Backhoe 2015 Backhoe

[bindian]

Now Brandi has me wondering if I should go with the 20-inch bucket. One of my main tasks is going to be pond and water channel maintenance -- damp muck removal during the dry season. Volume of muck per scoop is pretty important. Ripping roots (actually stump removal) is the second major need. If I can still rip stumps with a 20 inch bucket -- well . . .


Thanks all,
Knute

Whoa now, slow down partner...how big is this machinge? When I am digging in dripping wet clay, my 24 inch bucket full of muck cannot be lifted right out of the hole at full boom extension. Wet clay weighs a lot. I have to pull the stick back in and tease the boom up. This is with a 6520 powering a 511. I would love to have a 36 inch bucket with no teeth just for gully clean out, but know I won't be able to fill the bucket full with damp stuff. So don't expect to be able to dance with a full 20 inch bucket of muck. But you should be able to pull the stick in and tease the boom up as you retract the bucket in and take it slow.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

I saw a 2015 today at my dealer. You wanna hang a BH with a 20 inch bucket on that? It looked like the loader bucket was only 40 inches wide. The front tires are not even 20 inches tall. Well, I guess if you have a flat, you can use the 20 inch bucket as a kick stand.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

I hope you took my last post as an attempt at humor. I realized a plus this afternoon for narrow buckets. I am digging up two large pine stumps (20 & 22 inches diameter) that are about 6 feet apart. Some of the roots are up to 6 inches in diameter and are intertwined. These need digging in-between them and my 24 inch bucket can't get in there. However, the sheer mass of the 24 inch bucket works well when a tooth catches the root with the grain and splinters it. So like I said before, get a narrow bucket and a large bucket. If you don't like one you can always ebay it.
hugs, Brandi

 

[knute_m]

Brandi,

Your posts really got me to thinking -- and calculating.

Over the last 40-some years, I've owned a lot of equipment, big and small. Thankfully, I'm secure in my manhood. Bigger is not always better. Skill always wins out.

My little iddy-biddy red toy tractor is one of the best pieces of equipment I've ever owned. It is by far the strongest and heaviest for its size -- and for somebody my age with bad knees, it sure is an easily accessible machine. It does a great job of logging, bush hogging, snow plowing, road maintenance, post-hole digging, and a whole lot more on my measly little 32 acres.

Because of your post, I seriously studied the Mahindra backhoe data sheet yesterday. The 20-inch bucket I'm thinking about holds less than half the amount of volume of your 24-inch bucket. (2 cu. ft. vs. about 4.5 cu. feet).

IIRC, a cubic foot of fully saturated wet sand or clay weighs about 150 lbs. Even solid granite only weighs about 175 lbs. per cubic foot. A cubic foot of water weighs about 65 lbs. As I recall, your maximum loader reach is about 11-12 feet. The back hoe I'm looking has a maximum reach of about 7-1/2 feet. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but based on what I calculated yesterday, the backhoe/bucket combination I'm looking at should have no trouble pulling and lifting a 2 cubic foot load of wet muck.

I really want to thank you for getting me thinking. I am planning on placing an order tomorrow morning.

Thanks again,
Knute

P.S. -- this is an edit. The ML-104 loader bucket is 48 inches, not 40 inches. Size does sometimes matter!

 

[Dougster]

Because of your post, I seriously studied the Mahindra backhoe data sheet yesterday. The 20-inch bucket I'm thinking about holds less than half the amount of volume of your 24-inch bucket. (2 cu. ft. vs. about 4.5 cu. feet).

Excellent point Knute... and one you tend not to think about until you get into the specs. The fact is that the buckets made for your machine are "night and day" different from the ones made for the 509/511. In fact, your 20 inch bucket will have about the same heaped volume capacity as a 509/511's 12 inch bucket.

Your post is also a helluva tribute to the 2015 tractor. You sound like one very happy camper!

Personally, I am not a big fan of changing buckets all the time (unless you have a quick change system installed), and I tend to suggest buying one good compromise bucket unless you are rich and/or actually enjoy changing buckets. In your case, it still appears that the 16 inch bucket might be the best overall choice for your backhoe... although I fully acknowledge that changing a bucket on your backhoe is likely to be far easier and quicker than on mine (especially with my fixed thumb).

Dougster

 

[bindian]

Brandi,

Because of your post, I seriously studied the Mahindra backhoe data sheet yesterday. The 20-inch bucket I'm thinking about holds less than half the amount of volume of your 24-inch bucket. (2 cu. ft. vs. about 4.5 cu. feet).

IIRC, a cubic foot of fully saturated wet sand or clay weighs about 150 lbs. Even solid granite only weighs about 175 lbs. per cubic foot. A cubic foot of water weighs about 65 lbs. As I recall, your maximum loader reach is about 11-12 feet. The back hoe I'm looking has a maximum reach of about 7-1/2 feet. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but based on what I calculated yesterday, the backhoe/bucket combination I'm looking at should have no trouble pulling and lifting a 2 cubic foot load of wet muck.

I really want to thank you for getting me thinking. I am planning on placing an order tomorrow morning.

Thanks again,
Knute

P.S. -- this is an edit. The ML-104 loader bucket is 48 inches, not 40 inches. Size does sometimes matter!

Knute,
I guess I got my point across. I wasn't trying to compare bucket to bucket. But just give you an idea of what to expect. You also got me thinking. Mahindra's sales broucure says my 24 inch bucket holds 4.32 heaped cubit feet. At 150 pounds a cubit foot, that equals 648 pounds. So my BH is lifting 648 pounds along with the weight of the bucket of 185 pounds for a total of 833 pounds I was lifting at full horizontal reach of say 12 feet. (14.5 feet at bucket teeth with bucket extended) That is a lot of weight. I remember when I was researching used TLBs, either Ford or Case listed a lifting weight at full extened reach in their broucures, Bradco and Mahindra doesn't. So I think we are on the same page that our model BH will work with the biggest published bucket offered, but it is slow lifting at max or near max weight fully extended. I just saw online Bradco offers a 38 inch bucket, but Mahindra offers only the 36 inch bucket for the 511. I have a 4 month old quote of $840 for the 36 inch bucket. I hazard to guess the cost of a new 38 inch bucket!
As for size....as a mechanic I can look at a bolt or nut and tell you the correct size at a glance, but a 40 or 48 inch bucket looks the same after staring at 84 inches of bucket all the time. But I digress. I sometimes put my pickup in reverse only to find I have turned my left turn indicator on. When I still had my old Ford 3055, every now and then I would try to engage the clutch on my automatic transmission pickup to stop.
But enough of this, I got two stumps to dig up and a culvert to install.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

Personally, I am not a big fan of changing buckets all the time (unless you have a quick change system installed), and I tend to suggest buying one good compromise bucket unless you are rich and/or actually enjoy changing buckets. In your case, it still appears that the 16 inch bucket might be the best overall choice for your backhoe... although I fully acknowledge that changing a bucket on your backhoe is likely to be far easier and quicker than on mine (especially with my fixed thumb).

Dougster

Dougster,
I don't like changing buckets (and thumb) often either. That is why I am digging with a 24 inch bucket right now. But last time I hung the PHD, I was a lot faster in R&R the bucket and thumb. I would use my 12inch bucket for the stumps today, but want 24 inches to help out with the culvert.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Dougster]

Mahindra's sales broucure says my 24 inch bucket holds 4.32 heaped cubit feet. At 150 pounds a cubit foot, that equals 648 pounds. So my BH is lifting 648 pounds along with the weight of the bucket of 185 pounds for a total of 833 pounds I was lifting at full horizontal reach of say 12 feet. (14.5 feet at bucket teeth with bucket extended) That is a lot of weight.
hugs, Brandi

And don't forget to add in that 160 lbs worth of fixed thumb!

Dougster

 

[Dougster]

Dougster, I don't like changing buckets (and thumb) often either. That is why I am digging with a 24 inch bucket right now. But last time I hung the PHD, I was a lot faster in R&R the bucket and thumb. I would use my 12inch bucket for the stumps today, but want 24 inches to help out with the culvert.
hugs, Brandi

The thumb makes it a real pain... even for two people... but I wouldn't give it up now for anything!

Thumbs rock!!!

Dougster

 

[bindian]

And don't forget to add in that 160 lbs worth of fixed thumb!

Dougster

Dougster,
Wow, now that is 993 pounds. Make me appreciate that 511 that much more.
hugs, Brandi