Is the backhoe loader a thing of the past?

Bucket on wheels

Bucket on wheels

Well-known member

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doobin

doobin

Well-known member
Ok, this is embarrassing but…

I’m really struggling with this backhoe loader. The machine is spot on, leads of power, all tight except one slew ram bush which I haven’t got around to yet. I just can’t use it effectively.

The other day I was trying to take from a ditch on one side of a track and place on the other. So from 90 degrees on the right to 90 degrees on the left. It just kept trying to tip the machine over. I swear my three tonner would have had no problem.

The front bucket doesn’t seem to hold any more than my Multione- the front edge is so short. It’s standard, wear edge all intact.

It grades lovely but only to halfway back/ I’m using the extendahoe and the boom at the same time. I guess this is because of the straight boom design?

Basically every time I take it out it puts a smile on my face until I start trying to actually operate it. It seems I can never have it set just right for the job in hand, and it needs so much space to manoeuvre even with the independent brakes.

I know practice and getting the hours in is key, but can anyone give me some more tips? It’s a great spec machine, with servo controls, soft ride, 40kph and a hydraulic hitch to the rear. I’ve changed all the oils and filters, it drives lovely and I don’t want to give up yet 😞 but it never seems the right tool for the job compared to my 2.7t and Multione loader.
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DaveDCB

Well-known member
Backhoes are funny animal… they always say you have to drive them first before any other machine to truly get the most out of them, and I do agree somewhat, there is just a certain style you need to adapt too, driving a 360 first kinda ruins that train of thought!

I never touched my independent brakes after afew years, just didn’t need to! Plus I ruined the master cylinders on a machine once and it cost a fair bit to fix with the downtime so kept them locked after 🥴

Not sure on the tipping both ways, fair enough one way if the front bucket isn’t firmly down… maybe this is why everyone buys JCB 3CX 😆

If you were closer I’d love to have afew hours on it just to see what it’s like by comparison!
 
V8Druid

V8Druid

do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
Ok, this is embarrassing but…

I’m really struggling with this backhoe loader. The machine is spot on, leads of power, all tight except one slew ram bush which I haven’t got around to yet. I just can’t use it effectively.

The other day I was trying to take from a ditch on one side of a track and place on the other. So from 90 degrees on the right to 90 degrees on the left. It just kept trying to tip the machine over. I swear my three tonner would have had no problem.

The front bucket doesn’t seem to hold any more than my Multione- the front edge is so short. It’s standard, wear edge all intact.

It grades lovely but only to halfway back/ I’m using the extendahoe and the boom at the same time. I guess this is because of the straight boom design?

Basically every time I take it out it puts a smile on my face until I start trying to actually operate it. It seems I can never have it set just right for the job in hand, and it needs so much space to manoeuvre even with the independent brakes.

I know practice and getting the hours in is key, but can anyone give me some more tips? It’s a great spec machine, with servo controls, soft ride, 40kph and a hydraulic hitch to the rear. I’ve changed all the oils and filters, it drives lovely and I don’t want to give up yet 😞 but it never seems the right tool for the job compared to my 2.7t and Multione loader.View attachment 60077
for starters you want to get its feet in the air - properly airborne, so all the base weight is suspended on the jacks and the front edge - ish
have to say it looks a heavier boom than a Jake's, but if you're going 180 then park it centrally so it all happens the same on both sides ... and learn how far you can push it :LOL: Having a leg in the air over the side is par for the course - it's how much 'air' you have under it is the trick :giggle: .... Pam used to panic, watching me working over the side grading the side of our drive :ROFLMAO:
and fair play to you for putting this up .... there'll be loads of other more qualified advice I'm sure
 
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DaveDCB

Well-known member
Not sure I agree with getting it up in the air, the front bucket needs to be fully down flat with lift rams fully retracted but the back legs really only need to kiss the ground imo, my tyres only ever came off the ground on uneven ground! Then to reposition it was only a 2 second grab of the leg levers as your spinning the seat around to reposition.
 
V8Druid

V8Druid

do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
Backhoes are funny animal… they always say you have to drive them first before any other machine to truly get the most out of them, and I do agree somewhat, there is just a certain style you need to adapt too, driving a 360 first kinda ruins that train of thought!

I never touched my independent brakes after afew years, just didn’t need to! Plus I ruined the master cylinders on a machine once and it cost a fair bit to fix with the downtime so kept them locked after 🥴

Not sure on the tipping both ways, fair enough one way if the front bucket isn’t firmly down… maybe this is why everyone buys JCB 3CX 😆

If you were closer I’d love to have afew hours on it just to see what it’s like by comparison!
that's a plus one here too .... would love to have a some time in a servo-ed Jakie/BHL ... after 10 years of comfortable ISO sticks, I don't think I'd want to play with sticks again
 
V8Druid

V8Druid

do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
Not sure I agree with getting it up in the air, the front bucket needs to be fully down flat with lift rams fully retracted but the back legs really only need to kiss the ground imo, my tyres only ever came off the ground on uneven ground! Then to reposition it was only a 2 second grab of the leg levers as your spinning the seat around to reposition.
know what you mean, but you really do need to have the weight suspended IMHDO, otherwise you've not got the full counterbalance available and it'll always hop about (same as a crane - it's full counterbalance is only available with all wheels suspended)
I've worked mine FOW, but it sure wobbles about :giggle:
 
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DaveDCB

Well-known member
They do dance around abit, maybe it’s a case of just getting used to that abit, which is just more seat time? Wait till you try digging with the front bucket all the way up in the air and no legs down… that gets interesting 😆
 
hiluxman

hiluxman

Well-known member
I agree with dave on the legs. I never had them jacked high.

Sometimes side over if it was a quick bucket full you can use just one leg.
If grabbing a bucket full out of a transit tipper side over its leg free.

You've to remember your sat upon it. So movment feels massive.

Similar to when I first started with the grab lorry. You can soon have a leg in the air but when stood up there movement feels worse.

If you were localish I'd happily come down to give you any help/pointers....unless I can justify a holiday for Mrs HM
 
V8Druid

V8Druid

do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
They do dance around abit, maybe it’s a case of just getting used to that abit, which is just more seat time? Wait till you try digging with the front bucket all the way up in the air and no legs down… that gets interesting 😆
good practise for graduating to a duck ;):giggle:
 
hiluxman

hiluxman

Well-known member
They do dance around abit, maybe it’s a case of just getting used to that abit, which is just more seat time? Wait till you try digging with the front bucket all the way up in the air and no legs down… that gets interesting 😆
Definitely.

Breaker on all the old 432's and 428's was a big beast. One hill just down road from me you'd wheelie up the first 40ft of it with it on the arse end and tramping home.
 
V8Druid

V8Druid

do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
I agree with dave on the legs. I never had them jacked high.

Sometimes side over if it was a quick bucket full you can use just one leg.
If grabbing a bucket full out of a transit tipper side over its leg free.

You've to remember your sat upon it. So movment feels massive.

Similar to when I first started with the grab lorry. You can soon have a leg in the air but when stood up there movement feels worse.

If you were localish I'd happily come down to give you any help/pointers....unless I can justify a holiday for Mrs HM
I didn't say you needed a foot under the wheels ... just get 'em off the floor so the whole m/c weight is suspended properly ... and yeh they're workable FOW as and when needs must .. but a lot more exciting
 
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DaveDCB

Well-known member
Definitely.

Breaker on all the old 432's and 428's was a big beast. One hill just down road from me you'd wheelie up the first 40ft of it with it on the arse end and tramping home.
Bit like the 3cx with front quick hitch, take the bucket off and the front end pretty much floated around everywhere!
 
hiluxman

hiluxman

Well-known member
I didn't say you needed a foot under the wheels ... just get 'em off the floor so the whole m/c weight is suspended properly ... and yeh they're workable FOW as and when needs must .. but a lot more exciting
Alot also depends on floor your putting pressure on.

I remember one day, bit of a slope, it felt like it needed abit more leg down. Pushed legs and nothing happened. It was that soft I'd already pushed them all the way down.
 
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