Brotherdan
Bronze Member
There have been postings here quite a while ago on storage and storage dollies for detachable backhoes, with very good solutions. Doing a search for "storage" or "backhoe storage" will show some solutions very much like mine, but I thought to post this to give an interest "bump" to those posts as well as offer my very generic solution.
I have a subcompact and store everything indoors, and am blessed with a concrete floor in my storage area. However, my tractor shares space with tools, supplies, pellets, projects, etc. Because of this, many of my shop tools are on wheels and this quick solution may be of help.
We have a Harbor Freight that sells furniture dollies for $10-$15 each. Home centers sell them too. I don't think I could buy the parts for what they sell the dollies for. The home centers/hardware places are getting $3-$4 for ratcheting tie-downs. I bought a dozen or so of the small furniture dollies and put a couple of them down with a 2x6 to span the contact points. This is not a hammer/nail or screw effort....just tossing some boards on the dollies. So I can move it without the dollies going in every direction, I cinch the dollies to the attachment with the tie-downs. I use 4 dollies, 2 boards and 2 straps for the loader, 5 dollies, 2 boards and 3 straps for the backhoe, and three dollies, two straps and a small pallet for the snowthrower (front mount). Now, for those who like to do things for "just in case", I do store the backhoe with the legs up, and I hazard to think it's not too hard to tip over. I do run a strap up over a lag screw in the wall so as to help hold it if something happens to bump it hard.
While not as artistic and elegant as many of the solutions here, my construction effort was cutting some 2x6's to length, and I'm assuming the attachments were shipped in a similar way on pallets. The nice thing is the load is spread out over so many wheels that I am nowhere near the rated limit of the wheels (if it is to be believed), so I won't panic if a wheel breaks.
With all respect to those here that make amazing things here for next to nothing....yes, I have about $50 tied up on each attachment. But, these dollies and straps can be used for other projects (and I agree I have no idea what to do with a dozen dollies more often than not).
It affords the ability to nest the arm of the backhoe between the arms of the loader against a wall during the winter. As my pellets get consumed, I can re-position the attachments if I need to. During the summer, I can toss the straps in a box and stack the dollies and boards out of the way.
When time allows, I do hope to make a more elegant storage unit for the snowthrower. It has the auger unit, an attachment plate, a PTO shaft about 4 feet long and the handle to rotate the chute. If anyone knows of a way to store that so it doesn't get banged-up and parts go missing, I would welcome any info you may have.
Dan
I have a subcompact and store everything indoors, and am blessed with a concrete floor in my storage area. However, my tractor shares space with tools, supplies, pellets, projects, etc. Because of this, many of my shop tools are on wheels and this quick solution may be of help.
We have a Harbor Freight that sells furniture dollies for $10-$15 each. Home centers sell them too. I don't think I could buy the parts for what they sell the dollies for. The home centers/hardware places are getting $3-$4 for ratcheting tie-downs. I bought a dozen or so of the small furniture dollies and put a couple of them down with a 2x6 to span the contact points. This is not a hammer/nail or screw effort....just tossing some boards on the dollies. So I can move it without the dollies going in every direction, I cinch the dollies to the attachment with the tie-downs. I use 4 dollies, 2 boards and 2 straps for the loader, 5 dollies, 2 boards and 3 straps for the backhoe, and three dollies, two straps and a small pallet for the snowthrower (front mount). Now, for those who like to do things for "just in case", I do store the backhoe with the legs up, and I hazard to think it's not too hard to tip over. I do run a strap up over a lag screw in the wall so as to help hold it if something happens to bump it hard.
While not as artistic and elegant as many of the solutions here, my construction effort was cutting some 2x6's to length, and I'm assuming the attachments were shipped in a similar way on pallets. The nice thing is the load is spread out over so many wheels that I am nowhere near the rated limit of the wheels (if it is to be believed), so I won't panic if a wheel breaks.
With all respect to those here that make amazing things here for next to nothing....yes, I have about $50 tied up on each attachment. But, these dollies and straps can be used for other projects (and I agree I have no idea what to do with a dozen dollies more often than not).
It affords the ability to nest the arm of the backhoe between the arms of the loader against a wall during the winter. As my pellets get consumed, I can re-position the attachments if I need to. During the summer, I can toss the straps in a box and stack the dollies and boards out of the way.
When time allows, I do hope to make a more elegant storage unit for the snowthrower. It has the auger unit, an attachment plate, a PTO shaft about 4 feet long and the handle to rotate the chute. If anyone knows of a way to store that so it doesn't get banged-up and parts go missing, I would welcome any info you may have.
Dan
