Backhoe attachment on a skid steer?

[NakeDiesel]

Has anyone used a backhoe attachment on a skidsteer? I have a new holland lx665 I use around here on the farm. It's a 50hp skidded, works good moving dirt, rocks and hay. I could really put a backhoe attachment to work around here. Are they any good? I'd love to have a mini excavator or a real backhoe, but can't justify spending the money on one or the other.

Here's what I'm looking at:

Screenshot_20240119_235014_Chrome by NakeDiesel, on Flickr

 

[hefnerconstructionlc]

Depends how cheap you can buy. They are just ok. I have a wheeled skid. Case1840 and a backhoe attachment.

 

[kb1982]

Those used to be standard equipment for concrete companies near me. Most often Bobcats with diggers that have the seats on them. I've never used one, but instead ran around with a grade stick while digging footers. When they double teamed a footer with two machines and only one of me, they would run my **** off. With two machines, we would knock out a footer for a 1700 sq ft house usually in about 3 hours. Usually had the machine, bucket and the digger on the trailer at all times. Just make sure your machine has enough flow for it. Heck, I've seen complete basements dug with them. At that point, the time and wear makes it more economical to use a larger excavator.

 

[HoosierMark]

I have a simple homemade backhoe attachment for my 47 hp Skidsteer. It does not swing. I need to move the ss to dump bucket each time. works for me due to minimal cost I have in it. Don’t use it much so it is an ok investment. I looked at various used attachments but mine works for small stuff like cleaning up a small ditch or creating one. i did dig a drain line in for my barn drains but larger projects I just hire someone. More cost effective in my opinion.

 

[jblnut]

I’ve used a non swinging one and they work well if you’re not planning on using it for hundreds of hours a year. If you do plan to use it A LOT it’s still way better than a shovel !!

 

[NakeDiesel]

I've looked at the swinging and non versions and for some of the things I see needing done in the future, I'll go with the swinging version for trenching also with this one I can move the arm to the end side and trench along my shop for when I expand it with lean-tos.

I rent equipment or attachments when I need too, but it's atleast an hour one way to a rental store to get something rented, and with my work schedule, it's hard to plan out a big dedicated time slot for when I can get full use of a rental especially for larger tasks. Where if I have the attachment, I can go work an hour here, an hour there.

On a side note, how well do wheeled skid steers work with 6 way blades?

 

[LXCam]

I’ve got a Bradco with a 12 & 18” bucket for my skatrack that’s got a 60hp kabota in it. That was a great investment.

You already decided but you absolutely want a swing unit. Not just for clearing your ex but if you are in a situation where you’re straddling the trench you need to be able to pickup the front of the skidsteer and swing it over 90 degrees then pick it up and push it backwards to clear the wheels.

I’ve got a few hundred hours on just the hoe and other than one hose I wore thru it’s been flawless.

 

[Spencer Was Here]

They seem to be about as useful as a 3-Point hitch or frame-mounted backhoe on a tractor.

I am grateful I have a frame-mounted backhoe on my 20-year old New Holland TC-33D. It is not real powerful and I have to reposition the tractor a lot more frequently than I'd like, but it sure beats a shovel.

 

[NakeDiesel]

They seem to be about as useful as a 3-Point hitch or frame-mounted backhoe on a tractor.

I am grateful I have a frame-mounted backhoe on my 20-year old New Holland TC-33D. It is not real powerful and I have to reposition the tractor a lot more frequently than I'd like, but it sure beats a shovel.

lol, I do most by shovel right now, including digging a 4' x 4' x 4' pit that I started before my surgery. I'm about 3' down in one corner and 2' all the rest of it. I did use an auger and drill down 4' all over the 4' square area before I started digging into it with the shovel. Filled my skid steer bucket up 3x so far. It's now on hold till the weather warms up and I heal up from having a disc replaced in my neck. It's going to be for a 20' self supporting tower to house my starlink dish, hd tv antenna, 5g antenna to my shop's antenna and a 2.4g antenna pointing at my gate a 1/4 mile away to pickup cameras and gate opener modules I'm planning to install there.

 

[jblnut]

On a side note, how well do wheeled skid steers work with 6 way blades?

On large frame and tracked machines they turn them into little bull dozers. On smaller machines they can be a real mixed bag. I had one for my 763 Bobcat and sold it as it wasn’t able to do much as far as pushing dirt. Pushing snow was silly as well since it didn’t float and just dug into the driveway until it was completely frozen.

Still better than a shovel and rake though. Use it as a grading device and not as a dozer and you’ll love it.

 

[Beauregard]

Like many tools and equipment I own, it may not be perfect, but it'll be good enough. Good enough has gotten me through a lot of jobs.

 

[NakeDiesel]

On large frame and tracked machines they turn them into little bull dozers. On smaller machines they can be a real mixed bag. I had one for my 763 Bobcat and sold it as it wasn’t able to do much as far as pushing dirt. Pushing snow was silly as well since it didn’t float and just dug into the driveway until it was completely frozen.

Still better than a shovel and rake though. Use it as a grading device and not as a dozer and you’ll love it.

That's kinda what I figured, I didn't think mine would be great with a dozer blade, thought I'd ask. I really need to finish the rebuild of my 4010 so I can use my 6 way hydraulic angle blade with my tractor.

I'm ordering a skid steer plate that I can weld onto the backside of my 7' 3pt land plane so I can work our roads better.

 

[JSGAuto]

I have a bobcat 709 on my 773. I am sure a mini ex is much more efficient, but they are cheap (relatively) and not another machine to maintain. I just used it last week to dig out 14in-ish stumps. I bought it used for $2K....seems worth it to me.

I think the style you are looking at would be a pain to operate from the cab. going to be tough to see what you are doing.

 

[Sumboodie]

I have a bobcat 709 on my 773. I am sure a mini ex is much more efficient, but they are cheap (relatively) and not another machine to maintain. I just used it last week to dig out 14in-ish stumps. I bought it used for $2K....seems worth it to me.

I think the style you are looking at would be a pain to operate from the cab. going to be tough to see what you are doing.

I have one of those. Never used it though

 

[AJHD]

Interesting. I worked on a lot of different skid steer attachments at CAT, but not any buckets or backhoe attachments.

Seems like it would be forward heavy and lift the rear end off the ground when operating.

 

[jblnut]

Interesting. I worked on a lot of different skid steer attachments at CAT, but not any buckets or backhoe attachments.

Seems like it would be forward heavy and lift the rear end off the ground when operating.

The mounted backhoe attachments have outriggers that come down like a regular tractor backhoe and actually work quite well. Some have outriggers in the front and rear of the skiddy. Quite stable actually.

The quick attach bucket style can work very well with a good operator. You curl the bucket when in the bottom of the trench and put rearward pressure on the machine and the thing will dig in quite well. The turning to dump is fine if the surface is hard but if it’s soggy it makes a mess. Rutting it up and trying to dig in the same messy area stinks.

 

[AJHD]

Took a second look at the picture posted by JSGAuto above... I didn't even notice the outriggers. Makes sense.

 

[NakeDiesel]

Well, bought a new skid steer attachment off of ebay today. It's from an auction house an hour away. They had it listed for 2900 and 850 in shipping. I offered them 2300 and pickup up locally and they took it. Needs a 12v power source supplied to it which I have plus my aux hydraulics, but should work good on maintaining my road here at the farm with the skid steer and cleaning out the drain ditches hopefully.

Going to go run tomorrow and pick it up.





I'm looking at buying a grey wolf backhoe attachment, I think it will meet what I need for the farm: https://greywolfattachments.com/greywolf-skid-steer-backhoe-attachment/

and also looking at getting their rock grabber as well. We have tons of sand stone shelfs around here that I have to deal with.
https://greywolfattachments.com/greywolf-skid-steer-rock-devil-attachment/

 

[LXCam]

Good luck on that hoe attachment. Unless you're digging in soft soil or sand I serious doubt you'll have enough weight to bury that bucket. Hopefully it works out for your needs.

 

[NakeDiesel]

Well, based on the holes we have had to dig with backhoes, mini ex's and shovels, we needed a Jack hammer/rock bars 75% of the time dealing with our lovely sandstone infestation. Good news is, none of my buildings will ever sink....

When I have major work, I get a d10 dozer or big ex out to do it. Next drought, I'm taking a week of vacation, renting a big *** ex and going to work on the central part of my pond. I've had dozers deepen each end now over the last 5 years during dry spells.

 

[littleboss]

I have a Deere BH-11B backhoe attachment for my Deere compact track loader. Works good. I have dug many ditches and buried several dead farm animals. Mine has a seat on the backhoe so you sit outside the cab. You can see very good but the major downfall is you have to crawl back inside the cab about every 6' of ditch to move the machine.

 

[LXCam]

I have a Deere BH-11B backhoe attachment for my Deere compact track loader. Works good. I have dug many ditches and buried several dead farm animals. Mine has a seat on the backhoe so you sit outside the cab. You can see very good but the major downfall is you have to crawl back inside the cab about every 6' of ditch to move the machine.

I’ve got the same set up with my Ho attachment. But I can reach behind me and move my skidsteer no problem. Raise the outriggers and off I go. There’s much to be said running an ole school drive by linkage setup verses a joy stick.

 

[Walkers]

I had a case 1845 and I found a Davis/Case D130 backhoe. I built the original style mounting plate and seat. I would move the skidsteer, climb forward, drop the stabilizers, dig with a pretty good reach. Lather, rinse and repeat as needed. It did fine, though it was not an excavator. I sold the skidder but kept the hor to put on my Case 580.

 

[littleboss]

I’ve got the same set up with my Ho attachment. But I can reach behind me and move my skidsteer no problem. Raise the outriggers and off I go. There’s much to be said running an ole school drive by linkage setup verses a joy stick.

My skid steer also has a plexiglass door so I would have had to take it off too..

 

[mike93lx]

When I have major work, I get a d10 dozer or big ex out to do it.

How big is your property? A d10 weighs almost 200k lbs... Must cost a lot just to get it there

 

[NakeDiesel]

I have 120 acres. The d10 comes from the oilfield roustabout yard about 4 miles from my place. Costs about 150 in delivery and pickup costs. And 1500 a day for an operator to run it.

 

[mike93lx]

I have 120 acres. The d10 comes from the oilfield roustabout yard about 4 miles from my place. Costs about 150 in delivery and pickup costs. And 1500 a day for an operator to run it.

Sweet

Have they let you play with it?

 

[NakeDiesel]

Nope, they knew me growing up with their kids, street racing and seen me drive my mud race truck.... for some reason they don't trust me.

 

[NakeDiesel]

Wonder how much these would run for my skid steer:



Probably more than I paid for it, but would definitely help with traction over the tires.

 

[mike93lx]

Wonder how much these would run for my skid steer:



Probably more than I paid for it, but would definitely help with traction over the tires.

Considering mattracks for just a utv are something like $15k+, yes, I bet those are quite expensive