New guy with a B7100

[510EBL]

Hey all,

New guy here, thought I'd introduce myself and my tractor before peppering you with questions.

I'm in NJ, a homeowner with non-agricultural tractor needs so after months of searching CL and EBay for an inexpensive TLB, I found my B series for sale on the side of the road!

I considered Terramites, 8Ns with loaders and backhoe attachments, and myriad other combinations. All I knew was that I wanted to stay away from off-brand, Chinese, or grey market tractors. I wanted diesel, HST, 4x4, turf tires, a loader, a backhoe, and the price had to be right.

I was out visiting my brother, on the way to an antique tractor show, and saw a B7100HST 4x4 on the side of the road, with a loader and 'hoe. I bought it.

The hoe is a little big for her. It is a K-600/650 designed more for the L series tractors of the era, with a PTO driven pump. The three point has a hard time picking it up at 800 lbs, so I help it with the hoe's bucket. I have only recently learned it should be "chained up" so the 3pt does not have to hold it. There are many other things about her I need to learn too...

OK, cut to the chase...pics attached It's dirty in the pics, as I just finished a couple of small projects. It will never be a trailer queen!

 

[lreops]

You say that the BH is designed for the "L" series of that time and that it may be too big for your tractor, well, if you ever consider changing it or selling it, I would like to be first in line. I have a L235 with a FEL and would love to find a "Hoe" for the old boy. And I'm sort of close being at the DE/MD line on Rt. 95. Even if it might be a couple of years, please remember this post.

Ron

 

[BadAxeB]

Welcome !! - Nice find - very nice machine!

 

[kubotasam]

It is SUPER IMPORTANT that a 3 point backhoe have a fixed brace so that once the hoe is on the tractor the 3 point arms are locked so they can not move up or down. The 3 point arms have no resistance to an upward force and when digging a downward force on the backhoe can lift and move the operators station of the hoe possibly crushing you between part of the hoe that moves and the tractor that does not move. A chain will hold the hoe up but will not stop it from rising more.
Here is a couple of pages from a Long 3pt backhoe manual that talks about this. They call it a rigid mount. I wish the pages showed larger.

 

[510EBL]

@ lreops, I will keep this in mind for certain. The 3 point hoe was hard to find, and new ones are so expensive I do not expect to let this one go unless I find another to replace it with first. I WILL remember this post, no worries there. I would be content with a smaller one, better suited to my B series. If you happen across one like that we may be able to arrange an exchange.

@BadAxeB, thanks for the welcome

@kubotasam, thank you for your concern. My tractor did not come with a ROPS or cab to get caught up in, but the fixed linkage looks like a better solution than a chain anyways. Triangulating the linkages would add to sideways stiffening as well, stabilizing the whole arrangement. I have some measuring to do...

 

[Lil Foot]

I didn't think the backhoe looked all that big until I compared it to a pic of my B7100 with B670 backhoe..... that is one large, chunky, stout looking hoe.
You are going to have a great view of the work area sitting up that high.

 

[510EBL]

I didn't think the backhoe looked all that big until I compared it to a pic of my B7100 with B670 backhoe..... that is one large, chunky, stout looking hoe.
You are going to have a great view of the work area sitting up that high.

Yes, the view is very good

It is interesting to me that the shipping weight of your B670 was over 700lbs (LINK) as opposed to the 800lbs of my K600. Of course mine is a 3point mount that hangs waaaay out there, and yours includes all the brackets, seat mount parts, etc. to keep the weight closer to the tractor. I would have preferred the B670, but am more than content with what I have. I am considering fabricating a set of shorter lower arms (20 inches to replace the 24 inch arms) to bring the hoe in closer to the tractor and give the 3 point some mechanical advantage when lifting. There is six inches of clearance between the PTO driven pump and the hoe's reservoir tank, and I see no reason not to reduce that by four inches if it helps lift capacity, weight distribution, and for the sake of vanity (appearance.)

See how far it hangs out there?

That said, I am now looking for an older L series with all the whistles and bells of my B series to hang the backhoe onto. One can never have too many tractors, right?

This is the space I want to reduce:

 

[Eric McCarthy]

I dont think you need to shorten your lower link arms, I think you need to adjust the backhoe to fit your tractor. The top link is adjustable and you can shorted it up and make the hoe tighter to the tractor that way.

 

[510EBL]

I dont think you need to shorten your lower link arms, I think you need to adjust the backhoe to fit your tractor. The top link is adjustable and you can shorted it up and make the hoe tighter to the tractor that way.

I had not considered that... I did find the original manual for the backhoe online, and planned to use it for servicing. Perhaps I ought to run through the whole installation sequence first, and adjust everything to a "factory" standard.

I wonder if a traditional, adjustable class one top link would hold up to the weight of the backhoe, or If I should just stick with what is there now?

The top link and lower links move in different arcs. As the hoe raises up, the top is pulled in and the bottom is pushed out so the net result is the pivot is plumb, or perpendicular to the ground. I am concerned that shortening the top link only would pitch the pin back towards the tractor and negatively affect the swing (arc) of the boom.

If I do shorten the lower links, the top link will have to follow suit.

Here is a pic with it ALL the way raised...you can see what I mean about the angle and arcs. The "in use" position is somewhere in the middle.

 

[284 International]

?..Perhaps I ought to run through the whole installation sequence first, and adjust everything to a "factory" standard...

I think this should be priority one. Check for any other missing components, and verify the one's you have are correctly in place.

I wonder if a traditional, adjustable class one top link would hold up to the weight of the backhoe, or If I should just stick with what is there now?

I would not use a regular class one top link on a backhoe. Ever. The manufacturer provided an additional, adjustable, custom set of brackets to attach as a top link and to additionally function as a mounting point for the triangulating bracket kubotasam mentioned. You really need to make sure you have all these critical parts in place, or else there is a very real possibility of injury.

Backhoes are scarily powerful, and I would not put an oversized one on a three point hitch ever, myself. If you plan on using it as a TLB exclusively, it is not particularly difficult to convert the backhoe to a frame mount. I did that on my B6000 to mount a backhoe. The package is much more compact, and the clearance along with departure angles are vastly better.

Having said all that, you picked up a nice machine! Congratulations!

 

[kubotasam]

I would not use a regular class one top link on a backhoe. Ever. The manufacturer provided an additional, adjustable, custom set of brackets to attach as a top link and to additionally function as a mounting point for the triangulating bracket kubotasam mentioned. You really need to make sure you have all these critical parts in place, or else there is a very real possibility of injury.

The Manual for my Woods BH750 Backhoe states very clearly that if you use a standard strength top link it will buckle and this can lead to operator injury or death.

 

[510EBL]

The Manual for my Woods BH750 Backhoe states very clearly that if you use a standard strength top link it will buckle and this can lead to operator injury or death.

Well, I want to avoid that, don't I?

It makes sense...the factory top link is made to operate under tension, not the compression loads a 'hoe can impose. I'll stick with what the manual calls for.

If you plan on using it as a TLB exclusively, it is not particularly difficult to convert the backhoe to a frame mount. I did that on my B6000 to mount a backhoe. The package is much more compact, and the clearance along with departure angles are vastly better.

I do not have the BH on all the time, the FEL works fine for me with the loaded tires and 4X4. I also picked up a blade for the back that I will use for a counterweight when needed. It seems to weigh over 250 lbs. (72" Ford/New Holland...big and heavy).