Backhoe on, can I still tow?

[Ooklaa]

Well one thing i have noticed is my machine is definately light in the rear. I keep the backhoe on so i can equal out the weight when lifting stuff. Saying that, I like to put the debri in my small 25cu utlity cart but its really silly that every time i wana hook up my cart i have to remove my backhoe. Im just curious in any of the macguyvers out their have welded or added sometype of hitch to the backhoe. Or even maybe can the backhow bucket come off and we can attach a hitch?

For those asking I dont have the rear tires filled cause When mowing i take off my fel and backhoe to make the machine nice and lite.

 

[s219]

Get or make a weight box for the 3-pt and build a trailer hitch into it. Most use a standard 2" receiver that you can slide a drawbar into when you need to tow. A backhoe makes great counterbalance, but the size can make it unwieldy. A weight box gives you good counterbalance in a lot smaller package, and it's easier to install/take off.

 

[AxleHub]

Ooklaa, some put a hitch on the fel bucket. That way you can steer the cart to the desired spot and detach it and use the bucket to fill the cart and then re hitch to the receiver. That way you could keep the backhoe on.

Additionally . . You could get a 3pt trailer mover unit which adds some weight to the rear and also provides the receiver to hook up to your cart.

P.S. I have my rears loaded and it doesn't put strain on the lawn. I have turf tires though. I don't remember which tires you chose.

 

[jb1390]

Well one thing i have noticed is my machine is definately light in the rear. I keep the backhoe on so i can equal out the weight when lifting stuff. Saying that, I like to put the debri in my small 25cu utlity cart but its really silly that every time i wana hook up my cart i have to remove my backhoe. Im just curious in any of the macguyvers out their have welded or added sometype of hitch to the backhoe. Or even maybe can the backhow bucket come off and we can attach a hitch?

For those asking I dont have the rear tires filled cause When mowing i take off my fel and backhoe to make the machine nice and lite.

Do you use the backhoe much when it's on there - or are you really just using it for weight? I'd concur with others that have stated to use a weight box with an integral hitch.

If you use the backhoe, and would like to keep it on there, I think it'd be easy enough to weld or bolt a hitch on the dipper boom. What type of attachment does your cart have?

 

[Gary Fowler]

Ooklaa, some put a hitch on the fel bucket. That way you can steer the cart to the desired spot and detach it and use the bucket to fill the cart and then re hitch to the receiver. That way you could keep the backhoe on.

Additionally . . You could get a 3pt trailer mover unit which adds some weight to the rear and also provides the receiver to hook up to your cart.

P.S. I have my rears loaded and it doesn't put strain on the lawn. I have turf tires though. I don't remember which tires you chose.

This is the best advice. I wouldn't try to tow with a hitch attached to the hoe because you could over stress the cylinders if you get something in a bind. With the trailer in front, it is easier to maneuver and see where you are going. It does take a bit of getting used to steering it but it is a quick learning curve. I use the front hitch on my RTV to move my boat in and out of the boat shed which would be nearly impossible from the rear hitch especially since I only have a couple inches of clearance at the door/fuel tank interface.

 

[AxleHub]

This is the best advice. I wouldn't try to tow with a hitch attached to the hoe because you could over stress the cylinders if you get something in a bind. With the trailer in front, it is easier to maneuver and see where you are going. It does take a bit of getting used to steering it but it is a quick learning curve. I use the front hitch on my RTV to move my boat in and out of the boat shed which would be nearly impossible from the rear hitch especially since I only have a couple inches of clearance at the door/fuel tank interface.

Greetings Gary,

My front quick attach allows me to drop my bucket very quickly and the quick attach has a built in 2 inch receiver which makes it very handy for moving trailers or carts or dragging something from the front. But that learning curve is an interesting one when I first used it to push something. Lol. Glad the neighbors weren't watching


One of the real pluses I found was pulling a cart or trailer from the front allows a very exacting control of location without the need to crank my neck around and reposition in the seat.

 

[Ooklaa]

This is the best advice. I wouldn't try to tow with a hitch attached to the hoe because you could over stress the cylinders if you get something in a bind. With the trailer in front, it is easier to maneuver and see where you are going. It does take a bit of getting used to steering it but it is a quick learning curve. I use the front hitch on my RTV to move my boat in and out of the boat shed which would be nearly impossible from the rear hitch especially since I only have a couple inches of clearance at the door/fuel tank interface.

yea I guess the front would be a lot easier to put a hitch on. I do have a utility cart that has the pin type vs a ball. never thought of a trailer in the front lol. I do have a lot of work to do with the backhoe this year. I would have to look into what other use a weight box could give me to invest into one.

axle I have the R4.

 

[irvingj]

I have a 1-1/2" receiver hitch on my FEL. Works very well.

It's welded under the upper lip, reinforced with a piece of steel webbing. (Another great idea is to weld some chain hooks onto the top of the FEL lip!)

 

[AxleHub]

I have a 1-1/2" receiver hitch on my FEL. Works very well.

It's welded under the upper lip, reinforced with a piece of steel webbing. (Another great idea is to weld some chain hooks onto the top of the FEL lip!)

View attachment 460440View attachment 460439

Just curious why you'd choose to put the receiver inside the bucket instead of on top of it? Wouldn't it reduce what you can fit in the bucket?

 

[Gary Fowler]

Just curious why you'd choose to put the receiver inside the bucket instead of on top of it? Wouldn't it reduce what you can fit in the bucket?

His arrangement allows him to get the ball lower to the ground. A top mounted hitch might not lower enough to hook up to a heavy tongue weight trailer without some hernia inducing lifting. The amount of space that a 2x2 inch hitch takes up is negligible. The only problem I see with that is perhaps getting the receiver hitch filled up with mud and having to clean it out each time before use.