Has anyone converted a full size backhoe to a quick attach bucket?

[4570Man]

I really want a set of forks and maybe a grapple for my backhoe. I’m wanting to convert it to either a 4 point mount like loaders use or SSQA. The conversion isn’t as straightforward as some tractor conversions since it has the curl cylinder in the middle.

 

[CalG]

Who ever did it , doesn't want to talk about it,

because it broke in a swift and terrible way.

 

[4570Man]

Who ever did it , doesn't want to talk about it,

because it broke in a swift and terrible way.

That’s what I am afraid will happen to the SSQA version.

 

[CADplans]

I do not think that would be difficult,, it might be helpful if the SSQA was off a machine that used a center cylinder,,,

I have no idea what machine my SSQA is off of,, it was at a junkyard,,,

 

[Agvg]

Why not use a solution made for excavators and then make an adapter from that to the tractor quick hitch?

 

[Agvg]

Or was the plan to use it for general digging?

 

[kenord]

I have a 420 ford industrial backhoe, and I thought about putting a quick change for the bucket to forks or whatever, I changed my mind and just put 3 hooks,(similar to the 4 hooks on your bucket), and use a 1and 1/2 inch steel bar across the top and hung the forks on that, it hooks up quicker than a quick attach as I don't have to get off tractor to hook it up. the down side is I cant see the forks most of the time. they do hang down about 4 inches below the bottom of the bucket, but still cant see them if there on the ground, In any case they are very handy, just yester day neighbor had me load shingles on his roof, so his son didn't have to carry them up a ladder. We are both in our 70s so don't like ladders anyway.

the grapple part , I have a Hyd thumb on the hoe and use it all the time .

Hope this gives you some ideas , Have fun, Stay safe.
Rich

 

[mikester]

All the OEM's sell their own version of QA, these are a lot more HD than the skidsteer QA system. Be prepared for sticker shock if you want to buy the parts. You might get a better deal finding and buying a machine with QA and attachments already and selling your old machine.

 

[EddieWalker]

I have a 1998 Ford/New Holland 555E loader backhoe that I converted to a quick attach system ten years ago. This has really given me a lot more options on what to do with it. Being able to have a grapple on it was the biggest thing. But now that I have horses, I keep the hay spear on it most of the time unless I'm doing a big project requiring the bucket or the grapple. The other day, I took off the hay spear and put the bucket on to stop water from overflowing one of my ditches that supply water to my pond. It's really nice being able to do that quickly and easily.

The one thing that I found out that I wasn't expecting is that the weight and power of the backhoe, and maybe the way the loader is designed, is that the Quick Attach system will fall off on you unexpectedly. I had to add some Eye Bolts to each side of the attachments to hold it in place.

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...e-grapple-my-555e.html?highlight=Quick+Attach

 

[4570Man]

All the OEM's sell their own version of QA, these are a lot more HD than the skidsteer QA system. Be prepared for sticker shock if you want to buy the parts. You might get a better deal finding and buying a machine with QA and attachments already and selling your old machine.

That’s what I intended on doing before I bought the machine I currently have but it would have taken another 20k.

 

[fried1765]

I have a 420 ford industrial backhoe, and I thought about putting a quick change for the bucket to forks or whatever, I changed my mind and just put 3 hooks,(similar to the 4 hooks on your bucket), and use a 1and 1/2 inch steel bar across the top and hung the forks on that, it hooks up quicker than a quick attach as I don't have to get off tractor to hook it up. the down side is I cant see the forks most of the time. they do hang down about 4 inches below the bottom of the bucket, but still cant see them if there on the ground, In any case they are very handy, just yester day neighbor had me load shingles on his roof, so his son didn't have to carry them up a ladder. We are both in our 70s so don't like ladders anyway.

the grapple part , I have a Hyd thumb on the hoe and use it all the time .

Hope this gives you some ideas , Have fun, Stay safe.
Rich

I have had that same fork arrangement for the past 30 years.
Exceptionally handy to use, and I use the forks WAY more often than just the bucket.
The problem is: The forks (mine are from an old Clark lift) are heavy, and in front of the bucket, so lift capability is cut way down.
I could lift much more with my set of real Ford forks, but that would mean manually swapping with the bucket.
That ain't gonna happen,
Those Ford forks are somewhere in the barn, under a whole bunch of other stuff.

 

[4570Man]

I have had that same fork arrangement for the past 30 years.
Exceptionally handy to use, and I use the forks WAY more often than just the bucket.
The problem is: The forks (mine are from an old Clark lift) are heavy, and in front of the bucket, so lift capability is cut way down.
I could lift much more with my set of real Ford forks, but that would mean manually swapping with the bucket.
That ain't gonna happen,
Those Ford forks are somewhere in the barn, under a whole bunch of other stuff.

I could always do that, but visibility and lift capacity is cut way down and I loose the ability of using other implements. The backhoe loader isn’t a wimp to begin with with 6500 pound full height lift and 8500 bucket lip breakout force but I’d hate to cut it in half with lousy forks. I was really thinking about cutting the back of the bucket out, welding some ears on that plate for the 4 point QA and having the metal fab shop make a new piece for the back of the bucket. I’ll see what they say about that idea. Making a new back plate might be challenging since their roller can’t handle steel that heavy.

 

[Agvg]

Doesn't anybody sell QA for excavators in the US for a reasonable price? Here in Scandinavian a lot of manufactors make quite cheap QA, the S type is very common and they make on order custom weldparts for buckets and machine.

 

[4570Man]

Doesn't anybody sell QA for excavators in the US for a reasonable price? Here in Scandinavian a lot of manufactors make quite cheap QA, the S type is very common and they make on order custom weldparts for buckets and machine.

I’m wanting an adapter for the front end loader, not the backhoe boom. The pin backhoe buckets change pretty fast and I currently only own one bucket. It’s a rare site to see a backhoe or excavator doing anything except digging with a bucket or rock hammering. The rock hammers are usually on dedicated machines. I’ve seen tons of excavator attachments from other countries but we don’t have those here for the most part.

 

[Agvg]

Oh, at the front

 

[ddbackhoe]

I really want a set of forks and maybe a grapple for my backhoe. I知 wanting to convert it to either a 4 point mount like loaders use or SSQA. The conversion isn稚 as straightforward as some tractor conversions since it has the curl cylinder in the middle.View attachment 575708

They're available, just a matter of where and how much, without knowing which you have.......

John Deere 310E TLB, Tractor Loader Backhoe to Alo/Euro/Global Quick Attach Adapter

 

[4570Man]

I have a 310J but a $3000 adapter that’s only half the battle is out of the budget.

 

[Morning Wood]

I wouldn’t think the SSQA would be strong enough for the backhoe. Don’t they make quick attach setups for big loaders? Could you find one of those and fab up your own version? A lot of those machines have the center cylinder too.

 

[4570Man]

I wouldn’t think the SSQA would be strong enough for the backhoe. Don’t they make quick attach setups for big loaders? Could you find one of those and fab up your own version? A lot of those machines have the center cylinder too.

Yes the big loaders sometimes have QA. It’s a 4 pin system. It’s nearly identical to the Kubota backhoe subframe mounts except upside down.

 

[City Farmer]

This is something I’ve been wanting for a few years also. I called around for some quotes and I’m still in shock. I have a NH 545D with 5000lbs of lift to full height and a Ford 4500 TLB. The bucket forks are nice when you need them but they are clumsy and the bucket cheats you out of lift capacity.

I was looking at grapples also. EA told me a couple years ago they didn’t feel their grapple would handle the abuse an 11,000 pound utility machine could do to it. I really didn’t want to make everything but loader forks, grapple and the QA are all on the winter list.