Build it yourself towable backhoe opinions

[chad22]

I built a towable backhoe without plans and it worked okay for what I needed it to. I applaud you for wanting to tackle this project.

It's fun to build things and I've learned a lot when building mine. I look forward to seeing your project come to life.

I finally tore it down though and used the parts for the loader as I was now needing a loader instead of the backhoe.

I'm thinking of building an attachment backhoe for the garden tractor sometime. But may just purchase a towable backhoe already made as I don't really have the correct tools to work with and the cost of materials will probably be more than what I can purchase one for.

I'm thinking of this one on ebay. Mini Backhoe Mini Excavator Trench Digger New Free Shipping | eBay by the time I bought all the parts and materials I could just have this one ready to dig and could just pull it behind the lawn tractor.

Chad

 

[jaotguy]

I applaud ferrari99 for trying BIT ( build it yourself )

dang fingers .... should be BIY :laughing:

 

[chad22]

dang fingers .... should be BIY :laughing:

lol. I didn't even noticed that mistake. xd

Chad

 

[ferrari99]

most of the boys down south of Canada have it good ... parts/ units are 1/2 the cost of what we pay up here ...

the rest of the world pays thru the nose ... ( gov import duties / taxes etc )

I agree, when we bought our two wheel tractor it was about twice as much here in Australia.
Parts are about twice as much here in oz.

 

[ferrari99]

I built a towable backhoe without plans and it worked okay for what I needed it to.

Any pics?

 

[notme]

Ferrari is what I do for pics Is go to google and search "towable backhoe" and do an IMAGE search u will get pics of every brand ever made will keep u busy for a few hours ;-)

 

[ferrari99]

Ferrari is what I do for pics Is go to google and search "towable backhoe" and do an IMAGE search u will get pics of every brand ever made will keep u busy for a few hours ;-)

I have done that and got some ideas.

 

[ferrari99]

Does anyone have or have any opinions about the PF-engineering backhoe plans (in the gallery there is some photos of someone who turned it into a tow-able).

 

[chad22]

Any pics?

Here's some pics of it when it wasn't towable then where I modified it to make it towable.

Then I decided that a loader was needed more right now so I tore it down again so I could use the hydraulic parts for the loader. lol

I'm always changing my mind about things.

The first pics are of it after I modified it to make it towable.

I'm gonna repurpose the towable frame though as a log splitter.

The engine mount is there and all I have to do is add an I beam I have and then the hydraulics and I'll have a logsplitter.

Chad

 

[ferrari99]

Here's some pics of it when it wasn't towable then where I modified it to make it towable.

Then I decided that a loader was needed more right now so I tore it down again so I could use the hydraulic parts for the loader. lol

I'm always changing my mind about things.


The first pics are of it after I modified it to make it towable.

I'm gonna repurpose the towable frame though as a log splitter.

The engine mount is there and all I have to do is add an I beam I have and then the hydraulics and I'll have a logsplitter.

Chad

Thanks!

 

[ferrari99]

Do you people that own or operated tow able backhoes wish that they were self propelled?

 

[RBA50]

They are self propelled! Once you get it too the jobsite and move the wheels into "digging" position, you move it around by using the bucket/booms. To move forward you reach out as far as you can with the bucket, lower it to the ground, then push down, which will raise the outriggers off the ground. Then you retract the boom which pulls you forward (also raises the front, so you have to kind of keep lowering as you retract). To move back is the reverse, start with the bucket as close to the machine as you can get. To turn you just raise the outriggers and swing the boom. It only takes a couple minutes to get the hang of it. I'm told you can also remove the wheels and the outriggers and it will drag itself through a narrow gate that self propelled models would never be able to get through. I didn't have any need to try that, so can't verify if it works, but can't see any reason it wouldn't.

 

[notme]

Do you people that own or operated tow able backhoes wish that they were self propelled?

the only one I'm aware of that's build it yourself and self propelled is the caddigger 841. I know some of the commercially bought ones are self propelled as well, as too wether its needed I don't know as I don't have one yet ;-)

https://www.cadplans.com/caddigger-model-841.html

 

[BHD]

I built my hoe, and when said and done, (if I could have found one in good shape or close enough to go after, I could have bought one at a lower cost), and I used 90% used iron,

but by the time I bought valves and cylinders and hoses, and I ended up tractor mounting mine,

I think one needs to guessamate at least $250 per cylinder, and that is the lower cost cylinders and valves

on mine, (I think 7 cylinders) the boom, dipper, bucket, two stabilizers, and two swing cylinders (one valve operates those two cylinders),
and what I remember the original bill come to about $1400 for hydraulics, then I (since tractor mounted), bent two of the original cylinders, so I installed cushion relief valves and two new heaver cylinders,
no problems since, but that was an additional $450.

(if I would have bought one most likely I would not have had a under designed cylinders, and that $1800 would have gone a long way to a good used unit, I got mine done and a few months later there was n auction down the road, about 4 miles and I think the tractor attach back hoe on that sale went for $1200 it has been stored under cover and was all most new in use. and was about the same as mine in capacity,

 

[R W]

BHD
Did you use purchased plans (egCadplans).

 

[BHD]

YES I did buy plans, from cad plans, I down loaded free plans and scowered over drawings of commercial back hoes, and most did not have the reach or size I was wanting,

so I got cardboard, and started to cut out parts, and used 1/4" bolts, to make pivot points and made or used the actual cylinders to check clearances and actions,
what happened is when I put a tractor in the mix, the tractor being a little larger than what the back hoe is, under a few actions the of the bucket and weight of the tractor could over load a cylinder, that was not being used, at that moment, the cylinder diameter was not the problem but the rod/shaft size,

so what I did was blend a number of plans in to my unit, ( the only thing I wish is now that I would have gone a little more and made it bigger yet, and more sized to the tractor, (old JD 4020) it would be great on a mid size tractor, about 40 to 60 hp. but the 90 hp tractor is a little small,

my depth of reach is some times not as deep as I would like, it is about 7 feet, be nice to have 10 foot,

not a good picture of it, but the only one I have pre loaded here,

 

[Verticaltrx]

I have a CAD digger 628 (the smallest one) that I built a few years ago. For my intended purposes it has worked very well. It is a bit slow, but it will dig through clay just fine as long as it's not terribly dry. It won't dig through shale and if the surface is very hard, like a compacted gravel driveway, sometimes it's hard to get that first bite out. It doesn't have the weight to force the bucket 'down' into hard ground, but has plenty of force to curl and draw the bucket back. Once you get a hole started you can tear through some pretty hard soil.

I've used it around the farm to trench in many water and electrical lines, do some ditching, dig out for culverts and other sundry tasks. I think I had about $1500 in the whole unit.




Here is a link to the build thread: CadDigger 628 build