[AT] 3 pt backhoe

Mon Mar 4 09:13:21 PST 2013

I have an old 3pt  Mcconnell Backhoe. Have it on my Allis D17. It's big and heavy. Its the older type without the ability to put down pressure on the tractor. So, all I get is gravity to hold it down. It does some things around my property but really can't rip through the tough stuff. Almost every time  I use it something breaks, either my aftermarket 3pt hitch busts a stabilizing rod or a hydraulic line bursts... A l s o , i t s q u i t e a p r o c e s s t o m o v e i t f o r w a r d . I h a v e t o g e t o f f o f t h e s e a t , g e t o n t h e t r a c t o r s e a t , release brakes,  r a i s e t h e h o e , move forward, apply brakes, drop hoe, climb back on hoe... If you have a real backhoe you can usually move the hoe foward with the bucket? 

Photo of Mcconnel Hoe. 

http://williampowell.net/images/implements/mconlbk.jpg 

My father standing next to the hoe on the tractor. 

http://williampowell.net/pages/D17_page/d17page.htm 

  If you do get one make sure you try to get one that can transfer the weight of the tractor onto the stabilizing feet. 

Regards, 

Will 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Herb Metz" <metz-h.b at comcast.net> 
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com> 
Sent: Monday, March 4, 2013 11:21:44 AM 
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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