Backhoe Need advice on attaching backhoe

[ragkar]

I'm having a heck of a time getting my BH on. This is a first time effort for me and sometimes I think that the subframe shrunk in the rain.

My question concerns some advice in the JD manual on attaching the BH.
step 9 with the swing lock pin in place and the boom lock pin removed:
"Use boom and stabilizer control levers to alternately raise the boom and stabilizers, pivoting the subframe on the draft link pins until ......"
What do they mean 'alternately'. How does raising the boom tilt the subframe? Does 'alternately' mean first one stabilizer and then the other? If I do that it tilts the subframe to the side. Does 'raise the stabilizers' really mean 'retract the stabilizers and lower the BH assembly'?

When backing the tractor into position over the BH subframe, you can't see the draft link pins. So how do you align the tractor?

 

[ducati996]

Now is a heck of a time to learn (dealer should have shown you) but you are here now so I will do my best to describe it - hopefully others will chime in as well.

Yes you will need to see where the slots on the BH align up on the 3pt side of things. Backing up to the hole as straight as possible until you see the BH slots alighed up with the axle bars. It dosent have to be height wise, just position wise. Look to see where the front sub frame mounts are and that they are somewhat in line with the loader mounts. next you will need to hook up the power beyond couplers, that will give you the ability to raise or lower the stabilizers (both should be raised the same height to give subframe an even pitch). The pins should be out of the backhoe in my opinion, so see if you can do this. The bucket and the up & down motion of the BH can be used to pitch the subframe up or down in the front by the sub frame mount (in front). Its at this time where trial and error and practice come into play. By raising the stablizers or curling the BH bucket, you can get the front part to raise or lower. this is of course after you back the tractor on to the slots in the rear of the sub frame. The last part is to get the pins back in on the front. using a rubber mallet and grease will help you greatly.

best of luck either way, and let us know how you make out

Duc

 

[Efreet]

The first time I got my backhoe on, I had a heck of a difficult time. Now, after a few more mounting experiences I can put on the backhoe in a few minutes. Here are important things that I found made my job a LOT easier:

1) back the tractor up to the mounting hooks as centered as possible. Have the tips of the hooks right against the pins (but NOT yet hooked in); connect the hydro hose
2) adjust the stabilizers so that the height of the slots in the backhoe mounting hooks line up exactly with the draft link pins
3) back up the tractor so that the draft link pins get seated TIGHTLY into the hooks; there should be NO visible space between the pins and the hooks
4) put the parking brake on
5) at this point I can usually slide the step pins through the mounting frame and the hangers in the front without using much force or needing a mallet.

If only one of the holes is lined up well, insert step pin into this mounting hole. To line up the other side, extend the backhoe boom somewhat and use it to shove the other side into place. The boom will give you tremendous leverage and will make this step easy.

I hope this helps.

 

[ducati996]

The first time I got my backhoe on, I had a heck of a difficult time. Now, after a few more mounting experiences I can put on the backhoe in a few minutes. Here are important things that I found made my job a LOT easier:

yeah Its so easy to take off but the challange as we find out is when the hoe sits for a while and looses pressure/postioning thats where things get tricky.

I hope he made out ok ?

ragkar how you doing?

 

[Chris2520]

it was a little tricky at first. but after a few times.
its pretty simple now.

Chris...

 

[ragkar]

Ducati996 - The delivery guy was far from a professional teacher. I had him take the BH off, but he only offered two or three rambling sentences of advice on how to get it back on. I have the pins greased up and the mallet ready.

Efreet - You must have your BH on blocks since my sitting-on-the-ground hooks are about eight inches below the pins. I think that I'll use 6x6 blocks to sit the BH on when it comes time to take it off.

The BH isn't on yet. I'm having big troubles backing so that the frame and pins are exactly right. I've found that when I look over my left shoulder, I invariably position a little too far to the left. I need practice and maybe a change in procedure. I noticed that I can barely see the draft link pins when I'm seated. Maybe I can adjust the seat so that It's more visible.

Do you guys stand next to the tractor while adjusting the stabilizer or do you do it from the seat?

I'm putting together a 'How to' dialog on this procedure cribbed from your comments, the manual and other sources. So far I've got a full typewritten sheet written. I would post it here but it might be a little presumptuous to post a 'how to' when I've not yet 'done'.

The JD manual is far from adequate. There's lots of holes and omissions in the instructions. As a learning aid I've put lots of printed acrylic tapes here and there on the tractor identifying the controls and how to use them. Things like 'swing right' 'extend' 'dump' etc. But I'm surprised how much practice you need to get proficient. On my first try I took a run at a wood pile with the bucket. When I looked I found that I had loaded two sticks!

 

[Chris2520]

My hoe is in the garage. i back the tractor with 8 inches. then i stand behind the tractor and work the stableizers and boom to line up. i have the tractor in nutral. and i just grab the tire and roll it back to the hoe. til it slides in the groove. when i am outside on dirt. i do the same thing. except .
and i know everyone will give me crap but . i just put tractor in low range. it will set there i get off line it up. and walk up and push peddles with my hand to back it up to the hoe. very gently til its in the groove , then put pins in. its just how i do it.

Chris...

 

[Efreet]

Efreet - You must have your BH on blocks since my sitting-on-the-ground hooks are about eight inches below the pins. I think that I'll use 6x6 blocks to sit the BH on when it comes time to take it off.

No, actually I park my backhoe on gravel and lay it so the frame mounting rails are completely on the ground.
The trick is to back up the tractor over the rails, and into a position so that I can raise the backhoe by lowering the stabilizers.

The position I described (close proximity between the hooks and draft link pins) allows me to get the height tuned in very easily.

 

[ragkar]

I finally managed to get my BH on the tractor and I found my problem.
The BH was stored on the dirt of forest floor, the soft dirt. I found that my stabilizer feet were digging in and sliding. I'd line up the tractor real nice, but when I lifted the BH with the stabilizers I'd find that I was an inch off. And in the front as much as three inches.
On my last try before I realized this, I found that I couldn't lift the rear hooks to the level of the draft pins because the feet had dug into the dirt. Complicating this was the forest floor was not ballroom level. When backing, the tractor would be going up and down and inch or two.
I cut a two foot piece of 6x6 and put it under the BH. Then I raised the feet and slid a 2 inch slab of concrete patio paving under each. This was dangerous as the BH was balanced on that 6x6 with no side support.
This helped tremendously, but I still had inexperience problems and the feet had begun to slide off the concrete paving. So with the rear BH hooks engaged, but the front pins not in, I slowly, very slowly drove the combination to a graveled area.
After I got there I found that I could slide one pin in the holes without using a mallet. A little playing around and some mallet work later, I put the second pin in place.
Next time I remove the BH I'm going to make sure that the feet are on something solid, maybe a larger block. And I'm considering putting the subframe on 6x6's

 

[pat32rf]

Ragkar- Have faith, it gets easier. Mine is a 4300hst so the hoe is a little different but I have found that I can raise,lower the hoe with the outriggers just enough to slide the pins out by hand after a few tries. My two locking pins have long since disappeared but it does help to set the hoe frame on a 6x6 or something similar. PS Our terrain up here is very similar to the Poconos