most powerful compact hoe

[Reg]

I agree with what I think Sweden-Art means - though I might have worded it a little differently.

A hoe with WAY TOO MUCH force in relation to the weight of the tractor would likely have had me in trouble more than a few times - or maybe just ONCE !
I read Sweden-Art's post as a rule of thumb; lets see 4,000 lb tractor, 1300 lb loader with bucket, 1100 lbs of tire fluid, I'm close to 6500 lbs without the hoe itself, maybe 1100 for that.
Yep, I don't think I would NEED or could usefully USE 6 or 7 thousand pounds of breakout force and if I had it I would probably do some damage.
My little 8 1/2 ft Amerequip hoe could also get me in trouble if it was on the back of a 20 HP (barely) Cat 1 tractor.
So I agree, keep it in proportion to the tractor's weight.

Yes, sure, experience and skills are part of the equation too, but many of the buying decision questions that are asked here come from people with little/no experience of the particular equipment they are considering for purchase.
Technique is more important with a hoe than absolute FORCE.

 

[dfkrug]

But with a hoe we need to consider the "frictional" counter force that the stabilizers and tractor gives....

That is correct! Comparing hoe attachment capabilities is tough. I have
been collecting published specs and my own measurements for these units
for several years. It is one thing to see a published force spec for the dipper
or the breakout force, but at what pressure is the measurement taken?
And does the manufacturer limit the recommended pressure to something
less than what your tractor can supply? I want it to run at the full 2500psi
that my tractor can put out.

The outrigger design is very important. Most of the hoes I see for sale
do not use "flip-over" outrigger feet that offer good frictional resistance
to being dragged by the hoe's digging action. One foot position should be
for paved surfaces and have rubber shoes. The flipped over position should
be pointy and anchor the tractor well. My own hoe uses cast steel
flip-over feet just like what Woods uses. In the pointy position, my hoe
can still drag the tractor.

 

[sqdqo]

When you mention "breakout" force are you referring to the bucket digging force or the dipper force? The specs I am reading show the bucket digging force being much higher than the dippers. I just want to clarify what I am looking at.

 

[Hematite]

I agree with what I think Sweden-Art means - though I might have worded it a little differently.

A hoe with WAY TOO MUCH force in relation to the weight of the tractor would likely have had me in trouble more than a few times - or maybe just ONCE !
I read Sweden-Art's post as a rule of thumb; lets see 4,000 lb tractor, 1300 lb loader with bucket, 1100 lbs of tire fluid, I'm close to 6500 lbs without the hoe itself, maybe 1100 for that.
Yep, I don't think I would NEED or could usefully USE 6 or 7 thousand pounds of breakout force and if I had it I would probably do some damage.
My little 8 1/2 ft Amerequip hoe could also get me in trouble if it was on the back of a 20 HP (barely) Cat 1 tractor.
So I agree, keep it in proportion to the tractor's weight.

Yes, sure, experience and skills are part of the equation too, but many of the buying decision questions that are asked here come from people with little/no experience of the particular equipment they are considering for purchase.
Technique is more important with a hoe than absolute FORCE.

Absolutely correct! Paper specifications are NO substitute for technique and practice. There has to be a balance of power and the weight of the machine. The machine manufacturer suggestions are ususally the best.

 

[dfkrug]

When you mention "breakout" force are you referring to the bucket digging force or the dipper force?

Breakout force for a hoe or FEL is the force applied to the ground by
the curl action of the bucket cyl(s). It will generally be much higher
than the dipper stick force because there is a smaller moment arm. This
also means that you can increase the breakout force with a different
bucket.

 

[Builder]

Been looking at compact tractor backhoe specs.The most powerful seem to be made by Bradco.I am only using it mainly on my property digging stumps and landscaping use. 35-50 HP tractor.But do not know if all specs are created equal.Cannot afford a TLB all at once.Will buy tractor/loader then backhoe attachment .Has anybody tried a Kubota L39 ? I like the L48 but not the hydro trans.

I owned one for 2 years and I thought it was pretty stout except the sheetmetal. I didn't like the L-48 hydro trans, nor the hydro trans on my 48HP Challenger, either. I bought the L-39 just because of this reason.

I went through a breif period where I thought I could get by just renting a full size TLB and owning a smaller TLB for small jobs. Mistake. I've been back in a full size since early '07 and better off for it.

The L-39/48, JD 110's are good units, but I think the small tractor mounted backhoes are very limited in digging speed. We used to have a running joke on the jobsite that a good laborer with a shovel could dig as fast as a small tractor with a little hoe on the back. lol