Backhoe BL 4690?

[trapperjohns]

Was recently talking to a guy about a BL 4690 Kubota backhoe for my B7800. Don't know much about this model. What year range were they made in? This guy thought it was like a 2000 model. I have seen that it has a 7.5 foot digging depth. Was wondering how much it might weigh? and if it would be a good match for my tractor? Any info would help, thanks.

 

[Bulldog]

That year model sounds about right. I have a 4672 and bought it new in 99. Mine is a 6' and it weighs about 1000 lbs. I bought it to go on my B 7100 and it turned out to be way to much for it. Even after filling the front tires with fluid and adding weights to the front it was still dangerous. I know your tractor is heavier than a 7100 but that BH will be a little heavier than mine is. I will say this though. My L 3000 handles the 4672 just fine. I wish I had the 4690 on that tractor.

If it helps, my L3000 weighs about 3800. That is just with the loader on it.

These BH's can be set up for different series tractors. The center mount and braces are different for B and L series tractors. If you get it make sure that you get the hardened pins and the bushing. It should come with 2 hardened pins and a bushing that mount it where the top link goes. If you have any other questions I'll be glad to try and help you out if I can.

 

[trapperjohns]

Thanks for the info. Sounds like that hoe could be on the heavier side. Could be a good thing, if it matched up well. I am concerned after reading some stories about this hoe attached via 3-point to B2910's and other wise, where it stresses the transmission case. I am worried about stress on my machine and have been pretty much subframe all the way. I understand that BH was made 3-point. Is there a fabrication I can make, or a half fabrication to provide a frame?
This hoe must have been built pretty bulky in it's time. I compare it to more modern BH's (Woods BH70X and Ansung BH70) both nice backhoes at a 7.5 foot digging depth. The Ansung even comes with a drastically modified, sturdy 3-point system, but I don't know if I trust it. We have clay and rock here in northwest Montana.

 

[Bulldog]

I had a woods that came with my 7100 when my dad bought it for me. The Kubota BH is twice as heavy than the woods was. I'll offer you this advise. If your plans are to treat the 4690 like it's real BH then you don't want it. I don't really like the 3pt style hook up for heavy digging. It really makes you think ahead and plan every move so you don't apply to much stress on things. Don't get me wrong now, it will do some nice work but it will never be as strong as a frame mounted unit.

Just to kind of sum these backhoes up.
They are nice for ocational use because they are so quick and easy to put on (on level ground) and take off. If you are looking to use it on a regular basis and plan on doing heavy digging it may not be the right choice. It's not the BH itself that I worry about. They are built like a tank. It's the way it mounts to the tractor that holds it back. I've found myself many times simply giving up on trying to dig something tuff out just because I was concerned about the tractor. Hope this helps.

 

[Cedarcreek]

On my B2910 which is just a 7800 with extra goodies, I got the 4690 Backhoe with it when I bought it from the dealer. It is a 3 point mount. It seems to work fine for occasional use, not the most easy of implements to take on and off as the dealer did not install the hoses of the PTO pump on correctly.

 

[MagKarl]

I'm in the subframe camp. Buy one if you can, or you can easily build a subframe to mount the 3 point backhoe to if you have the time and skills. Backhoe will bolt to your subframe instead of pinning onto your lift arms. Bolt subframe brackets to the tractor. Then the subframe/backhoe assembly will pin onto the tractor as a unit. You'll need to buy or build the subframe itself and the brackets by which to secure the subframe to the tractor. I did this exact job for my tractor and backhoe. I copied the Woods subframe and mounting scheme they used ~30 years ago and it works great. I've got similar soil, clay and rocks, and zero problems after digging ~700 ft of utility trench and a big drainage drywell in the last year. Can't compete with a real excavator, but if you've got the time it will do the job, just takes more scoops. Beats the pants off a shovel and wheelbarrow.

 

[trapperjohns]

Thanks for the confidence builder, I do have skills and have been apprehencive about getting into such a project as building my own subframe, but there is no way I can justify over a thousand dollars for some machined pieces of metal when I'm mostly paying for custom design and the material itself is so simple. I want to build my own subframe smoothly so I can tell people that there really is'nt that much to it.

 

[MagKarl]

Go for it then. I was in the same boat as you. Kubota wanted something crazy like $600 just for the tractor side bracket to hold the subframe. No way I'd pay that. I probably have less than $200 in steel, hardware, Oxy/Acetylene, MIG gas, and wire into mine. I found some subframe installation instructions online from Woods for my model tractor and printed that out, it showed what the brackets looked like and where they were supposed to bolt up to the tractor. All I had to do was build the brackets and subframe to look like the pictures and custom fit everything to my tractor for where I wanted the hoe to sit. Works great and I can install or remove the unit in about 5 minutes and my 3 point arms stay on unlike some attachment methods.