Convert a backhole into a tractor?

[fencepost]

Has anybody done this? The city has a Massy backhole which no longer has the backhole boom. It has the feet but not the boom don't really know what went with the boom but it's gone and has been for a long time. They just use the front bucket. It will be auctioned off soon I beleive, they have stopped using it and it doesn't run. I've been told it needs an injector pump.How hard would this be to add a 3 point hitch and make it into a tractor? I think a fellow could get it for scrap price probably.

 

[Redneck in training]

Has anybody done this? The city has a Massy backhole which no longer has the backhole boom. It has the feet but not the boom don't really know what went with the boom but it's gone and has been for a long time. They just use the front bucket. It will be auctioned off soon I beleive, they have stopped using it and it doesn't run. I've been told it needs an injector pump.How hard would this be to add a 3 point hitch and make it into a tractor? I think a fellow could get it for scrap price probably.

Three point is the easy part. PTO is the hard part.

 

[mrcaptainbob]

What model Massey backhoe is it? Strange that the backhoe boom is missing. By 'bucket' do you mean a front loader type bucket? I presume it's a diesel....Lots of hydraulics were going to the backhoe boom cylinders. I would think fabricating a 3pt for it would be possible. It's possible one is available for it, too...Sure would be great to get it, fix the engine, and find replacement backhoe parts.

 

[lostcause]

depending on what attachments you need/want to run is the first issue. i assume you will need a pto and a 3ph, and being that you are starting with a backhoe, you should have good powered hydraulics to the rear of the machine. you can go with a unit like this i would think:

https://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=9-7368-160&catname=

that's the largest one they list, and it looks to require a pretty hefty hydraulic flow. figure out what the hydraulics are on your machine, then see which hydraulic pto you can use, and then see if it looks like it will run the desired items.

i'm sure that you can also find some sort of designs for a 3ph too. as i said, you have hydraulics on the machine, so that's half the battle. there are lots of older tractors that were bought for towing field equipment and never had a 3ph, so there should be tons of people who have made their own.

 

[Joe H]

With no model number who knows what it is or what can be done?
I have a 1993 Massey 50H backhoe. There's a square plate down low on the diff, could be a PTO opening but don't know. If there is a provision for a PTO, you're going to be needing some parts and tearing into the rear axle to do it.
Mine is a Perkins diesel, pump is a Lucas Cav & guessing it's gonna run you close to $1000 for that injector pump IF that's what's wrong.
If it goes cheap enough it might be worth buying, but maybe scrap is all it's worth.
Hydraulics, mine puts out 19 gal minute so lots of fluid flow to work with. Are the controls for the hoe there?
Massey parts catalogs are online.
Good luck, Joe H

 

[fencepost]

Going to take some pics of it today or tommorrow. Where do I look to get the numbers I need to decode what it is and what it has? Just wanted to figure out if I could do it? Its just setting there and its realy in the way, its in the baseball feild parking lot:laughing:. Its not like they don't have a hundred million other places they could put it. I'm going to get the additional info and if yall think it's worth it i'll start beating the bushes and place a bid.

 

[mmurphy]

I have a JD 400 backhoe. It is basicly a modified JD 2010 or 2020. I could put 3 ph on it if I wanted to and could find donor tractor for it. I would say possibly that tractor could also be a modified Massey tractor also, and may be able to find tractor salvage yard with what you would need.

 

[Taylortractornut]

Being a MF the tractor should be an industrial like a 20 30 40 or 50. They were basically tractors with outh a hitch. I have a similar model a 3550 Ford. It has the cast luges on the rear end for a hitch and plate that has provisions for a PTO. SOme came equiped as an option for other jobs like mowing, My hoe can be removed in a few minutes. Dad had a new 30 and a 40 in the 70's that he did tanks with. He said at one time or another one would have a 3 point and Box blade. Is it possible the tractor could have had a Gannon landscape boxe and heavier down pressure 3 pt hitch on it. The were called landscape tractors/ skip loaders.
A good fuel pump shop could re build the pump but I bet its something simple.

 

[fencepost]

Well here it is. It's a 50H nobody knows where or why the boom is gone or how long its been gone one guy said he had operated it 23 years and couldn't remeber it having one, who knows. It did run up until about a year ago and they let it set and now no more run. Bout all I know right now. So can it be converted? Where do I look for the 3 pt hitch set-up? And what would be a good offer? The rear right tire is flat and it doesn't run. It is a diesel.

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[beenthere]

Estimate what it weighs, and how much scrap prices are per ton. That would be a starter bid.
We have no way of knowing what your skills are, so can't make a guess if it is worth your money. Without a lead on a back hoe for it, then I'd not figure on any reincarnation into a hoe.
Three point? Can't see what is behind the rearend steel shown in the pic.

Might make someone a great skidder for logging work, if a winch can be installed on the rear. But being a 2wd, might not be so good in the woods either.

From what I hear you say, and from the pics, I'd suggest letting it sit there. If you want a project then toss in a low bid.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

If you're near any kind of agriculture, I bet you have some competition on the bidding. That machine is useful as-is if a guy can get it running (worst case scenario, drop in a working engine). That tractor will load a lot of hay, move a lot of manure, or pull a lot of disc just as it sits. Keep that in mind as others are bidding against you. You have to figure the time and parts to convert it. They are only figuring the time to fix the engine.

 

[Taylortractornut]

The backhoe sub frame mounts by 6 or 8 bolts to the rear frame. Thats a unitized TLB like the newer ones. It probably dosent have a rear pto provision but some of them have had it in the unitized frame versions I know of 2 Fords and 4 MF like that. They were set up for the down pressure 3 point hitches. The 50 had a landscape loader version to. Look at Machinery trader.com under skip loaders there will be some pics. I know of a Case LL480 skip loader that the owner put a hydraulic pto pn from Surplus Center.

 

[fencepost]

If it can be converted I can do it I just need some direction. If I could see how somone done theirs I beleive I could make it work. I had in mind that it might have the plate and all I had to do is come up with the PTO parts and a 3 pnt hitch. I never thought about it but I could build a perch and mount an external PTO box I guess. But how to build the hitch or does somone make one. Theres not a terrible amount of ag around here but there are a hoard of people who if they knew I could make it work would buy it and just let it set behind there barn and say their going to convert that it some day and just use it to move stuff every now and then. I really don't think there's much keeping it from running. If I can get the hitch and pto figured out I'll find out more about it and place an offer. Any places where this has been done (with pics and part numbers)

 

[MarkV]

If you talked to someone who has used it for 23 years it sure looks in better condition than I expected. As far as converting it, well there are a lot of tractors out there that will cost less than the conversion in my opinion.

MarkV

 

[Taylortractornut]

I forgot to add that Gannon made the majority of the of the 3 points. They had a power up and down float, power sidelink and hydraulic top link. I do know they made the majority of the blades that went on them. That unit here would fetch around 4 to 6000 in running order. I bet it just needs a service job and it will be ready. A salvage yard for tractors would buy the backhoe subframe and controls. You cant go wrong with the MF. Dad had several before my time and I know of 2 of them that are still working daily. You would like the industrial 3 point if you went that way. That why so many of them are out there with down pressure you can do some mighty fine grade work.

 

[fencepost]

I forgot to add that Gannon made the majority of the of the 3 points. They had a power up and down float, power sidelink and hydraulic top link. I do know they made the majority of the blades that went on them. That unit here would fetch around 4 to 6000 in running order. I bet it just needs a service job and it will be ready. A salvage yard for tractors would buy the backhoe subframe and controls. You cant go wrong with the MF. Dad had several before my time and I know of 2 of them that are still working daily. You would like the industrial 3 point if you went that way. That why so many of them are out there with down pressure you can do some mighty fine grade work.

Got any leeds on where to start?

 

[markct]

looks like a nice machine, but that said i think if ya want a tractor with 3pt then you would be time and money ahead to go buy one realy. but if ya just wanna put a weight on the back and a hitch it could be very usefull as a heavy duty loader tractor. or maybe modify or build a backhoe to fit, ya have half the work of a homemade backhoe already done!

 

[6011Artist]

My FIL bought an International Industrial broom tractor for 1500.00, no PTO, no lower arms for the 3ph, but the upper arms were there. He drove it home 4 miles and discovered oil running out of the exhaust. Engine needed rebuilding, said he knew that when he bought it. The broom worked but he has no need for the broom.

He rebuilt the motor in his shop for 500.00 plus parts, hired a buddy mechanic to do the work.

I installed the lower arms, chains, leveling box links, got the 3ph working great. Parts were 175.00 about 5 yrs ago. We looked at several salvage yards to get the PTO parts and IF he could find them on the internet in some other salvage yard, they were going to cost 4500.00 for used parts. When I asked about new, he said we didn't even want to hear that price. FIL said he wasn't investing 4500.00 in parts.

His main use for a tractor is for bush hogging and driveway maintenance. He has about 3500.00 total out of pocket spent on a tractor that has no PTO. He could have bought a good used Ferguson To 35 or a MF 135 for about that price range and it would have done everything he needed to do. He didn't research it properly before he invested in it by buying the project.

The cheapest way is not necessarily the cheapest way. Farm type tractor parts usually are NOT intercangeable with Industrial type tractors according to my salvage yard dealer. Finding another tractor that will interchange with his sitting somewhere will be almost impossible.

Now for the icing on the cake. 2 weeks ago his grandson was pulling up stumps and brush with a sub soiler attached by the 3ph. He spun a bearing on the crankshaft, (they think). Anyway, lots of money spent, no tractor to do the work.

Call a salvage yard and price the parts to convert it BEFORE you start bidding. Or buy it with the idea of fixing it and trading it off to someone needing a loader tractor. In my opinion, converting will be way too expensive.

 

[Taylortractornut]

Try Midsouth salvage in Decatur AL they had a Landscape loader with Gannon 3 pt not too long ago. My old Ford TLB has a quick hitch sub frame and had 2 options the 3 point could go on the tractor or the Industrial 3 point on the subframe. I have a caounter weight there for loader work when I have the BH off of it. I thought about using the hoe supply lines to run a surplus center hydraulic 1 3/8 motor to use my bush hog on it.

 

[jenkinsph]

Hard to know just looking at the pics but you may be better off rebuilding it as a hoe. That is how it was designed and depending on the costs you may be better off going that route. Consider that you can duplicate the missing hoe if you can't find one to replace it, that might be your best option. I think it would be easier than converting to a tractor with 3pt and pto.

The Chinese copy stuff and duplicate it all the time, I would give this some consideration since the vast majority of what you need is already in place. Have to buy it cheap to come out though.