Backhoe tips and tricks (asking not giving)

[top gnome]

I have about 10 hours on the backhoe. I have cleared an area for my tractor shed. dug out the ditch and laid rock in and dug out some large stumps. put in deep fence corner posts.

So I am beginning to get a little more comfortable with the backhoe. At first it was quite concerning when it would move the tractor around pull it forward or lift the back end and stabilizers off of the ground.

When using the backhoe do you leave the tractor in gear or put it in neutral?

Is it ok to move the tractor around using the backhoe. Right now I am lifting the stabilizers turning the seat and driving the tractor sometime just a couple of feet.

What other tricks and tips are there for a novice user to get the most out of the back hoe?

 

[pokey1416]

I put in N and set parking brake (rear wheels have brakes only). To move myself I lift the back a little higher and push myself back or pull myself forward. You can also change your “attack” angle slightly if needed. If I don’t want to move I roll the FEL bucket and dig it into ground a little. And, I put tractor in 4WD. This works well when I’m near an edge or structure etc. and need to keep machine planted.

Practice and you’ll be amazed how good you can get. Have fun!

 

[SRRGC1]

Install a thumb if you don't already have. Not going to hurt moving with BH. Some suggest having the tractor in neutral when doing this. I have fashioned a device to push/pull on hydro pedal to move tractor without leaving seat.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

always in neutral, NO parking brake

lift arms up a foot,raise front bucket, then move tractor using BH(push or pull). After a few tries you'll get good at it and be able to dig a 467' trench perfectly straight.

 

[Fladogman]

This is my experience with the smaller backhoes like the BH92. I leave it in gear unless I know I'll be moving the tractor with the backhoe, then I'll put it in neutral. I never set the parking brake when using the backhoe, I figured the stabilizer arms and bucket with hold it in place good enough. I move the tractor forward, backwards and side to side with the backhoe. On stumps if you can't break the roots move further away from the main stump until you can break it off. Many times grabbing a big root and twisting will work better than lifting. Leaving a little more trunk on the stump helps tremendously. When possible I leave the tree in tact, dig around the stump and let the weight of the tree help pull up the stump. A thumb is great but a grapple will work circles around it.

 

[top gnome]

thank you all for the replies. I took down a 9" spruce this morning and was able to get the root out. On the ones in the pictures they were blown down during the storms this winter so were easier. The one today took about 30 min but it had a very large root so pretty happy. I seriously thought about trying to knock it down or dig around the stump but it was a very tall tree so I used the chain saw. leaving more stump would have been a good idea and I will do that next time. Good to know on being able to move the tractor with the back hoe I will practice that, as even today the back hoe pulled me very close to the stump, so I had to go thru the seat swivel ritual and the black flies are out so the less dinkin around the better. My tractor shed area is almost cleared out several stumps and large rocks already have been moved. Thanks again I can see the potential in the back hoe. tomorrow a couple more trees and stumps and a small pond for a front yard water feature.

 

[top gnome]

Torch added this to a different thead and there is a lot of good advice here so I am reposting

Do people leave the tractor in gear or in neutral when using the backhoe? Is it ok to move the tractor around with the back hoe? thank you

No harm in leaving it in gear. Leaving it in gear helps keep the rig in place when the rear stabilizers are off the ground and is one less step each time if you are doing a job that requires frequent repositioning of the machine (like digging out large roots.)

Pushing the tractor forward with the BH is a pretty common practice when trenching on level ground, but does require some skill and coordination -- it is important to push the tractor forward, not lift it up. In this case, you would leave the tractor in neutral. Ensure the BH swing is pointed straight back, not off to one side or the other. Same with the front wheels. Plant the BH bucket teeth in the soil near the tractor, raise the FEL bucket slightly of the ground, raise the stabilizers slightly off the ground. Raise the BH bucket as necessary to ensure all 4 wheels are on the ground, but not enough to lift the BH bucket out of contact with the ground.

Now gently and simultaneously raise the dipper, lower the boom and uncurl the bucket to roll the tractor along the ground. Basically the exact opposite of digging a flat bottom, and if you are not coordinated enough to dig a flat bottom then maybe get more practice in before trying the above. If you push down too hard with the bucket, you will raise the rear wheels of the tractor so it is balancing on the front axle pivot and the bucket -- no stability at all. If you lift the bucket off the ground, the tractor could roll away or back into the excavation. The trick is to keep the bucket teeth and all 4 wheels in contact with the ground at all times.

I would not try this on any sort of slope, nor would I ever attempt to reposition sideways. The first risks loss of control, the second risks damage to the swing mechanism.

But that's just my 2¢.

 

[GeoHorn]

I don’t like the idea of leaving any machinery or vehicles “in gear” while work is being done that can impart any force to the vehicle… because I don’t want those forces acting upon the gear-sets, clutch, pawls, mounts, and linkages thru that transmission. Place it in neutral and set the parking brakes.

 

[Crash277]

I don’t like the idea of leaving any machinery or vehicles “in gear” while work is being done that can impart any force to the vehicle… because I don’t want those forces acting upon the gear-sets, clutch, pawls, mounts, and linkages thru that transmission. Place it in neutral and set the parking brakes.

on an HST how can it do anything? leaving in gear and the peddle in the neural position in neutral. park on a slope and the machine can roll under its own weight. You wont damage it leaving the HST selector engaged.

 

[top gnome]

on an HST how can it do anything? leaving in gear and the peddle in the neural position in neutral. park on a slope and the machine can roll under its own weight. You wont damage it leaving the HST selector engaged.

I am not sure today I backed into the garage and did not back in far enough. Instead of starting the tractor I put it in N and pushed it back a couple of inches. Next time I will try pushing it in M and see if it moves.

 

[D2Cat]

always in neutral, NO parking brake

lift arms up a foot,raise front bucket, then move tractor using BH(push or pull). After a few tries you'll get good at it and be able to dig a 467' trench perfectly straight.

When one goes beyond 467' how crooked will a dig 500' entail?

 

[Henro]

Just something I do, but what works for me, when digging a trench, is sitting the hoe on the ground with the bucket in a given position (your choice) and wrapping some tape around the stick (with the stick vertical) to indicate the target depth of the trench. Then as you dig you can easily check the depth, and end up close to right on the whole length, at least if the surface of the ground where you are digging is fairly even.

Another thing I have done is pull a string between the two end points of the each ditch section, and use some marker paint to draw a line on the grass/dirt. Makes for a reference that keeps the trench very straight.

Couple novice ideas...the pros are probably good enough to accomplish the same thing without thinking.

 

[Crash277]

Just something I do, but what works for me, when digging a trench, is sitting the hoe on the ground with the bucket in a given position (your choice) and wrapping some tape around the stick (with the stick vertical) to indicate the target depth of the trench. Then as you dig you can easily check the depth, and end up close to right on the whole length, at least if the surface of the ground where you are digging is fairly even.

Another thing I have done is pull a string between the two end points of the each ditch section, and use some marker paint to draw a line on the grass/dirt. Makes for a reference that keeps the trench very straight.

Couple novice ideas...the pros are probably good enough to accomplish the same thing without thinking.

thanks to the nice centered hood ornament on the 23s, i usually use a picket then just keep the hood center pointed at it. however i do like it when someone spray paints a line for me.