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jdemaris
12-01-2006 12:20:59
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Re: Backhoe traction on farm in reply to Quebec Bob, 12-01-2006 10:16:51
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Maybe my experiences differ a little than some other posters. I've got three backhoes and they do not get the traction that my ag. tractors get - but I can usually work around it. For example, backing up a hill is usually impossible on grass or wet dirt - unless I extend the hoe way out. That changes the center of gravity. Also, if the ground is soft - there are many times I can drive a farm tractor through, but the hoe will sink deeper and the wheels will spin. I have always gotten out - usually just push myself out with the hoe-boom. And - coming down hills across grass? Sometimes it's a little dangerous - especially with a large heavy hoe. Two wheels are often not enough traction to stop all that mass. I have, MANY times, skidded all they way down a farm field with no way of stopping unless I dropped the front bucket into the ground - which makes a mess. I usually just do not plan on stopping, put it in low gear and take it slow - and if it starts to skid - rev it up a little. And, most 4WD hoes still only have brakes on two wheels. And then there's the side hills. Many of my farm roads are tilted one way or the other, sideways. So, you've got to keep that in mind, and sometimes shift the rear-hoe to one side or the other to counter balance. I'm not trying to paint a negative picture here - but I find running a wheeled backhoe up and down farm fields nothing like running a farm tractor or a crawler. My biggest hoe, the Pettibone Mulithoe - weighs 17,000 lbs. and is the most dangerous to stop, and probably the worst for uphill traction. My Case 580CK hoe is quite a bit better. My smallest hoe, a Ford 4000 Industrial with 723/724 hoe/loader is by far the safest and gets the best traction. It only weighs 7300 lbs. It WILL go places a farm tractor won't, but will still skid down a steep farm field when damp. I've also got a Deere crawler with a hoe on it, and traction is rarely a problem. But, if I drive it across a hay field, wet or dry, it makes a stinkn' mess out of the grass.
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