On Mon, 16 Oct 2017 08:53:42 -0700, wrote:

On Sun, 15 Oct 2017 23:02:19 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 15 Oct 2017 15:33:16 -0700, wrote:

On Sun, 15 Oct 2017 11:09:46 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:


I am trying to collect material and ideas in order to make a mini backhoe. I may never make one, but I am proceeding on the grounds that I will.

Before starting in on how I should just buy a real backhoe, let me say I do not need a real backhoe. I can really get by with just using a shovel. But a mini backhoe that would be say 3 times as fast as just using a shovel appeals to me.

I have thought about building a tiny mini backhoe, but the cost would be nearly the same as a some what bigger machine. The hydraulic cylinders and hydraulic valves are the major expense and they would not be significantly less for a tiny backhoe.

I purchased the plan that are on Ebay for $13.99 and are not real happy with them. Most of the drawings are three dimensional showing all the hidden lines. And most dimensions are in the text. And the pages all have the same title block. But I did not pay a lot so can not expect a lot.

I am hoping to collect most of the material ( not including hydraulics ) from the local scrap yard. I am intending to put the engine, hydraulic pump, filter and tank as a unit with quick disconnects. So I can remove that part and connect it to a log splitter or what ever. And hope to find a boat trailer at the scrap yard to supply the wheels. I have already bought some 3/16 rectangular 4 by 3 inch tubing for the booms and chassis. All in pieces only 4 feet long, but I have a welder. I also have some cut offs of 1 inch rod and some 1" bronze bushings.

So what I would like is comments. Especially from anyone that has built a mini backhoe. Good sources for hydraulic cylinders and valves would be nice. The Surplus Center is already bookmarked. Things to avoid would be nice.

Oh yes, I am thinking about using my feet to swivel the boom instead of of using a hydraulic cylinder. It seems like that might be okay to do. Maybe have a plan on how to add power to swivel the boom if using my feet is too much work. Or maybe figure out a way to use car clutch and brake parts to swivel the boom. I am sure there will be comments on that idea.

Dan
Greetings Dan,
Forget the foot powered swing. To get any real work done you will
need to swing the hoe back and forth A LOT. I am by no means a
backhoe expert but I do have many hours on mine. For a while I had
some problems that made the boom swing slow and it was maddening. I
was used to the much faster swing that it had when I fist bought it.
Now that it swings fast again I really appreciate it. Furthermore,
even though running my backhoe only requires pulling or pushing levers
or foot pedals it is still tiring work if done for long. Having to
swing even a small boom when fully extended will be hard to do very
many times.
Also, cylinder size is important. A friend of mine has a backhoe
smaller than mine on the back of his Case. My Case is a 580 CK and his
is the next size down. My backhoe was made by Case to fit my tractor.
My friend's is an aftermarket unit that is sort of a universal fit
type. On his they scrimped on the cylinder size to save money. To get
enough power his runs a higher pressure than mine. The upshot is that
his machine is more jerky, the smaller high pressure cylinders move
quickly and are harder to control. Even though my machine moves as
fast as his it is easier to control. We both noticed this.
Finally, don't build a machine that has you rotating with the
boom. My friend's add on backhoe works like this and all the back and
forth wears you out.
I LOVE my backhoe. Even though it is pretty worn out it still does
a lot of work much faster than I ever could. I bought it to install my
septic system. After doing that I have built a road on my property ,
fixed another road, buried my neighbor's horse, dug the water, power
and phone ditches to my house and shop, dug up several big stumps with
their associated root systems, and just last weekend planted 7 pretty
big cedar trees. All these jobs required the backhoe. And using the
backhoe is fun. Using the loader is fun too but there is something
cool about being able to dig a hole 10 feet deep in a short time.
Watching the dipper rip out big roots in seconds that would take all
day to dig and chop out by hand is really cool.
Eric
Pretty hard to beat an old Construction King Backhoe Loader unit.
They were really DESIGNED as a backhoe
Mine has the Shuttle Shift feature too. And it's gas powered so I
don't have to smell diesel fumes. A deisel engine would probably be
better but the smell makes me sick to my stomach.
Eric
Likewize. I think all CKs had the shuttle shift.