tractor, Indentical BackHoe

JerryG · Nov 29, 2005

Did your dealer price you a MF 1217 backhoe? The last time I saw the price on a new 1217 it was quite a bit less than the Woods price they gave you. I know that everyone will not agree with me but when putting a backhoe on a compact tractor, I would not want to use anything but the name brand. The reason is because given the amount of damage a backhoe can inflect on a tractor it is easier to work with one company should anything go wrong.

wilkesland · Nov 29, 2005

Thanks for both responses. No, the dealer did not quote the 1217. His quote for the woods 7500 was $6777 installed with pto pump and 16" bucket. I do have a slight preference for having the backhoe be by the same manufacturer as the tractor, but not at the expense of functionality and I don't want to pay extra just to have the name match. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Does the 1217 come off and on easily?

JerryG · Nov 29, 2005

Yes, it is easy on and off. The 1217 has been replaced by the 1475 and 1480. Those are the models that the dealer can get now and the 1475 is the one that replaced the 1217. The 1475 is a better backhoe is several ways compared to the 1217.

Latheman · Nov 30, 2005

The Woods is a great hoe, very easy to get on and off. You might ask your dealer about Woods new BH80X that is replacing the BH7500. They might be willing to knock a few dollars off of it to make room for the new backhoes. Just an idea to save a few dollars.

QRTRHRS · Nov 30, 2005

My 1260 was new back in 1998. My subframe uses two pins to secure it to the loader frame under the belly. If properly adjusted, you will very quickly learn how to connect/detach the backhoe. I had an older 1017 MF hoe that I literally wore out from using so much. The key to any compact with a hoe is to go with the subframe as you are planning to do. You may also want to check out the hoe manufactured by Bradco.