Loaded tires with backhoe attached...

[Gary Fowler]

With the super small BX tires that would hold maybe 5 gallons at best, I couldn't see how it could affect the ROPS or stabilizer weight lifting capacity. It you cant put 80 or even 200 pounds of extra weight in the form of ballast and still be safe why wouldn't they limit operator size also. I know some owners may be pushing the scale at 100 pounds while others may be just shy of 300 so there is an extra 200 pounds of weight that the tractor has to deal with and is not mentioned in the book.

If I wanted to load my tires, I would do so with nary a thought of it being unsafe or operationally limiting.

 

[dragoneggs]

I haven't found the need for loaded rears on my BX since I generally keep my BH on. If I remove it... it is to put on a 6ft back blade or rake. Both cantilever nicely and provide the counterbalance I need for good FEL operation.

I would take the advice given by those who don't or haven't owned a BX with a little salt here. One question... will the dealer that recommended not to pay attention to the owner's manual pay for a warranty claim if Kubota denies you because you didn't follow the manual? I would get that in writing and notarized.

 

[RoyJackson]

The ROPS concern makes some sense on a liability basis as to why Kubota put that language in there.

From a practical standpoint I have not heard of someone rolling a tractor while using the backhoe but I am sure it exists with unfortunate positioning as mentioned above.

It could be pretty easy to roll a tractor if you're operating across a slope

 

[dragoneggs]

It could be pretty easy to roll a tractor if you're operating across a slope

Yep and I find the BH isn't always where I thought was when I look back and check when I am on sloped ground.

 

[Shutesbury]

I've always had my BX24 (turf) rears filled, and run with my backhoe on 90% of the time, except during winter when there's a blade or blower back there. No issues at all. The BX24 manual had the same statement, though.

 

[TomSeller]

It could be pretty easy to roll a tractor if you're operating across a slope

I never heard from anyone operating a backhoe sideways on enough of a slope to roll a tractor. Probably due to natural selection.

 

[RoyJackson]

Yep and I find the BH isn't always where I thought was when I look back and check when I am on sloped ground.

Don't you lock the boom in place when you're transporting?
With a 448 'hoe, it's easy...just retract the boom and lower a two prong bracket over two pins on the boom....then retract the dipper stick and bucket.

 

[Grandad4]

I never heard from anyone operating a backhoe sideways on enough of a slope to roll a tractor. Probably due to natural selection.

A roading incident, where the tractor is headed somewhere at 15 mph when someone or something causes a tip over, is the thought that occurred to me, thinking mostly of the larger TLB's and the Grand L tractors. The extra 1,000 lbs of ballast from liquid in the tires + the 2,000 lb weight of the backhoe + subframe, mostly on the back end, would create a he** of a rotational moment. I can just imagine a plaintiff's attorney cross-examining some unfortunate tractor engineer on the stand about that, can't you?

When the factory BH was mounted to my tractor (this was some years ago with an earlier generation Grand L), the installation required a replacement ROPS that was about 6" taller than the standard ROPS, an indication to me that Kubota was concerned about roll-over safety with such backhoes even without ballasted tires.

I can't imagine these issues would be as significant with the smaller tractors (i.e. BX and B), so many have commented about. But sometimes companies make blanket policies to limit the chances of confusion.

 

[RoyJackson]

I never heard from anyone operating a backhoe sideways on enough of a slope to roll a tractor. Probably due to natural selection.

I'm sure it's happened...
When swinging the boom to dump spoils, there's a fair amount of inertia. It's important to swing at a reasonable speed and no jerky movements. Even on level ground, too quick a start or stop (to the boom movement) can lift the machine off a stabilizer. I learned this the hard way by moving too quickly. For me, that was when I was learning to operate a backhoe back in the late 1960's. I was on level ground...but it did startle me. This, BTW, was a real backhoe...not a mounted attachment.
I have a 448 backhoe on my Deere 4520. Other then trying it out when I "test drove" the tractor, I haven't used it yet. But when I do teach myself to use it, I'll be operating a lot slower (initially) then I did with the first backhoe...at least until I get a good feel for it and it's capabilities.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Yep and I find the BH isn't always where I thought was when I look back and check when I am on sloped ground.

Yeh, that is exactly where it gets dicey. I keep the eyes in the back of my head working overtime when on uneven ground, which I have a lot of. I actually sometimes use the BH as a movable ballast and always keep boom the uphill side. After doing it awhile it becomes intuitive. It would be handy to have an extra swing valve up front. I am still working on those logging slash piles. They have some big pieces of wood in them to move.

Ron

 

[dragoneggs]

Don't you lock the boom in place when you're transporting?
With a 448 'hoe, it's easy...just retract the boom and lower a two prong bracket over two pins on the boom....then retract the dipper stick and bucket.

Not when I am busy working and using the FEL and BH back and forth which I find I have to do frequently when terracing my steep slope... but yes to an from the action.

Yeh, that is exactly where it gets dicey. I keep the eyes in the back of my head working overtime when on uneven ground, which I have a lot of. I actually sometimes use the BH as a movable ballast and always keep boom the uphill side. After doing it awhile it becomes intuitive. It would be handy to have an extra swing valve up front. I am still working on those logging slash piles. They have some big pieces of wood in them to move.

Ron

And a reason I installed golf cart mirrors on my FEL towers. Having a swing valve up front would be a useful luxury for me. I do the same with my BH swinging uphill for safety.

I never heard from anyone operating a backhoe sideways on enough of a slope to roll a tractor. Probably due to natural selection.

Oh I could... operating the boom on the downhill side while terracing... maybe not the smartest move but when I am cutting and filling while cutting a flat path traversing a hill. Does that make sense?

 

[Turbys_1700]

I'm sure it's happened...
When swinging the boom to dump spoils, there's a fair amount of inertia. It's important to swing at a reasonable speed and no jerky movements. Even on level ground, too quick a start or stop (to the boom movement) can lift the machine off a stabilizer. I learned this the hard way by moving too quickly. For me, that was when I was learning to operate a backhoe back in the late 1960's. I was on level ground...but it did startle me. This, BTW, was a real backhoe...not a mounted attachment.
I have a 448 backhoe on my Deere 4520. Other then trying it out when I "test drove" the tractor, I haven't used it yet. But when I do teach myself to use it, I'll be operating a lot slower (initially) then I did with the first backhoe...at least until I get a good feel for it and it's capabilities.

This...
Our old 3616 IH backhoe is one clumsy beast...
Different machine and capabilities compared to a smaller unit but the hoe when swinging from side to side sure can move the rear end around...
When moving our old hoe around here on the farm I am really careful driving it around our slopes and such...
Lot of weight and lots of inertia...
I can't compare it to a smaller unit because I have never driven anything smaller...