Is the backhoe loader a thing of the past?

[Simon edwards]

Then there’s lifting yourself over trenches,soakaways etc.for some reason my older Jake’s were better if you sort of threw yourself over in one quick slightly lairy movement, going slow and steady always seemed to come to a sort of sticking point halfway , bloody horrible on dodgy ground or over wide trenches! Spent a lot of time on a Ford 555c and that was much more controllable in the same situations.

 

[Simon edwards]

Nick a mate of mine drove case for years ,mustard operator and reckoned he could put a 580 sle anywhere as long as you could wedge yourself in the seat somehow .

 

[craig]

I’ve been biting my tongue but you said it first!
Sell it and buy a small duck . It’ll complement your work really well .

A backhoe is much nicer roading than the duckling, I aways found. Although larger ducks do ride a bit better than small ones.
I`ve got floaties on the duckling and a backhoe will go much further if its soft.

 

[Bri963]

Someone asked me the other week what my favourite machine to drive was, definitely the backhoe.

I do miss the days when it was my day to day work but I've gone with the flow and it was parked up for too often in the end.

My next favourite would probably be a tracked loading shovel. However I only had odd play here and there on a 953 and 963.

X2 on the Drott. I’ll always have a soft spot for backhoes as they were the machine that got me into the industry seriously, but too many days working as an oversized wheelbarrow take the edge off The memories.

 

[DaveDCB]

This thread is making me want a 3cx again

 

[hiluxman]

This thread is making me want a 3cx again

Haha, I was thinking exactly that this morning.

 

[Vinpetrol]

This thread is making me want a 3cx again

there’s a reason you don’t already have one

 

[Simon edwards]

Yeah but don’t forget back then the next step down from the backhoe was pushing the barrow ,so we worked bloody hard to get on the 180

 

[hiluxman]

Yeah but don’t forget back then the next step down from the backhoe was pushing the barrow ,so we worked bloody hard to get on the 180

That's exactly how my old man got into driving a jcb 3c.

 

[Old Operator]

I drove modern extendahoe 3CXs for Tarmac on a lump basis. Between this I drove & part owned a late model 3C 111 - so I swung between extendahoe & not. I came to regard extendahoe as an expensive gimmick that made the rear end over heavy, & when extended the dipper service had so little power that it was not worthwhile. I know you were supposed to grade by bringing in the extendahoe while feeding the dipper down. Could do this but came to realize the times it was needed on most jobs were few & far between. I think it was a thing that you had to offer it as a hirer because everyone else had it.
On the 3C I could position the rear post centrally & use the rear hoe as a pick & carry crane moving large stumps, other things into places that craneage on the front bucket could not access. The over heavy extendahoe models were not half as gain in this. On the continent it was much more common to see a modern 3CX with a std front bucket & non extending hoe. The only good front forks I came across were on a 580G with a quick pick up front adapter so you either had forks or the 4 in 1 on. Saw an MF 50B like this too.
When hard digging I always curled the front bucket fully over to anchor the machine if ground allowed. Feel that the 'Sitemaster' obsession in industry led to makers chasing one another up an expensive tree & led to the downfall of this type of digger. As to ducklings it is a pity they do not travel faster, one thing the TDL did well. My favorite machine would be a small crawler loader. I started seriously on these, went to a 3C via a Digger Dumper! (a handfull)
Fuel now so costly I can see the value in a mini for most small jobs

 

[Stroppymonkey]

X2 on the Drott. I’ll always have a soft spot for backhoes as they were the machine that got me into the industry seriously, but too many days working as an oversized wheelbarrow take the edge off The memories.

I would love to spend a week on a Drott. Used to be the tool of choice for all the ground works locally when I was kid, but never in managed to sit in one. Mind you, had my first time back in a backhoe last year and found it very tedious !

 

[Vinpetrol]

I would love to spend a week on a Drott. Used to be the tool of choice for all the ground works locally when I was kid, but never in managed to sit in one. Mind you, had my first time back in a backhoe last year and found it very tedious !

Me too , I used to be in awe of the drott drivers . Had a shot of 951 and 941 in the 90s but a long way from getting by on them . As you say every builders yard had one

 

[Old Operator]

Did many hours on Drott type units as a youth, was good preparation for when 4WD & 4 in 1 appeared on TDL's Sadly think re tracking costs killed them.
Back in the day a small Drott or 3C attracted about the same rate, where the 12t Hymac or similar attracted a much higher rate, yet the wear & tear costs per hr on a 360 are about half per hr as an equivalent HP loader or dozer. Would have liked to try a small towed scraper, track thing the same

 

[Simon edwards]

Used to watch a local guy with an old komatsu tracked shovel as I grew up doing all the larger digs that a 3c couldn’t handle around here. He was a man at the top of his game and watching him trim the batters on big cuts for barns etc. was quite something. I was privileged to work alongside him much later on with my first 3cx.Remember him telling me he spent a month on hire to archaeologists on a large dig ,all very excited at the finds,he never told them he pushed the whole lot in there 20 years before!RIP Ken.

 

[Storrsy]

I would love to spend a week on a Drott. Used to be the tool of choice for all the ground works locally when I was kid, but never in managed to sit in one. Mind you, had my first time back in a backhoe last year and found it very tedious !

Has your brother (in law?)still got his Case?

 

[Bri963]

Yeah but don’t forget back then the next step down from the backhoe was pushing the barrow ,so we worked bloody hard to get on the 180

No, it was 1RB, then a Benford or Thwaites with no cab, then a 3CX. And it was harder to keep the seat than to get it in the first place.

 

[V8Druid]

This thread is making me want a 3cx again

you too?

 

[BillybobLockwood]

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

It took me a couple really difficult projects, and a lot of practice to feel comfortable doing nice work with my 420. At first I wanted to love it, but just couldn't do nice work with it to save my Life! I was usually so frustrated I would go get my 302 to do it. Slowly, as I got more hours, it Got better.

Keep at it, find projects, and go out of your way to do it with a backhoe, don't give yourself a way out. you have to learn to work differently, but it only gets better.

 

[DaveDCB]

there’s a reason you don’t already have one

Because it doesn’t fit on half of my sites anymore but on the years that one would fit it makes me consider it!

 

[Furniss]

I got sent out on hire on one after only a few 1/2 days here and there on the bosses own work ...needless to say it was fooking horrendous, for the builder and me
Got a bit better over time but it was the period where 360/minis were taking over and after bit of the 2 ended up on them thankfully.

There were a coupleof blokes there that were good on them and it was a proper art that would of been rewarding to master but didnt get time and minis had taken over, the era had largely passed I reckon.

Within reason anyone can drive a mini to an acceptable level dont you think ?