Second day experiences

Cliff_Johns · May 3, 2004

( Not sure if I can explain this...but when it comes to "little things", I learned here on TBN, that you can take the fingers of your backhoe bucket, intertwine the sappling between the fingers and then pull the thing out, without having to dig a "hole" per se.
)

OK, I tried this, but the saplings broke off. Pulled the tractor down a bit first, just to tease me into thinking it might work, but then they snapped. There's really a great deal more root than saplings growing out. I might try that a few more times though. Thanks for the sugestion.

Cliff

Cliff_Johns · May 3, 2004

( Cliff

When geting used to the backhoe controls, on the right lever think of it as just an extension of your arm. Pull it in and out with your elbow to dig with the dipper and go sideways with your wrist as if you're digging with your hand. On the left lever, just think of that hand going in and out to keep the dig level even. And use your sideways wrist motion to swing.
Andy )

I like this way of thinking about the controls. It seemed to me the controls for the boom and the dipper stick were reversed from each other, but if I think of it as you've described, it makes more sense. Thanks,
Cliff

Cliff_Johns · May 3, 2004

( .

I usually run mine at PTO speed though as I like the greater power, speed is not an issue but getting a full swing Left/Right with a bucket full of dirt is as they have the cylinders on mine as single acting aginst each other to limit the force as too many people were bending the elbo/arm joint while in th trench and pushing the side to side action!...

Mark M )

OK, I thought that RPM didn't really matter for power, only speed. Did I have that wrong?

Cliff

AndyMA · May 3, 2004

( OK, I thought that RPM didn't really matter for power, only speed. Did I have that wrong? )

Power comes from Hydraulic pressure. Speed of operation comes from flow rate. On most of the machines I have operated, Backhoe pressure reliefs tend to be set lower than tractor reliefs so that you usually hit max power (or close to it) way below PTO rpm. I been on backhoes of many types for years and LarryRB has thousands of hours of backhoe time. We discussed this this afternoon and both agree that on most hoes, at PTO speed the backhoe moves way too fast for decent control and beats the hoe up. Our estimate for normal operation is 1/2 to 2/3 PTO speed. On my digital tach in the TN, I usually run 300 PTO rpm's (and range from 200 to about 320 depending on what I'm doing). I would think that you might get away with PTO speed on a small machine with limited hydraulic flow. I have a 10 gpm PTO mounted pump dedicated to the backhoe. Machines like the Kubota L48 and the Deere 110 run one pump for swing and another for the other controls.

Andy

LBrown59 · Dec 13, 2004

( Well, I learned a few things today. It rained quite a bit the last few days, and I knew the ground would still be pretty wet, but I decided to go ahead and drive the 4110 (FEL/BH) across the yard anyway. Surprisingly, the R4s did no damage and there weren't even indentations. OK, that was the good part.

I tried using the BH. I've never used one before, and I've never used a FEL before. In fact, I've never used hydraulics before except for the brakes on my car.

-

"Whomp!" is what a backhoe says. Even at lower RPM, the backhoe is a testy critter, kind of skitish. The least touch and the whole tractor bounces and the BH goes "Whomp."

My chosen first test was some buckthorn bushes, not large, but they would be a real pain with a shovel. The first one came out of the ground, roots and all so smoothly I thought this backhoe thing was going to be a breeze. Then the next one which looked the same, was actually a buckthorn tree in disguise. We must have sawed it off last year and all the little branches came out of the stump and it looked like a little bush. When the bucket got under the main root ball, the tree started pulling the tractor down into the ground -- it was mad. I fought it for 45 minutes while it dragged me around the yard. Finally I landed it. Then I beat it to death with a club so it wouldn't bite me.

Actually the stump was pathetically small, but it was much larger thatn I expected. I'd wanted to stick to the small stuff at first until I got used to the controls and to proper angle of attack etc.

It started raining again, so I thought I wouldn't test my luck with the soggyness of the ground and brought the tractor back in. Now the sun's back out, but I don't trust it.

And that's the way it was Sunday May 02, 2004.

Cliff

*PS Before you move the tractor after using the BH, lift the FEL back off the ground.

)
*Another PS raise the stabilizers before moving tractor.

MMM · Dec 14, 2004

Try getting teeth just under root ball and trunk and curl. They pop out with minimal digging. The bucket seems to act as a fulcrum and curl is strongest function on all hoes I've run. My bucket teeth are 3" long, so that helps too.

Cliff_Johns · Dec 14, 2004

Thanks, this will be helpful to others reading this thread for the first time, but this is an old thread. I've pulled a lot of bushes and stumps since then.
Cliff

KiotiJohn · Dec 14, 2004

( Thanks, this will be helpful to others reading this thread for the first time, but this is an old thread. I've pulled a lot of bushes and stumps since then.
Cliff )
Isn't it wonderful that now you can brag?
I didn't see this post when it was original for some reason. I love the way you started the thread.
I also remember the Whoomp. Then I learned I could operate the dipper curl while moving swing, and it would slow the swing enough that it wouldn't bang the stops. A late thanks for an enjoyable thread. John