HD ‘Backhoe’??

[Robert MoonShadow]

After reading a thread of the neccessity of getting a tractor to do the bucket work around a farm, I’ve been thinking on the idea…what is the feasability of mounting a backhoe attachment onto a cart frame, using a battery set-up to power the hydraulic pump(s)? I don’t know anything on what’s needed in the way of power for such – just been mulling over the idea that if it could be done, the cart could be HD & used for most of the bucket work I’d ever use, such as turning compost piles, loading compost/manure into spreader, etc. The pile-stirring would probably be the longest sustained-use and the rest intermittant = load the spreader, go spread, back to load…so then wouldn’t it be just a matter of recharging the battery and/or plotting the worktime out?
Then you could spend the tractor budget on important things…like ice cream.

Anyone have any knowledge on this?

[jac]

Hi Robert… thats not a bad idea.I suppose something like one of those horse drawn timber forwarders would work with a clamshell bucket in place of the log grab ??. Dont know about the batery power tho.. might need a small engine to drive the pumps. I wonder if a small ground power or tread mill could be geared to drive hydraulic pumps…
John

[Donn Hewes]

There is a set up called a hydraulic accumulator. As the wheels turn the hydraulic pressure that is available is slowly stored. Then you can lift a plow or what ever. I am not sure how much reserve they have, or what they are capable of. White horse MFG. or one of those shops in Lancaster has used them and could tell you what they can do.

[goodcompanion]

From what I’ve observed the hydraulic accumulators power relatively weak hydraulics, such as lifting a scraper blade or plow bottom that you probably could have lifted with a long lever. Even the smallest pto backhoe probably requires something in the neighborhood of 20 hp, maybe I’m wrong but I don’t see how you could generate that kind of hydraulic pressure through an accumulator or through dc storage and a motor.

I admit I haven’t read the thread about needing a tractor for bucket work. That said, I feel like I “need” a tractor around for bucket work too, only because we live in a backwards economy where food is cheap and farms are chronically too cash poor to pay for much human labor. But in a sane economy everything I do with my tractor bucket would easily be accomplished by a bunch of laborers with simple hand tools.

I think of my tractor bucket as a temporary crutch to allow me to function until the value of farming rises relative to the value of other pursuits. Given that our current cheap, overabundant food is an anomaly in the whole scope of agricultural history, I don’t feel it’s necessary to go to great lengths to adapt to a high-priced labor market.

[Carl Russell]

This is a Metavic log trailer that uses either 5.5 hp or 9 hp motors to run hydraulics. This unit probably costs in the neighborhood of $20,000, but it illustrates one answer to the question. They do make a clam bucket for moving soil and compost.They also make a post hole digger, and other attachments.

This unit is a
NorthStar Trencherman Backhoe — 270cc

From Northern Tool and Equipment and runs about $5500. It is made to be moved with a trailer hitch. Could be moved easily with horses.

If these two systems could be integrated so that you had a log loader set up like the backhoe, without the trailer, but rugged enough to lift some weight, then got the clam bucket then a horse/donk farmer would have a very good tool for moving, stacking, or loading logs, soil, round bales, etc.

Carl

[near horse]

http://www.cadplans.com/diggers.htm

Here’s a website w/ plans (for a fee) to build your own backhoe/digger – for those w/ the welding bug out there.

[Robert MoonShadow]

Carl, Geoff ~ Do these need to have a motor to work the hydraulics? Obviously, I know nothing about the mechanics of it all…just thought that if a battery (or two) could operate the pump, which could be recharged overnight…
That second photo, Carl, is almost exactly what I pictured, only w/out the motor…?

[dlskidmore]

@Carl Russell 17762 wrote:

That is a very cool tool. Thanks for posting it!

[Rustedthrough]

@Robert MoonShadow 17810 wrote:

Carl, Geoff ~ Do these need to have a motor to work the hydraulics? Obviously, I know nothing about the mechanics of it all…just thought that if a battery (or two) could operate the pump, which could be recharged overnight…
That second photo, Carl, is almost exactly what I pictured, only w/out the motor…?

Robert, I have used two pichup truck batteries to run an 8,000 lb capacity Warn winch when dragging logs to a skiddable location, while this allows me to reach down in the swamp without driving in it, I can only pull the full cable length in ten times or so (weight makes a difference) before the batteries are run down. While one could build a steam shovel type rig fairly easily with this set up, batteries will be an issue. Most automotive type batteries are designed to provide big power in short bursts. If you really want to stay away from gas engines you might look at industrial forklift parts either 24v dc or propane, they are not cheap, and the batteries are heavy enough to serve as counterweights, but they would power the Northern tool rig all day long.
Great project idea, let me know if the thing works.
Rob

[Rustedthrough]

@Donn Hewes 17756 wrote:

There is a set up called a hydraulic accumulator. As the wheels turn the hydraulic pressure that is available is slowly stored. Then you can lift a plow or what ever. I am not sure how much reserve they have, or what they are capable of. White horse MFG. or one of those shops in Lancaster has used them and could tell you what they can do.

The current accumulator seems to have limited reserve, hence the bottle jack type hand operation available on the white horse platform. I’m wondering if this could be augmented by a hand spun flywheel to crank the pump while the cart is stationary. If a hand crank would work, a treadle (singer sewing machine) system could be added. I’ll try to remember to discuss it with White Horse next week.
Rob

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