CT230 backhoe?

[galaxie428]

I have been thinking about how nice it would be to have a hoe around the house , maybe I should clarify, a backhoe. I have been looking at used mini excavators a little and they are a little pricey even with some hours on them. I can think of a lot of things that I would use them for but is it worth $15k to me? Right now it is not but as I start doing some of the tasks, it sure is!

How many of you that have the 2xx models have backhoes for them? What are your opinions of them? Do they have sufficient digging power? I have some rather large trees that I have cut down that I would like to dig out. I also have some concrete footing that needs dug out along with several other small jobs.

Also, how do they attach? Are they 3pt hitch or do they have a frame? How easily can they be taken off? I use my tractor for mowing, tilling, stuff like that so I don't want something that takes me 30 min to take off.

I know that is a lot of questions so I appreciate any insight you might have.

 

[IslandTractor]

A 6.5 or 7.5 ft BH is certainly a useful implement on a CT230/CK30. The tractor is big enough and has plenty of power to run a BH that size. Might even run an 8 foot BH given the hefty construction of the tractor.

I don't know who builds BHs for Bobcat but obviously a Kioti KB2475 would fit (designed for the identical CK30). Alternatively a Woods BH70x or maybe 80x would also be a good match. I assume you would use a subframe and those are available from Kioti/Woods if not directly from Bobcat.

I had a 6.5ft BH on a CK20 and it was a very effective tool.

 

[VictorW]

I have the Kioti KB2375, 7.5 footer, on my Kioti CK30hst. Similar tractor to yours. It's a frame mount and I can install or remove it under 10 minutes. I've seen the 3pt mounted setups, but everything I read and heard was that they put a good amount of force/stress on the 3pt attachment points of the tractor. I know I can drag my tractor around with my bh if I wanted to or lift the back end off the ground. It has a good amount of digging power for it's size but can't compare to some of the mini excavators that I've operated which are made just for that purpose. I can do the same work as a mini but it just takes me longer. I've dug out a few stumps from 8 to 12 inch trunk sized trees. The dirt is not the problem but rather trying to bust the roots close to the trunk. I've had to go out 4 feet or so to snap the roots. They seem to be stronger than a similar sized limb of the tree. Ditches aren't a problem unless you come across a big rock. There, I just dig around both sides of the rock then lift it out. The Woods BH80x would be a good fit and the tractor could handle it. I don't know what Bobcat offers but I believe it's not the Kioti model painted white. I would definately look for a 7.5 to 8 footer but I think a new one is around the $7k range. I paid $5.5k for new five years ago. I hope this helps a little and if you have a particular question(s), I will try to answer if I know from my experiences with my bh.

 

[Gittyup]

I have a Kioti CK25 with a Rhino brand 7.5' backhoe, 18" bucket, on it. It is frame mount. It works good with my loaded tires and homemade outrigger pads. Goes on and off easy as long as done on flat, solid ground. There are photos of a big maple stump I removed when I first got it in the Kioti photo section.

For sure, it's not as efficient as an excavator. It's great for earth, but if you have a lot of stumps, I'd suggest renting an excavator to do that because it is hard on the equipment and takes a fair amount of time.

Anyway, I've done a lot of digging with it (~200 hours of BH time to date) - several stumps, bushes, and shrubs, septic line, gutter drains, retaining walls, culvert pipes, culvert ditches, gas lines, 500 gallon propane tank burial, etc. Used it as a crane to place concrete statues, rocks, and big concrete blocks.

Very useful, and cost today is $1000 per foot of hoe as a rule of thumb. Storage is another consideration. The frame and hoe are pretty big when off the tractor (~10' long, 5' wide).

 

[galaxie428]

Thanks for the info guys. I was looking online last night at a woods BX80 & BX90 just as something to start looking at. The BX90 says it works with 30-70 HP tractors. I would be on the very low end of that so I am not sure how that would affect the performance. Any idea?

It sounds like they run off of the tractors PTO and contain their own pump if I read that correctly.

I was trying to compare it to a Bobcat 331 mini as that is around the size I was looking at. Of course the 331 had higher specs but like you guys mentioned, that is what they were made for. But, the specs of the BX90 was not too far off.

Can someone tell me the difference between a dipperstick force and bucket digging force? I guess I don't know what a dipperstick is.

The 331 digging force was rated at 6866 and the BX90 was 5070. That is only around 1500lbs. Are we really talking that much difference?

I would really like to have a mini but like I mentioned, I would be looking at over twice the cost (for used mini) of a hoe for my tractor and it would be another machine to maintain and more importantly pay for.

I think for what I would use it for, the hoe is the logical way to go. The only thing I don't like is the fact that you have to get off the hoe to move the tractor. However, when comparing that to digging with a shovel I think I could suck it up.

 

[IslandTractor]

The Woods BH90x is too big for your tractor. The issue is not just HP but size. I have the 90x on my Kioti DK40se which is the CT440.

Get the 80x, it's a better match.

 

[Gittyup]

Your BC has enough hydraulics that a separate pump using your PTO isn't necessary. You should be able to buy the woods without the PTO pump, then add a set of rear remotes to your tractor to run it. The 90 is too big for your tractor's weight/wheelbase. The best way to go is to talk to your dealer.

Dipper force is the force applied by the pivot point where it connects to the tractor, I think. Any force greater than what would lift your tractor, here, is wasted because beyond that you are just lifting the tractor and aren't able to put the extra force to work.

Your main power when digging is in the bucket curl. And since pressure is force/Area, the smaller the bucket (or even just a tooth) the less area and therefore the more pressure is applied to the ground/root/rock etc. That's why root cutting attachments work better than does a big bucket. I like my 18" bucket, but would like to have a 12" for faster root cutting and narrower trenches . So, think about 2 buckets when you buy. Only thing is that narrower buckets are more prone to material sticking inside when working in wet clay. Not a problem with my 18" though.

 

[galaxie428]

Thanks for the explaination Gittyup, that makes sense. Thanks IslandTractor & VictorW for your input also.

I noticed you guys mentioned Woods and Rhino, are there any others I should look into as a comparison or are those the top two BH producers?

 

[Gittyup]

I don't know that these are the top 2 or anything like that. Both companies have a good reputation for making good products. I'm sure there are others as well. I still think your best bet to minimize risk of integration is to work with your dealer. Just as I'm sure that whatever BC recommends must be a good product. Else they wouldn't risk their reputation by using it. Connector matching, hose sizes, and remote hydraulic hookup configurations/options are best discussed with someone that knows both your tractor and the backhoes.

 

[IslandTractor]

Your main power when digging is in the bucket curl. And since pressure is force/Area, the smaller the bucket (or even just a tooth) the less area and therefore the more pressure is applied to the ground/root/rock etc. That's why root cutting attachments work better than does a big bucket. I like my 18" bucket, but would like to have a 12" for faster root cutting and narrower trenches . So, think about 2 buckets when you buy. Only thing is that narrower buckets are more prone to material sticking inside when working in wet clay. Not a problem with my 18" though.

I also have an 18 inch bucket which is a good all purpose size. I agree with Gittyup that root cutting is sometimes an issue but I doubt a smaller bucket would make much difference. In my experience the soil around the root is usually pretty well pulverized by the time I am working on cutting through a big root and therefore only the bucket teeth on the root are doing any work. I don't usually get all the teeth on the root so I don't know if a narrower bucket would make much difference. A single tooth ripper however would be great but I beleve the physics show that those get their extra power from being shorter not narrower than a standard bucket.

I have coveted a single tooth root ripper for years but have never found anyone who sells one for anything less than a medium sized excavator (except for Brotek who makes them only for the BX).