WooHoo!!! Mama OK'd me a late christmas present. BH92 hoe!!!!

[DocGP]

Well, thanks to the need for some significant backhoe work at work, mom had OK'd the purchase of a BH92 backhoe for my MX5100!!! Placed the order today. So, now, the wait. Figured since I was going to do it, might as well do it all the way, and got the hydraulic thumb with it.

Dang, like a kid waiting for NEXT Christmas. I am sure I will post lots of pics when it arrives.

Hey, question. I have only gotten to play with one, but I see pictures of guys picking up the whole tractor with the outriggers and the bucket. Is that the way you are supposed to set the tractor up when using the hoe? I have seen a few posts online that say if you see someone doing that, it shows they DON'T know what they are doing. I beg to differ on that as I have had work done by a couple of hands who were quite good with the bucket and that is they way they ran it.

What do you think?

Doc

 

[ShaunRH]

I've run backhoe's quite a bit and you usually don't have to lift the entire rig. Just take some pressure off the wheels so you know the stabilizers are biting properly and the FEL bucket solidly down to help stabilize the front.

You'll find some that mock those that totally lift the unit, and while it's usually unnecessary, sometimes it does work better. You'll usually find this when straddling a ditch that's almost as wide as your tires, or when in material that the stabilizers and bucket handle better than the tires. Some also do it to show off but only with light digging can you get away with that.

When the unit is fully lifted, you have raised the CG of the entire rig and levering the hoe the wrong way can get you into trouble. The tires help float the unit and provide that extra bit of contact patch needed for real digging. Besides, rolling the unit around with the hoe is the mark of a fast operator. You should rarely need to motor it around when trenching.

Congrats on the purchase and put that rig to work!

 

[Tarmy]

Ditto the previous poster. I have had my BH76 for years and on occasion have needed to lift the whole rig...like on a downhill slope trench on wet lawn...I raise the front way up to slightly dig in the bucket and to level the entire rig.

Also remember...they are called stabilizers...not lifters or crawlers.

I have on occasion used the bucket and backhoe the reposition the set up...but usually the tires are taking some of the weight...the stabilizers are solidifying the stance of the rear of the tractor...and the front bucket is set square to the ground. You definitely want to make sure you don't load the front tractor weight on only one side of the front bucket...that is a great way to twist to tweak the loader arms and bend something...make a small flat surface to set the bucket onto...then you are go to go...

You will find the backhoe is a great tool...I added a hydraulic thumb and use it to grab rocks...stack logs and rock walls...and it helps get big rocks out of the trench...

Dig on....

 

[DocGP]

Ditto the previous poster. I have had my BH76 for years and on occasion have needed to lift the whole rig...like on a downhill slope trench on wet lawn...I raise the front way up to slightly dig in the bucket and to level the entire rig.

Also remember...they are called stabilizers...not lifters or crawlers.

I have on occasion used the bucket and backhoe the reposition the set up...but usually the tires are taking some of the weight...the stabilizers are solidifying the stance of the rear of the tractor...and the front bucket is set square to the ground. You definitely want to make sure you don't load the front tractor weight on only one side of the front bucket...that is a great way to twist to tweak the loader arms and bend something...make a small flat surface to set the bucket onto...then you are go to go...

You will find the backhoe is a great tool...I added a hydraulic thumb and use it to grab rocks...stack logs and rock walls...and it helps get big rocks out of the trench...

Dig on....

It helped that she didn't know what a hoe would cost, so went on and got the hydraulic thumb as well. It just looked too darn handy.

Doc

 

[ipz2222]

"didn't know what it cost".. Yea, I tell my wife "It's only $129, even if its $500.