Towable Backhoe

JeremyBX2200

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Equipment
BX2200
Aug 3, 2020
440
424
63
Indiana
Might not technically be an attachment, but I use the BX to move it around the property.

Got delivered on Friday. Put it together and tested it out today. It’s going to take some practice to get efficient with it, but still a whole lot better than a shovel.
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dirtydeed

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B2650 BH77, U27-4R2, BX23TLBM, box blade, rear blade, flail mower, Stump Grinder
Dec 8, 2017
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Wind Gap, PA
That should beat a shovel for sure. Do you have a hitch ball on your loader or three point that could limit the amount of movement from the hoe?

although I suppose that it could potentially cause soem twisting issues to whatever its attached to. Maybe hook it up to your truck?
 

JeremyBX2200

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Equipment
BX2200
Aug 3, 2020
440
424
63
Indiana
That should beat a shovel for sure. Do you have a hitch ball on your loader or three point that could limit the amount of movement from the hoe?

although I suppose that it could potentially cause soem twisting issues to whatever its attached to. Maybe hook it up to your truck?
I have a hitchball on my loader as well as a drawbar with one for the 3pt.

The wheels switch to the back of the backhoe with metal stabilizer legs on the front when you are digging. To transport it the wheels swap to the front.

I am still trying to figure out how to transport it around the property without having to swap things around. It doesn’t take too long, but still a little inconvenient.
 
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GeoHorn

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M4700DT, LA1002FEL, Ferguson5-8B Compactor-Roller, 10KDumpTrailer, RTV-X900
May 18, 2018
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JeremyBX2200

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Equipment
BX2200
Aug 3, 2020
440
424
63
Indiana
How do you support the hoe when you are swapping the wheels and the legs?
I used the loader with the ball to lift the back to remove the wheels. Then used the backhoe bucket to lift up the front one side at a time. I saw a video where you can lift one side with the backhoe bucket to swap the wheel to the front, but I haven’t tried that yet.

A common mod is to get an extra set of wheels, so you just lift the front with the bucket to switch from the out riggers to wheels without having to touch the ones on the back.

Once you are in the area you are working at you can move the backhoe around with the bucket.
 

Code

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l3301, fel, lp boxblade, 12" lp auger, lp bush hog, z421 zt, lawnvac leaf vac
Dec 19, 2020
126
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Central, Va
Man ive been waiting on any kind of sale on these. unfortunately the current 20% coupon isnt applicable
 

JeremyBX2200

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Equipment
BX2200
Aug 3, 2020
440
424
63
Indiana
Man ive been waiting on any kind of sale on these. unfortunately the current 20% coupon isnt applicable
I had been keeping a look out too and joined a number of facebook groups.

I was able to hit the $400 off for the inside track club plus they had either another 10% off or no interest for 36months if you used the Harbor Freight credit card.
 

Sdatrucking

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B7100.
Aug 26, 2022
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16
8
Tagalong3746
Wondering how hard it would be to modify to a three point hook up run pto for the pump been an idea of mine for a while just haven’t found an old broke hoe to buy maybe one day
 
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fried1765

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Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Nov 14, 2019
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Eastham, Ma
Wondering how hard it would be to modify to a three point hook up run pto for the pump been an idea of mine for a while just haven’t found an old broke hoe to buy maybe one day
Sounds like a lot of trouble, for a likely not so good result.
 

JeremyBX2200

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BX2200
Aug 3, 2020
440
424
63
Indiana
Wondering how hard it would be to modify to a three point hook up run pto for the pump been an idea of mine for a while just haven’t found an old broke hoe to buy maybe one day
If you found one for the right price and you like fabricating stuff it could be an interesting project.
 

Jchonline

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I saw that video. Said he bent it by trying to go to hard after some roots.
Yes and it has no weight behind it whatsoever...that means the cylinder took most of the forces. Not a great design...but you can make it work if you are careful. As mentioned better than a shovel!
 
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JeremyBX2200

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BX2200
Aug 3, 2020
440
424
63
Indiana
Yes and it has no weight behind it whatsoever...that means the cylinder took most of the forces. Not a great design...but you can make it work if you are careful. As mentioned better than a shovel!
A couple of weeks ago it was dry enough to get out some. I dug up and old stump. Took my time and got it done without any damage to the machine. Worked pretty well.

Been way to wet to do anymore work with it. Main reason I got it was for trenching etc, not digging stumps.
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D2Cat

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Looks like it did fine with the old dry stump and that damp soil. That would be more difficult work then simply digging a trench.

Ideal conditions for digging a trench is to grab a handful of material from the trench and make a closed fist with it, and when you open your hand dust falls out. When you open your fist and clumps fall off your hand, it's telling you the crumbs are not going back into that ditch very easily and tight!
 
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JeremyBX2200

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BX2200
Aug 3, 2020
440
424
63
Indiana
Here's one I built with my uncle about 20 years ago, it will get it done and it will teach patience. I rent an excavator now and then, but use this thing quite a bit
Nice.

This one isn't overly fast, but it has a decent amount of digging power.

Upgrading the pump to a higher flowing one is a pretty common mod. It doesn't really increase the power, but does increase the speed quite a bit.

If I just had one project to do, I would have rented something.....but I have a number of projects that this will be used for.
 
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Vigo

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B6100, B8200
Jan 9, 2022
595
339
63
San Antonio Texas
Just looked at the specs.. 2.7gpm pump. Yeah sounds slow to me!!

Something like that is a great thing to have, i wouldn't turn my nose up at ANY similar digging machine if its the only practical option for someone who wants to own a digger, they're ALL better than shoveling!

As far as turning it into an actual tractor attachment, i think it's a perfectly reasonable idea and it's actually the tractor side of things making it iffy. I say that because the swing cylinder placement on the HF machine dictates a pretty long 'stand off' distance from the back of the tractor, which would make the small BX pretty unwieldy to operate as anything other than a propulsion system for the backhoe because of the added length and weight distribution. It might suck to use for loader or other general work without dropping the hoe off of it. It's (bx) also not tall enough to tuck any of that digger underneath it even if you did for example, relocate the swing cylinder to the bottom. On a larger tractor you could simply lop the tank and engine off the top of the spar and sling the whole spar underneath the middle of the tractor as part of your 'subframe'. I'd say it's a reasonable thing to consider and there's nothing stopping one from making the 'other half' of the machine essentially a standalone hydraulic power pack that could be recoupled to the digging half if you wanted to use them together again. Since it's not using its main 'spar'/beam (looks like a 4x6?) as a hydraulic tank, you could just cut it in half at the yellow line below, and if you wanted to be able to put it back together again you'd just weld some plates or angle irons to the non-digging half, and drill some pin holes in the digging half, and could slide and pin it back together. A couple hydraulic quick disconnects and it's done. Sure, you'd have to be a confident welder but the actual cuts on metal needed to make it happen are extremely simple in this case.
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JeremyBX2200

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Equipment
BX2200
Aug 3, 2020
440
424
63
Indiana
Just looked at the specs.. 2.7gpm pump. Yeah sounds slow to me!!

Something like that is a great thing to have, i wouldn't turn my nose up at ANY similar digging machine if its the only practical option for someone who wants to own a digger, they're ALL better than shoveling!

As far as turning it into an actual tractor attachment, i think it's a perfectly reasonable idea and it's actually the tractor side of things making it iffy. I say that because the swing cylinder placement on the HF machine dictates a pretty long 'stand off' distance from the back of the tractor, which would make the small BX pretty unwieldy to operate as anything other than a propulsion system for the backhoe because of the added length and weight distribution. It might suck to use for loader or other general work without dropping the hoe off of it. It's (bx) also not tall enough to tuck any of that digger underneath it even if you did for example, relocate the swing cylinder to the bottom. On a larger tractor you could simply lop the tank and engine off the top of the spar and sling the whole spar underneath the middle of the tractor as part of your 'subframe'. I'd say it's a reasonable thing to consider and there's nothing stopping one from making the 'other half' of the machine essentially a standalone hydraulic power pack that could be recoupled to the digging half if you wanted to use them together again. Since it's not using its main 'spar'/beam (looks like a 4x6?) as a hydraulic tank, you could just cut it in half at the yellow line below, and if you wanted to be able to put it back together again you'd just weld some plates or angle irons to the non-digging half, and drill some pin holes in the digging half, and could slide and pin it back together. A couple hydraulic quick disconnects and it's done. Sure, you'd have to be a confident welder but the actual cuts on metal needed to make it happen are extremely simple in this case.
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With the right tools and skill set anything is possible.

The only unit I found that was specifically made for my BX2200 was a Woods. It looks like a nice unit and had the subframe as well as the backhoe available. I looked around for a used setup, but didn't find anything.

For my use I just couldn't justify the $$, so I went this route. Less than half the price including an upgraded hydraulic pump.

I will report back when it is finally dry enough to begin my trenching project.
 
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Vigo

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B6100, B8200
Jan 9, 2022
595
339
63
San Antonio Texas
I think someone with the fab skills is absolutely justified to buy a 3k or less towable and convert it to a BRAND NEW tractor backhoe with a free hydraulic power pack (lol), vs waiting around for a worn out one that already fits but needs other metalwork anyway to not be a piece of crap, or paying 6k for new. It doesn't sound crazy at all to me!

But then, using it the way it is isn't crazy either. I'm just being an enabler to fellow 'i have to modify everything i touch' types.. :)
 
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