RCman
Bronze Member
Been a long time coming but I finally got a backhoe for our L3540. I chose the Woods BH80x for a few reasons; I wanted a hydraulic thumb, the price and USA made. While I am sure the Kubota BH92 would have been spectacular it is much more expensive and it weights a bunch more. It does look like a nice hoe on the dealer lots.
Here in lies the problem though; Woods wants to use the same block that Kubota uses for the rear remotes. I just added the 3 rear remotes this past fall for my snowblower and I was not about to give those up. The best bet would be to get another tractor for a dedicated TLB setup but that wasn't happening. :laughing: After calling around a few places and then getting told but some local dealers that is was either not possible or that they would bungee cord a rear remote open if they were installing it (No thanks!), I called Neil @ Messicks. He was able to get me a good price and was willing to work with me with some diagrams to splice together the Kubota and Woods kits to make everything happen. There was an error on the subframe but Neil made it right and I finally got everything for this past weekend.
Hopefully this will help someone from spending hours studying diagrams like I did.
So in the end I ordered:
Woods BH80x with hydraulic thumb
Woods Subframe kit 1025691 (note there is a difference in these kits double check for your application)
Woods 1028464 hose kit
(1) Kubota 7K505-64940 PIPE ,Inlet
(2) Kubota TD170-33560 Copper Gaskets
(1) Kubota 7K500-64950 COMP.PIPE, Outlet
(2) Kubota 67111-37180 Copper Gaskets
(1) 3/4 JICF to 9/16 JICM adapter (got locally)
First, the subframe and brackets. I was told by numerous sources and the manual states that it is impossible to do with the rear wheels still on. This is incorrect. I didn't want to have to wrestle with my loaded rear tires if I didn't have to. It is entirely possible to snake the subframe on and put in all the bolts without removing the tires. There is one bolt that interferes with the tire and if you read the directions and had tightened all the others first like we did you could not get it in as the tire is in the way. However if everything is loose there is just enough clearance to get it in then tighten everything up, could have saved some time knowing that.
Onto the hydraulics; if you read the Woods diagrams they want you to have 2 return ports on their supplied bracket both going back to the ports that the rear remotes use (I couldn't do that), they also get their pressure side from that block.
Instead I used the power beyond from the loader valve as Kubota would on their BH92. This gave me 1 of each. Unlike the standard L series, the GL loader valves use nifty banjo bolts (like larger version of those on many automotive brakes) and so I was forced to purchase the kinda expensive Kubota parts. They worked out great. They only thing I needed was the above adapter to connect the feed side Kubota parts to the supplied Woods hose. If you copy my setup you will be leftover with a short hose and the block pieces from the top.
Next Woods wants you to put the bracket for the return connection on the right side in direct competition for space with the rear remote valve hoses. I was going to make my own bracket to mount in lower when my wife had the brilliant idea of just putting in on the left side. This also works great to keep the hose up and our of the 3pt arms and rear remotes when the backhoe is off. It was as simple as cutting the tab and re-welding it on the opposite side and it bolts right up (you will need longer bolts and they are not supplied but any good hardware store will have them).
Complaints? None, other than whomever welded the nuts on the backhoe that accepts the bolts that attach the subframe to it at Woods was not paying attention and welding the nuts off center on the hole. This meant that the bolt would not start as it was hitting the side of the clearance hole. Thankfully this was able to be chased from the inside after removing the stabilizer cylinder with a 3/4"-10 tap which cut partial threads in the clearance hole and we were able to get everything bolted up.
The hydraulic thumb is worth every penny. For those on the fence about one don't even hesitate it makes the backhoe twice as usable when working with rocks and stumps! So glad we got it.
Picture of the hose routing on the back when not in use. Tucked out of the way of everything and clear of the 3pt when raised
Assembled and ready to play... uh work.
Here in lies the problem though; Woods wants to use the same block that Kubota uses for the rear remotes. I just added the 3 rear remotes this past fall for my snowblower and I was not about to give those up. The best bet would be to get another tractor for a dedicated TLB setup but that wasn't happening. :laughing: After calling around a few places and then getting told but some local dealers that is was either not possible or that they would bungee cord a rear remote open if they were installing it (No thanks!), I called Neil @ Messicks. He was able to get me a good price and was willing to work with me with some diagrams to splice together the Kubota and Woods kits to make everything happen. There was an error on the subframe but Neil made it right and I finally got everything for this past weekend.
Hopefully this will help someone from spending hours studying diagrams like I did.
So in the end I ordered:
Woods BH80x with hydraulic thumb
Woods Subframe kit 1025691 (note there is a difference in these kits double check for your application)
Woods 1028464 hose kit
(1) Kubota 7K505-64940 PIPE ,Inlet
(2) Kubota TD170-33560 Copper Gaskets
(1) Kubota 7K500-64950 COMP.PIPE, Outlet
(2) Kubota 67111-37180 Copper Gaskets
(1) 3/4 JICF to 9/16 JICM adapter (got locally)
First, the subframe and brackets. I was told by numerous sources and the manual states that it is impossible to do with the rear wheels still on. This is incorrect. I didn't want to have to wrestle with my loaded rear tires if I didn't have to. It is entirely possible to snake the subframe on and put in all the bolts without removing the tires. There is one bolt that interferes with the tire and if you read the directions and had tightened all the others first like we did you could not get it in as the tire is in the way. However if everything is loose there is just enough clearance to get it in then tighten everything up, could have saved some time knowing that.
Onto the hydraulics; if you read the Woods diagrams they want you to have 2 return ports on their supplied bracket both going back to the ports that the rear remotes use (I couldn't do that), they also get their pressure side from that block.
Instead I used the power beyond from the loader valve as Kubota would on their BH92. This gave me 1 of each. Unlike the standard L series, the GL loader valves use nifty banjo bolts (like larger version of those on many automotive brakes) and so I was forced to purchase the kinda expensive Kubota parts. They worked out great. They only thing I needed was the above adapter to connect the feed side Kubota parts to the supplied Woods hose. If you copy my setup you will be leftover with a short hose and the block pieces from the top.
Next Woods wants you to put the bracket for the return connection on the right side in direct competition for space with the rear remote valve hoses. I was going to make my own bracket to mount in lower when my wife had the brilliant idea of just putting in on the left side. This also works great to keep the hose up and our of the 3pt arms and rear remotes when the backhoe is off. It was as simple as cutting the tab and re-welding it on the opposite side and it bolts right up (you will need longer bolts and they are not supplied but any good hardware store will have them).
Complaints? None, other than whomever welded the nuts on the backhoe that accepts the bolts that attach the subframe to it at Woods was not paying attention and welding the nuts off center on the hole. This meant that the bolt would not start as it was hitting the side of the clearance hole. Thankfully this was able to be chased from the inside after removing the stabilizer cylinder with a 3/4"-10 tap which cut partial threads in the clearance hole and we were able to get everything bolted up.
The hydraulic thumb is worth every penny. For those on the fence about one don't even hesitate it makes the backhoe twice as usable when working with rocks and stumps! So glad we got it.
Picture of the hose routing on the back when not in use. Tucked out of the way of everything and clear of the 3pt when raised
Assembled and ready to play... uh work.
