Trac-hoe control ?

DarinRay · Oct 4, 2001

Thanks guys,

I never actually (duh) thought that there was a difference in the control except for the number of levers or something like that. Wow, will have to keep that in mind if I ever buy one or maybe even rent one because like Del said it wouldn't be bad clearing land but if you wanted to do something with precision being use to something will make my life alot easier./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Yeah I actually just a couple months ago saw a JD450 with loader and backhoe but the 4-1 bucket was pretty beat up so I thought maybe it's life was hard so declined. I've been told that with the backhoe on the back you go through your undercarriage alot more or at least the rear becuase of the added weight.

Sure is fun learning more about things that you like. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Darin

DarinRay · Oct 4, 2001

That would probably send me there too Del. I can't even run the foot controls and controls at the same time very well and then throw in somemore controls for articulating boom and BINGO Funny Farm it is. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. Put a hydraulic thumb it and it would be even quicker. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Darin

Anonymous Poster · Oct 4, 2001

Actually the thumb controls can be easy if you use an electric valve, you just have buttons in the lever to push, some controls also work so that you push the button and that changes the lever's function while the button is held down.

You might think that would be complicated I guess you just get used to it, I saw a program last night on the cranes that are used to offload ships, I think it was those humongous ones inLong Beach CA, the guys like 200 feet up looking down 40 feet into a hole in the ship and he goes after a container, yanks it out, takes it over and sits it ever so gently on to a trailer chassis. And the guy does it all day long. I'll try to remember that next time I feel frustrated at my inability to position a rock or log for some project!

del

Jag · Oct 4, 2001

Rus, Del, my JD 450C manual has a section on a backhoe... So it should have been an optition on this size dozer up to the mid-80's.... I even know where such an animal is parked up the road about 25 miles or so....

MDNick · Oct 5, 2001

My brother saw one for sale outside Johnstown Ohio. Real nice backhoe on a JD 450. 1974. In good shape, original pretty much everything, including the paint. Undercarriage was in real good shape. My brother wanted to buy it and was hoping some old lady was recently widowed, etc. Not to be, owner was alive and well, asking $12,500. More than he wanted to spend. Especially since he lives IN Columbus. Though my dad would have appreciated it.

Farmer kid usetabe, Farmer Wannabe

MarkV · Oct 5, 2001

We had a real difficult (can you say expensive) septic system put in that required track equipment. (very steep, rocky) Besides a dozer and small excavator they used a JD 450 with backhoe and 4 in 1 bucket. I thought it was a great machine if you could only have one. Often thought that if I had a lot of clearing to do it would be a good do it all combo to have.

MarkV

bcarter · Oct 9, 2001

CAT controls are the SAE standard excavator control pattern - stick and swing in the left hand, boom and bucket in the right hand. Most backhoes are plumbed with a "John Deere" control pattern - boom and swing in the left hand, stick and bucket in the right. There are several other control patterns, but these two are the most common.

I learned to operate on a Cat excavator with the SAE control pattern, so I got my backhoe controls swapped to match. The dealer swapped the hoses and the relief valves between the boom and stick functions. It works fine except that I do get the "boom drop" that Del describes, and I don't get the float function for the boom. I too would recommend actually restacking the spools to avoid both of these...and when I get some time I will do this on mine.

My $0.02.

Bill