Backhoe when not in use?

[Indian MC]

When not using my machine, I was told to set the FEL down on the ground to avoid it coming down on its own from sitting.
How about the backhoe? I have been using the two pins that lock the boom but not the bucket in place.
I noticed today my bucket is leaking down from sitting. ( About 6" in five days ).
Is there a need to set the bucket to the ground when you don't intend to use it for several days?

 

[4570Man]

I prefer to set it to the ground. It minimizes flat spotting the tires, but as long as the boom is pinned up there's no other reason to do so.

 

[Indian MC]

I prefer to set it to the ground. It minimizes flat spotting the tires, but as long as the boom is pinned up there's no other reason to do so.

Thanks, I'm a little cramped for space. Behind the hoe I only have two feet to the garage door.
Up front, I have more stuff than I care to move around right now.
I lifted the bucket back up, and slid a Jack Stand under.
That will do her!

 

[Grandad4]

It's normal for backhoe cylinders to leak down slowly on their own. As for parking the backhoe, I always treat it just like any other implement: when it's parked and not in use, it is fully lowered to the ground so it can not move. I don't want my grandkids, kids or me to have an "oops" moment by accidentally or playfully bumping a loader or backhoe control.

 

[Qapla]

Since ours resides outside, we use the pin to lock the boom. For the BH bucket we lower the front of it so that water will not fill it up when it rains (I won't say "if" in Florida)

For the FEL, we drop that to the ground. Not only does it keep it from dropping, it is like setting the "parking brake" for the tractor. If we think we are going to be parked for any amount of time we will lower the bucket after we tilt it down and lower it with the bucket facing the ground.

 

[nikerret]

I lower the front bucket and make sure it is fully one the ground. This means I move the loader control until it does not move. Like Grandad, I would have for one of the kids to play on the tractor and trap or pinch someone. It would be a real disaster as they would have to start the tractor to lift it off them. The backhoe gets left against the pins. The tractor has to be started to get the pressure off the pins.

 

[Fiziksgeek]

I have space issues as well. I swing the boom all the way to one side and use the locking pins for the boom and outriggers. Then I relieve the pressure on the hydraulics and let the bucket droop to where gravity takes it. The FEL is on the ground. Again, I relieve all hydraulics so nothing is going to move should the kids find something interesting in there...

 

[GregP27]

The issue is not to set the bucket on the ground at all. It doesn't matter a bit where you put it. You can sit it on a milk crate if it doesn't collapse.

The issue is relieving the hydraulic pressure.

For your backhoe, having it against the pins is fine. For the bucket, once the engine is shut off, just move the bucket handle until, it reaches bottom all by itself and relieves the pressure in the hydraulic system. Same for boom in and oput on both arms. What you are trying to do is remove the hydraulic pressure from the seals.

Same with the front bucket, just let it down once the engine stops and operate all the controls so the pressure is gone and you're fine.

You do exactly the same with a forklift ... let the forks down and lean the mast forward or back until it stops all by itself. The pressure is zero and you're good to go.

 

[dickfoster]

When not using my machine, I was told to set the FEL down on the ground to avoid it coming down on its own from sitting.
How about the backhoe? I have been using the two pins that lock the boom but not the bucket in place.
I noticed today my bucket is leaking down from sitting. ( About 6" in five days ).
Is there a need to set the bucket to the ground when you don't intend to use it for several days?

You can wrap a ratchet strap around the bucket to keep the curl cylinder from sagging. I strap the bucket or rather ripper tooth and the stabilizers on mine. The boom I pin.

 

[Jay4200]

There is no valid reason concerning the hydraulics to lower an implement, IMHO. Considering the 2000 PSI the hydraulics are designed to handle, the resultant pressure created by the weight of the implements is insignificant. That being said, I do personally drop both my backhoe and my bucket onto the ground to transfer the weight of both off of the tractor tires.

 

[GregP27]

If you ask any fleet manager who had hydraulic in his fleet, you'll find out differently. Over time, the cylinders with pressure left in the system eat seals more than 3 times as fast as cylinders that get routinely depressurized. There is nothing whatsoever wrong with leaving the forks on a forklift or a tractor bucket to hold something if you need it there for some period of time. But leaving if there when not required will just see you cahnge seals sooner than otherwise needed. If that doesn't seem like much a chore to you, then go for it.

I'd rather change them when I choose to, which is probably sometime when I'm changing the hydraulic oil anyway, say several years of light use.

 

[Steve1300]

From my 40+ years of experience with hydraulics, I can tell that the most surprising thing about seals and leakage is that seals dry out if not wetted through use frequently. Also, a static leak of any actuator that stops when warmed up is not that serious. The ones that don't stop when warmed up are a problem. All actuators holding heavy loads will, over time, bleed down unless the construction is really complex (read "expensive") to prevent that. And, that is true even with heavy weights (500 lbs?) hanging on an actuator in a system designed to take 5000 PSI. Bleed-by can happen in all of them.

I think safety issues should guide our choices, and a hanging bucket can be dangerous when there are children around. I've even had my clothing catch on levers when I am getting off the tractor and drop an implement. Glad the dogs weren't under them when it happened. I put mine down because of my curious dogs.

 

[AStanton]

I keep the boom on my BX25 pinned. The bigger problem was the creep on the stabilizers. I eliminated that problem with a chain between the pads.

 

[rScotty]

I keep the boom on my BX25 pinned. The bigger problem was the creep on the stabilizers. I eliminated that problem with a chain between the pads.

Mine don't creep (yet), but I still think a chain between them is a good idea. Thanks.
rScotty

 

[4570Man]

If I have it parked where there's plenty of room I let the stabilizes leak down. If it's in my garage where space is at a premium I strap them up.

 

[mguitas]

Wallenstein stabs don't leak since I had them.

 

[Aquamoose]

I take my BH off and set them on mobile dollies that have "cylinder pockets" for the outriggers. I wanted to store it very compactly in my shop under my pallet racks and the outriggers were the widest points. I just unpin them and reset them upright just next to the boom and there's absolutely no pressure on them. The hoses still remain attached.

My lower boom are set resting on the pins but the upper boom had to be set lower to fit under the rack to conserve space. The bucket, which is now closer to the ground, stays curled using a piece of slotted gray plastic electrical conduit that are notched at one end and is snapped over the rods to keep the bucket from touching the floor.

I now can store the BH with less than 30" of width under the racks.