New to a backhoe

[cheeser]

I was looking at a JD 485 backhoe and was surprised to see how low it sits on the back of the tractor. That is, underneath the backhoe (right under say where the operator would sit on it) there is only about 6 or so inches of ground clearance.

I'm worried that if I take the backhoe into the woods (where there are a lot of dips in the ground) or if I cross a drainage ditch - that the backhoe portion will bottom out and there would be trouble.

Can any offer some insight or experience with this??? Is there something I'm not seeing right?

Thanks for the advice. (I hope I posted this in the right area).

 

[BruceWard]

I am not familiar with that model of backhoe. All backhoe I have seen reduce departure angle but I am used to the backhoe having a similar ground clearance to the rest of the tractot.

My experience is that if the backhoe, or any other part of the tractor, bottoms out I can use the the backhoe to push it to a clear spot.

 

[Mock1]

I think that is good advice Bruce. They can lift and push a tractor with ease. Hone your skills on level ground first though.

 

[Mock1]

I think that is good advice Bruce. They can lift and push a tractor with ease. Hone your skills on level ground first though.

 

[dfkrug]

I was looking at a JD 485 backhoe and was surprised to see how low it sits on the back of the tractor. That is, underneath the backhoe (right under say where the operator would sit on it) there is only about 6 or so inches of ground clearance.

I'm worried that if I take the backhoe into the woods (where there are a lot of dips in the ground) or if I cross a drainage ditch - that the backhoe portion will bottom out and there would be trouble.

Six inches is pretty bad for the ground clearance. This is a big problem
with some subframe mounts. In addition to minimal ground clearance,
some subframe mounts stick WAY out back, which further reduces
the "departure angle". It is common for subframe-mounted hoes on
CUTs to have a DA of less than 15-degrees. Integrated TLBs are often
20-degrees or even better.

The hoe I use most on my CK30 is mounted very close-in with a 12-13"
ground clearance. Manufacturers of subframes for CUTs (vs for integrated
TLBs) compromise their designs to allow for a separate hoe seat, and to
fit multiple tractors with minimal subframe design changes.

Ground clearance and departure angle are very important: I can easily
have my main hoe boom pivot hit the ground when crossing the smallest
swale or ditch. Loading onto a trailer is even more of problem, but I
don't transport my tractor.

 

[cheeser]

Thanks for the advice....what is meant by the departure angle?

Not sure what to do on this one....I have a JD 5 series tractor.....often dealers don't have backhoe attachments on their lots, you have to order it....and then they put it on and it is yours!

 

[Stonehaller]

With the tractor on level ground, if you draw a line from where the rear wheels touch the ground back to the lowest point of the backhoe, the angle of that line from the ground is the angle of departure. You can think of it as how much the front of the tractor can be elevated or angled from level before the backhoe hits. It is important for loading/unloading the tractor on a trailer. With a low departure angle, you will need longer ramps or you may have to back the tractor on a trailer.

A larger departure angle will help you travel across bumpy or short rolling ground without scraping the back end. The hoe on my L39 has 12 inches of ground clearance and a 19.2 degree angle of departure. I have scraped the back end many times working on uneven ground in the woods and have had to use the hoe to shift the back end of the tractor a couple times when I scraped enough to get stuck. You need to be conscious of the clearance limits when traveling with the backhoe on your tractor and plan your route accordingly.