Anybody here have much experience with either 3 point or tow backhoe?

[nyone]

I use to have a 3pt backhoe with out riggers. I dug 4 12"x4ft sono tubes, took it off and never put it back on. It dug like crap. No down pressure means your just scratching away at the surface.

Years later I bought a micro ex and wont be without one ever again.

 

[Vigo327]

Took me a minute to figure out what you meant by no down pressure. Call me crazy but i just assumed anyone trying to use a 3pt backhoe would chain the 3pt to avoid this problem. Now, picking up and potentially dropping the back of the tractor off the 3pt arms repeatedly sure gets into why people think 3pt backhoes are a bad idea in the first place, but a mini-ex can tip itself right over with down pressure too and noone would blame the damage from that on how the machine is put together.. Just like anything else that's strong enough to break itself (human body comes to mind), you learn to operate within safe limits. Just don't pick the back tires or outriggers off the ground and you should be fine. Glad you have a mini-ex now but i think you might have missed out on some productive use of the old 3pt backhoe.

 

[ovrszd]

Took me a minute to figure out what you meant by no down pressure. Call me crazy but i just assumed anyone trying to use a 3pt backhoe would chain the 3pt to avoid this problem. Now, picking up and potentially dropping the back of the tractor off the 3pt arms repeatedly sure gets into why people think 3pt backhoes are a bad idea in the first place, but a mini-ex can tip itself right over with down pressure too and noone would blame the damage from that on how the machine is put together.. Just like anything else that's strong enough to break itself (human body comes to mind), you learn to operate within safe limits. Just don't pick the back tires or outriggers off the ground and you should be fine. Glad you have a mini-ex now but i think you might have missed out on some productive use of the old 3pt backhoe.

You've never lifted the rear tires or outriggers off the ground with a rear mounted hoe?

 

[Jstpssng]

It appears that the OP has gotten his answer, but I will add my two cents. I had a little "CadPlans" BH which did a lot of work for me as long as I was patient; even digging stumps which my L275 couldn't lift. I then inherited a 750 Woods 3pth backhoe from my father. He had it on several Kubotas, and when he bought his L2800 the dealer assured him that it would be fine as long as he was careful. After using it on my L3301 for a couple of years though I realized that it isn't just working the hoe which can break it; it's the twisting on the top link as you are travelling. I have an old 8N which needs a head gasket and a bunch of other things; I plan to get that running for BH use but unless I buy and convert a subframe, the Woods will never go back on my Kubota.

 

[etpm]

It appears that the OP has gotten his answer, but I will add my two cents. I had a little "CadPlans" BH which did a lot of work for me as long as I was patient; even digging stumps which my L275 couldn't lift. I then inherited a 750 Woods 3pth backhoe from my father. He had it on several Kubotas, and when he bought his L2800 the dealer assured him that it would be fine as long as he was careful. After using it on my L3301 for a couple of years though I realized that it isn't just working the hoe which can break it; it's the twisting on the top link as you are travelling. I have an old 8N which needs a head gasket and a bunch of other things; I plan to get that running for BH use but unless I buy and convert a subframe, the Woods will never go back on my Kubota.

I looked at the CadPlans backhoes and none will swing 180 degrees. I sent them an email and asked about this. The reply stated that to get 180 degrees swing would require machining and since the plans are made to require no machining none had the 180 swing. I have looked carefully at my YM2310 and making and fitting a sub frame would be pretty straightforward. So if the right deal comes up for a proper sized backhoe I'm probably gonna buy it. By the way, the other day I was standing behind a big fir near the house. My wife asked me what I was doing there. I told her I was jstpssng.
Cheers,
Eric

 

[Vigo327]

You've never lifted the rear tires or outriggers off the ground with a rear mounted hoe?

Well, I was just recommending that as something to do if one thinks they are going to break the tractor with the backhoe. But in general the only reason I pick up the tractor with the hoe is to set an outrigger without having it pull the tractor sideways when one outrigger is much higher than the other one.