Farm and Garden

[Josh B]

Basically a tractor with a massive hydraulic system on it. Front bucket just up and down and dump or scoop type stuff, back hoe left right, out and back and scoop.

Hydraulic systems can be messy to deal with but I never much worked on the hydraulics on a backhoe, but it works off the same pump. Unless you know the systems you should take someone that does

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

So I’m sort of half looking for a backhoe.. one neighbor said to stay away from one (I almost want to say it’s Case) because parts are virtually nonexistent for them, but don’t quote me on that. I have found that there are two kinds, the actual backhoes that were designed as such (and the hydraulics should be strong enough to lift the entire machine off the ground) and the not quite backhoes like the Kubota tractors with a hoe. The tractors with an add-on aren’t very strong and Kubotas it attaches to the three point which attaches to the rear axle and if you screw up and break something, it’s usually the axle. People have been known to hook something with the hoe that the machine can’t pick up and then they try lifting the three point and snap… so I’m thinking I’d rather have a real backhoe at this point. A mini excavator would be nice, but they are more expensive around here. Should have bought one of those back years ago like I was thinking about doing…

 

[Josh B]

A real backhoe has a pad on each side in the back for added support. Every thing on that machine has a hydraulic cylinder (or two) each of which is connected by hoses to the main pump manifold that powers it.
They are complicated systems. As you said Blue, knowing up to date info on them would be crucial in determining ones value and worth as a working machine
Might even consider taking one to a shop for a once over on it. Trouble with that might be the risk of metting the wrong person, one who says it isn't any good but you see them later that day driving it home :/

 

[oldgeek]

Anyone grow potatoes in buckets? I tried 5 gallon buckets and wasn't impressed. Saw a video of a guy that got over 200 lbs. from 48 buckets with many nice sized tubers. He used 10 gallon pots. He said smaller doesn't work well and larger has diminishing returns.

I am contemplating fabric pots. https://www.ebay.com/itm/3043700612...9rjfnFupTeZHgyNvi/kKYYB4k=|tkp:Bk9SR57j1Y7AYQ

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Basically a tractor with a massive hydraulic system on it. Front bucket just up and down and dump or scoop type stuff, back hoe left right, out and back and scoop.

Hydraulic systems can be messy to deal with but I never much worked on the hydraulics on a backhoe, but it works off the same pump. Unless you know the systems you should take someone that does

They are like a tractor for outer space.

They hydraulics are next level, electronics and cooling are drastically more complicated too.

Ag shops are a different kinda dealer than construction so keep that in mind for product support. If you have a part number an ag shop can generally get it for you but they don't have access to look it up on their own. Ran into that a lot when I was in ag parts with the city cemetery's backhoe, no Case construction dealer around and the local CNH ag dealer couldn't do much more than me for finding stuff.

Lots of steel lines to crack and leak, hoses to blow and cylinders to leak. Valves and pump... just hope you don't have to go there.

 

[Josh B]

Right! I was in construction and they mostly rented or leased their equipment so we really had no upkeep responsibility. I was not ordinarily a machine operator but had certifications to operate most available equipment, although I seldom did.
I was a commercial carpenter, who was employed by the general contractor. And when the superintendent for the general contractor had me to do anything requiring such I readily complied.
Once I was left to operate this Lull with a 65 ft boom, carrying other carpenters around a big school house project we were on, and had quite a few interesting days there. I had gotten another call from another company I had been waiting on and had to bail.
Dropping by a few days later to pick up my check I ran into the guys I'd been lifting all around the project and this one fella said "we sure appreciate you being a good driver", after we had almost got in some deep doodee.
We had been working our way around a large school building tucking in the metal roofing around the edges, and at one point I had followed a trail I didn't know. Only one guy was in the lift but as I proceeded to cross a wet spot the Lull went almost 45 degrees over. I heard the fella say "this ain't good!".
I grabbed a switch very rarely used, but it could level that thing even with the axles at a 45 the basket was at level, and after getting across the mini swamp, and with him standing level I said, "we'll call this one a detour from here on"

I loved construction, did it my whole career in one form or another

 

[superj]

my dad had a ford backhoe for a number of years. he had to work on it occasionally, which was not hard since he knew engines and worked hydraulics on f4s in the marine corps. this was in the 80s. later, in the 90s and early 2ks, we had bobcats and mini-x (bobcat brand too). those were great little machines and we hardly ever had issues with them. i think a line on one of hte bobcats started leaking one time and the mini-x never had an issue in the 5-8 years my dad owned it. he also had a good sized kabota tractor with the backhoe back end that could be swapped out with the cutting deck.

the mini-x is good in softer dirt, just like the kubota, since they are smaller. look for a 4x4 backhoe so you can get out of stuff once it gets rainy and soupy

 

[Roert42]

Hydraulics aren’t much different than any other type of plumbing. If you have experience working On pneumatics then you’ll know what everything does. Just a lot heavier duty, and potentially more dangerous.

A good hydraulic shop should be able to make you any hoses that need to be replaced as well as re chrome and seal any cylinders that are leaking.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Anyone grow potatoes in buckets? I tried 5 gallon buckets and wasn't impressed. Saw a video of a guy that got over 200 lbs. from 48 buckets with many nice sized tubers. He used 10 gallon pots. He said smaller doesn't work well and larger has diminishing returns.

I am contemplating fabric pots. https://www.ebay.com/itm/304370061271?hash=item46ddde8fd7:g:vFYAAOSwj99aC4Sh&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAoKoKzX0Nhg1FMY2x5yfZ6jRkoPkNI7/5CD7m95pB+WmQxW9Fv38VFNbNpjMwKIM0uCVx56Kcn0zQ2kRfODA1bugHhtK5Zmb9sg9O3s4oEIxpyXD4f0IMwafPiu/dPob2hid6d1BlC0n6GbkwXNWqreAuI+wAMtaJlzk13nGTJd73sepqGB9F81Xc8NdXxL9rjfnFupTeZHgyNvi/kKYYB4k=|tkp:Bk9SR57j1Y7AYQ

We use to grow a bunch of potatoes when I was growing up. Always in the ground in hills. They were always the best tasting potatoes... great creamy texture too. My family called them "New Potatoes". Which I believe was referring to the harvest opposed to a variety. I say this because I would like to do a "hill" of potatoes this year. I'd like to pick the right variety to relive those days.

I did use fabric grow pots this year for some herbs. They were 3 gallon size. What I learned was they need a bunch of water... daily even. With the side exposure they dry up really quick. I had mixed results... but haven't given up on the idea of using them.

 

[superj]

once march or april gets here i will have to water daily or everything will die. the sun is so strong and all the dirt is so sandy that the plants will be wilted by the time i come from work each day so i water everything when i leave for work at 0500 and check it all again at 1500 when i get home

 

[Roert42]

once march or april gets here i will have to water daily or everything will die. the sun is so strong and all the dirt is so sandy that the plants will be wilted by the time i come from work each day so i water everything when i leave for work at 0500 and check it all again at 1500 when i get home

Would be worth it to run one of those perforated hoses through the garden and set it on a timer.

 

[bilbo]

We use to grow a bunch of potatoes when I was growing up. Always in the ground in hills. They were always the best tasting potatoes... great creamy texture too. My family called them "New Potatoes". Which I believe was referring to the harvest opposed to a variety. I say this because I would like to do a "hill" of potatoes this year. I'd like to pick the right variety to relive those days.

I did use fabric grow pots this year for some herbs. They were 3 gallon size. What I learned was they need a bunch of water... daily even. With the side exposure they dry up really quick. I had mixed results... but haven't given up on the idea of using them.

I built a planter to grow potatoes in when I lived in ND. It was a set of frames that stacked on one another. I added would stack the frame sections and add dirt as the taters grew. When harvest time came I just pulled the frames off and take the potatoes out of the now unrestrained soil. It actually worked quite well. The soil in eastern ND is fantastic but heavy, and would get compacted and difficult to dig the spuds out of. This kept the potatoes in light, uncompacted dirt so they were easy to harvest. I never tried it but my Dad used leftover straw instead of dirt to build his hills. It seemed to work well for him.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Hydraulics aren’t much different than any other type of plumbing. If you have experience working On pneumatics then you’ll know what everything does. Just a lot heavier duty, and potentially more dangerous.

A good hydraulic shop should be able to make you any hoses that need to be replaced as well as re chrome and seal any cylinders that are leaking.

That cylinder that telescopes the rear arm... He is real fun to pull out. We rebuilt most of the other cylinders actually on the machine because the pins were hopelessly seized. Fight and fight between the two until one would come and go from there.

I built a planter to grow potatoes in when I lived in ND. It was a set of frames that stacked on one another. I added would stack the frame sections and add dirt as the taters grew. When harvest time came I just pulled the frames off and take the potatoes out of the now unrestrained soil. It actually worked quite well. The soil in eastern ND is fantastic but heavy, and would get compacted and difficult to dig the spuds out of. This kept the potatoes in light, uncompacted dirt so they were easy to harvest. I never tried it but my Dad used leftover straw instead of dirt to build his hills. It seemed to work well for him.

I've heard of guys stacking old tires and filling them with dirt. Then just knock the tires off to harvest.

 

[superj]

Would be worth it to run one of those perforated hoses through the garden and set it on a timer.

It would be but i have to actually do it

 

[Snoranger]

prolly gonna need some help over the next couple of weeks. I'm looking at buying a backhoe. I know nothing about backhoes other than the basic stuff. Been looking for a long time and have found one locally -- as in drive home locally ....3 miles away.

Don't know much about it at this point but am going to look at it tomorrow.

Is there anything I should be aware of? It is a 1998 New holland 555 $18,000.

Here is the link:
backhoe

Thanks for your help.

Here’s some useful information about backhoes I learned last week.
Do NOT load them onto a tall trailer and leave the hoe in the upright locked position. There’s a good chance it will hit a bridge, destroy the hoe, lose a front chain, fall halfway off the trailer, etc… then I gotta send 2 of my guys out there in the big wrecker, pick it back up and put it back on the trailer.