What have you done to your Branson today?

[Branson Bob]

Never seen equipment like that hoe of yours. ^^^^^^^

 

[Branson Bob]

Re-planted one of my cherry trees. I wanted it to be at a closer elevation to the others so I can build a trellis and prune them in espalier-style.

The gopher wire is helpful when re-planting trees though I wish I'd done it right the first time.

 

[ptsg]

Never seen equipment like that hoe of yours. ^^^^^^^

I'm sure you didn't. :laughing:

It's one of a kind. Started building it with my dad when I was 12 and I'm now 25 and it is not finished yet as it keeps getting upgraded/changed.

 

[ericm979]

I did it a while ago and I still don't have pics (it's raining... again). But I added two one way metering valves to my BH760 boom cylinder. So much better. Now the boom doesn't slam up or down and jerk the whole tractor around if I move the lever 1mm too far. Parts list from surpluscenter:

2 ea of:

9-7960-4 1/4 NPT 5 GPM PRINCE WFC-400 IN-LINE FLOW CONTROL
9-2404-6-4 JIC 6M x 1/4 NPTM CONNECTOR
9-6505-6-4 JIC 6F TO 1/4 NPTM SWIVEL

I stretched the dipper and boom all the way out so the boom cylinder's fittings were as close to on top as they'd get, with the bucket on the ground, and hardly lost any fluid. The hoses were long enough too. The only weird thing is that the hexes on the BH fittings are different sizes than on the fittings I bought.

 

[Branson Bob]

I'm sure you didn't. :laughing:

It's one of a kind. Started building it with my dad when I was 12 and I'm now 25 and it is not finished yet as it keeps getting upgraded/changed.

Did I miss something or are there no outriggers?

If not any plans on adding them?

Also, what kind of equipment was that originally?

 

[ptsg]

Did I miss something or are there no outriggers?

If not any plans on adding them?

Also, what kind of equipment was that originally?

It used to have outriggers but we didn't make them hydraulic. It had a fixed position and it was somewhat of a pain to setup. A few years ago, we lifted the rear and it definitely wouldn't work. So we just removed it entirely. I only use the outrigger maybe 2 times since we made the machine. It doesn't really need.

I've been playing with the idea of adding 2 hydraulic cylinders connected from the main chassis to the boggie subframe, then add 2 ball valves that I would close and make a solid machine or open to make it pivot again.

So the backhoe was all made from scratch. It started as a 6 wheeled machine with only 1 diff, that means only 2 wheels were being driven. A few years ago, we got another diff from the scrapyard and made it a 6x4. The 2 rear axles are connected together. The power train is driven by an hydraulic motor connected to a 4 speed gearbox, that then is connected to another 4 speed gearbox. It gives me lots of gear ratios to play with.

It had 3 different engines. One with 5 HP, then a Yanmar with 12 HP and we finally settled on a 17 HP Kubota. We kept wanting more from the backhoe, hence the power upgrades. Uses 2 hydraulic pumps and I've made an hydraulic flail mower for it aswell.

 

[Branson Bob]

I did it a while ago and I still don't have pics (it's raining... again). But I added two one way metering valves to my BH760 boom cylinder. So much better. Now the boom doesn't slam up or down and jerk the whole tractor around if I move the lever 1mm too far. Parts list from surpluscenter:

2 ea of:

9-7960-4 1/4 NPT 5 GPM PRINCE WFC-400 IN-LINE FLOW CONTROL
9-2404-6-4 JIC 6M x 1/4 NPTM CONNECTOR
9-6505-6-4 JIC 6F TO 1/4 NPTM SWIVEL

I stretched the dipper and boom all the way out so the boom cylinder's fittings were as close to on top as they'd get, with the bucket on the ground, and hardly lost any fluid. The hoses were long enough too. The only weird thing is that the hexes on the BH fittings are different sizes than on the fittings I bought.

This sounds like a mod I'm gonna have to look into. Sometimes the backhoe is just too touchy and no amount of "touch" seems to work. What was the approximate cost?

Thanks Eric.

 

[Branson Bob]

It used to have outriggers but we didn't make them hydraulic. It had a fixed position and it was somewhat of a pain to setup. A few years ago, we lifted the rear and it definitely wouldn't work. So we just removed it entirely. I only use the outrigger maybe 2 times since we made the machine. It doesn't really need.

I've been playing with the idea of adding 2 hydraulic cylinders connected from the main chassis to the boggie subframe, then add 2 ball valves that I would close and make a solid machine or open to make it pivot again.

So the backhoe was all made from scratch. It started as a 6 wheeled machine with only 1 diff, that means only 2 wheels were being driven. A few years ago, we got another diff from the scrapyard and made it a 6x4. The 2 rear axles are connected together. The power train is driven by an hydraulic motor connected to a 4 speed gearbox, that then is connected to another 4 speed gearbox. It gives me lots of gear ratios to play with.

It had 3 different engines. One with 5 HP, then a Yanmar with 12 HP and we finally settled on a 17 HP Kubota. We kept wanting more from the backhoe, hence the power upgrades. Uses 2 hydraulic pumps and I've made an hydraulic flail mower for it aswell.

Wow!

I wish I had your mechanical skills.

That is one of the cooler one-of-a-kind machines I've seen.

 

[ericm979]

This sounds like a mod I'm gonna have to look into. Sometimes the backhoe is just too touchy and no amount of "touch" seems to work. What was the approximate cost?

Thanks Eric.

The valves I used are about 25 each. The fittings are a few $$ each.

 

[ning]

I did it a while ago and I still don't have pics (it's raining... again). But I added two one way metering valves to my BH760 boom cylinder. So much better. Now the boom doesn't slam up or down and jerk the whole tractor around if I move the lever 1mm too far. Parts list from surpluscenter:

2 ea of:

9-7960-4 1/4 NPT 5 GPM PRINCE WFC-400 IN-LINE FLOW CONTROL
9-2404-6-4 JIC 6M x 1/4 NPTM CONNECTOR
9-6505-6-4 JIC 6F TO 1/4 NPTM SWIVEL

I stretched the dipper and boom all the way out so the boom cylinder's fittings were as close to on top as they'd get, with the bucket on the ground, and hardly lost any fluid. The hoses were long enough too. The only weird thing is that the hexes on the BH fittings are different sizes than on the fittings I bought.

OK, I need to do this. Occasionally it feels like my boom is getting electrocuted and it just spazzes out!
Mind taking pics of your work?