[AT] 3 pt backhoe

[charlie hill]

Herb,  I took it that you were referring to the 3 pt back hoe when you said 
"jack of all trades"
If you meant the operator I actually can run a backhoe and an excavator.  I 
don't do it enough
to be a pro but I have enough experience to know when I'm wasting my time on 
a piece of junk
equipment.  What Will said about the lack of a rigid attachment is 
absolutely true.  Since most
3 pt lower arms go down by gravity and will come up freely if lifted, the 
only rigid attachment is
the upper link.  I don't particularly like the idea of breaking the ears off 
of the housing or in the case
of a D-14 ripping the steel plate bracket off of the housing and taking the 
thread from the tapped holes with it.

I've done a lot of work with my old Allis tractors because I own them and 
only have to buy the gas and don't put
enough value on my time but I don't like to totally waste my time and tear 
up tractor parts along the way.

Charlie

-----Original Message----- 
From: Herb Metz
Sent: Monday, March 04, 2013 11:48 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] 3 pt backhoe

Woops!
Also pride of ownership is often times a factor.  Recently our son bought a
ten year old home approx ten miles from us.   80' x 100' back yard had not
received decent work by contractor or previous homeowner.   I took our D-14,
7 shank all purpose plow, tandem disc harrow, and landscape bucket and
regraded and leveled the yard.  Hauled in several loads of horse manure,
disced that in, they hand raked it and seeded it, and now he has a backyard
that is worth maintaining and improving with the addition of shrubs, trees,
etc.  Yes, it took me double the time (my D-14 vs a bobcat), but I enjoyed
doing it because my only cost was gasoline. Herb

-----Original Message----- 
From: Herb Metz
Sent: Monday, March 04, 2013 11:21 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Cc: Herbert Metz
Subject: Re: [AT] 3 pt backhoe

Charlie,
"Jack of all trades, master of none."   Would that old expression apply
here?
I would borrow the one that has been offered, and add the reaction bar.
Ideal, no; but neither is renting or contracting. Typically, the contractor
is in a hurry to get done, so now what do you do when you need a little bit
more work done, etc.  Likewise with renting.
Will initial backfill be sand or screened on-site soil?
Herb


-----Original Message----- 
From: charlie hill
Sent: Monday, March 04, 2013 10:06 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] 3 pt backhoe

Don,  I paid $1000.00 for one about 10 years ago, spent some time and money
modifying the hook up so that it would fit my 3pt hitch correctly,
added a "reaction bar" to transfer the load off of the 3rd hitch point on
the 3 pt hitch to the drawbar, hooked it all up, dug one hole with
it, disconnected it and it's been sitting ever since.   It had plenty of
power and my D-14 Allis handled the load ok but it is kind of like what
a farmer friend of mine told another farmer about a Long tractor that the JD
dealer had loaned him while they worked on his JD.
The other farmer (who owned a Long) asked him how he liked it.  He said it
wasn't worth a crap.  The Long owner said "why, It's got plenty of power".
The JD owner said "an elephant's got plenty of power but you can't farm with
him".

That's pretty much the deal with my experience with a 3 pt backhoe
attachment.  It'll dig and it'll work but you can't get anything done with
it.
You'll be better off to put your time and effort into a real backhoe or
excavator, buy it, rent it, borrow it or steal it what ever you have to do
but
don't waste a lot of time with a 3pt hitch rig.  You'll find it very hard to
do accurate work with it.

Charlie

-----Original Message----- 
From: Don Bowen
Sent: Monday, March 04, 2013 9:14 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: [AT] 3 pt backhoe

I need to dig about 600' of 6' trench for a ground source heat pump,
excavate a foundation and maybe dig a drain field.  With two tractors
around here I wonder if a three point backhoe would be worth the
investment.  How much tractor do one of those typically require?  I know
where I can borrow one and have seen a couple of CL but do not know the
power requirements.  Is there any sort of rule of thumb regarding boom
length and bucket size?

This is the Ozarks with lots of rocks.  Bedrock is not very far down but
the area I plan to dig is the bottom of a little valley where there are
fewer rocks and a 6' excavation the PO did for a basement did not hit
bedrock.

-- 
Don Bowen           AD0BR
"A man must keep a little back shop where he can be himself without reserve.
In solitude alone can he know true freedom."
-Michel De Montaigne 1588
http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/Journal.html

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