Backhoe Purchase questions

Help Support SkidSteer Forum:

kfin

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
49
I am in the market for an 873 and want to get a backhoe attachment for it. Couple of questions for the more experienced. I am only going to have one machine so the attachment is how I need to go. 6' or 7' is probably plenty deep enough for me but if a 9' became available at a good price I would do it also. It will mainly be used right now for trenching my electric and water lines 600' for a new home and also for putting in a septic system. Obviously I have found the bobcat brand ones. What about Erskine? How about some of the people who make them on ebay? Any good experiences with other manufacturers? About what am I looking at to get a decent one? Other questions are is it worth it to pay more for one that swivels 45 degrees or so versus moving the machine to dump? What are the pros and can of the ones which hook onto the loader arms so I could stay seated in the bobcat itself? Sorry for all of the questions but I am new to this and there seems to be lots of knowledge on here. Thanks for any advice.
 

skidsteer.ca

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Messages
3,853
I have used the older bobcat 909 and more recently 709 backhoes quite a bit. Both have 9' max dig depths. Not sure if you can get a 709 that will clear the width of the boom on a 873. These two hoes where made for the 700 series loaders. I'd ask a dealer on that or bring your tape and see if the two upper mount arms are wide enough to clear your lift arms. Both are good hoes, but the 709 has more ground clearance and lifts higher out of the hole. Important if your front stabilizers are sinking in soil. Both models served me well
Im also a dealer for Erskine, if you want more information on their hoe just email me.
The lowest on my list is the bobtach backhoes. All of these hoes put alot of pressure on the lower locking pins on the quick attach. The quick attach was designed with the idea the force come down from above not up from the bottom. I have heard of guy ripping the lower holes out of the quick attach plate on the hoe and breaking pins on their loader. The better ones have a relief valve built into the hoes bucket cylinder circuit, so you can't pull to hard on it with the wheels or the bucket dump cylinders, the hoe bucket will just release. Also if your working on sot ground, I could see the machine going down about as fast as the hoe from skidding to dump. Obviously the swing variety would help here, but still nothing like the real thing.
Imo a real hoe attachment is way ahead of the bobtach variety.
Ken at skidsteer.ca
 

jjb16033

Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2009
Messages
18
I have used the older bobcat 909 and more recently 709 backhoes quite a bit. Both have 9' max dig depths. Not sure if you can get a 709 that will clear the width of the boom on a 873. These two hoes where made for the 700 series loaders. I'd ask a dealer on that or bring your tape and see if the two upper mount arms are wide enough to clear your lift arms. Both are good hoes, but the 709 has more ground clearance and lifts higher out of the hole. Important if your front stabilizers are sinking in soil. Both models served me well
Im also a dealer for Erskine, if you want more information on their hoe just email me.
The lowest on my list is the bobtach backhoes. All of these hoes put alot of pressure on the lower locking pins on the quick attach. The quick attach was designed with the idea the force come down from above not up from the bottom. I have heard of guy ripping the lower holes out of the quick attach plate on the hoe and breaking pins on their loader. The better ones have a relief valve built into the hoes bucket cylinder circuit, so you can't pull to hard on it with the wheels or the bucket dump cylinders, the hoe bucket will just release. Also if your working on sot ground, I could see the machine going down about as fast as the hoe from skidding to dump. Obviously the swing variety would help here, but still nothing like the real thing.
Imo a real hoe attachment is way ahead of the bobtach variety.
Ken at skidsteer.ca
I have a 843B bobcat with a 709 backhoe attatchment and the lift arms measure 44 inches outside to outside and there is only 45 inches between the backhoe attatchment legs. So measure the lift arms on your machine if less than 45 inches then it will work. Hope this helps.
 

Latest posts

Top