Bobcat 743 backhoe questions

[ytr1903]

Hi, I have had a 743 for about 10 years and now my wife and I are going to build a log home. Of course, just with a bucket the 743 will be very useful, but I would also like to get a backhoe attachment for it. I notice that there is a lot of talk in these forums about the 709 backhoe, is this too big for the 743? Are the smaller backhoes that Bobcat manufactures out there on the used market? I am also looking at this http://www.lackender-fab.com/boomer-hydra-swing.cfm as a possibility. Does anyone have any experience with the lackender product? Thanks for very much in advance for any help. Tom

 

[Tazza]

I can never remember what is bigger, the 709 or 909. As long as your machine will lift it its ok. Go for a unit that is a big as your machine can handle. There is no point getting a hoe thats too small.
There are other brands out there that are just as good, look around and check prices.
As for the hydra swing link, this style hoe does put a lot of stress on your bobtach lock pins. Its fine for small jobs but if you plan on doing a lot of work i would really consider a proper hoe.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

I can never remember what is bigger, the 709 or 909. As long as your machine will lift it its ok. Go for a unit that is a big as your machine can handle. There is no point getting a hoe thats too small.
There are other brands out there that are just as good, look around and check prices.
As for the hydra swing link, this style hoe does put a lot of stress on your bobtach lock pins. Its fine for small jobs but if you plan on doing a lot of work i would really consider a proper hoe.

The 709 is a newer version of the 909.
Both will dig 9' and weight about the same.
Either will work on a 743, but its a big load, ok if you stay off the slopes and grades.
I run a 909 on my 753 and it was a big load, you did not back up hills with it on.
Ken

 

[Tazza]

The 709 is a newer version of the 909.
Both will dig 9' and weight about the same.
Either will work on a 743, but its a big load, ok if you stay off the slopes and grades.
I run a 909 on my 753 and it was a big load, you did not back up hills with it on.
Ken

This is a good point, my old girl weighs a lot! the machine knows it when its on. I have to be very careful driving down hills with it on or i get a nice bump when it hits the dirt as my rear wheels come off the ground.
In my view i feel the heavier it is the better it will dig as you have the mass behind it.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

This is a good point, my old girl weighs a lot! the machine knows it when its on. I have to be very careful driving down hills with it on or i get a nice bump when it hits the dirt as my rear wheels come off the ground.
In my view i feel the heavier it is the better it will dig as you have the mass behind it.

Mass usually mean more strength and durabulity too.
But I know on my 753 I often wanted more rear counter weight for working on slopes, I got by though, but my 773 is alot happier with either the 709 or 909 hoes.
If I still had the 753, I would have added a 1" by 6" by 30" times 2 pieces of steel to each rear frame tower , in some quick release fashion.
Bobcat should have the "suitcase weights" like new holland or jd, so its easy to add weight for hoe, etc, and remove it for muddy jobs like brush mowing
Ken

 

[ytr1903]

Thank you both for your input. I am going to keep my eyes open for a good 709 backhoe. Maybe, I could squeeze in two more questions. If you had only one bucket available to you, what size would you use? Which size is best suited for the 743/709 combination? Tom

 

[Tazza]

Thank you both for your input. I am going to keep my eyes open for a good 709 backhoe. Maybe, I could squeeze in two more questions. If you had only one bucket available to you, what size would you use? Which size is best suited for the 743/709 combination? Tom

Thats a real hard question, it depends on what you will be doing.
At my place, our dirt is shale and clay. The bucket i have is about 1' wide, about the width of the boom. It has a hard time digging out here but if you have decent dirt you could use a larger bucket without any problems.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

Thats a real hard question, it depends on what you will be doing.
At my place, our dirt is shale and clay. The bucket i have is about 1' wide, about the width of the boom. It has a hard time digging out here but if you have decent dirt you could use a larger bucket without any problems.

I have a 12 for trenching, but in our clays it has to be dry or I spend more time with a shovel cleaning it then I do using it. Would be a good choice for rocky/ gravel type soils.
A 16 to 20 is much more common around here, I have those as well. My 53 had 2500 psi and the 909 would drag the machine around. 743 probably has a little less pressure??
Ken

 

[Tazza]

I have a 12 for trenching, but in our clays it has to be dry or I spend more time with a shovel cleaning it then I do using it. Would be a good choice for rocky/ gravel type soils.
A 16 to 20 is much more common around here, I have those as well. My 53 had 2500 psi and the 909 would drag the machine around. 743 probably has a little less pressure??
Ken

The 743's have 2,400 PSI.from memory.
With my stabilizer legs down its pretty stable if i dig in a straight line with the machine. If i dig on an angle it tends to pull the machine around. I was trying to be smart to get close to a tree and swung the machine in so the hoe was at almost 90 degrees to the machine to get close to the tree. First bite at the ground pulled the machine almost into the tree i was trying to avoid.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

The 743's have 2,400 PSI.from memory.
With my stabilizer legs down its pretty stable if i dig in a straight line with the machine. If i dig on an angle it tends to pull the machine around. I was trying to be smart to get close to a tree and swung the machine in so the hoe was at almost 90 degrees to the machine to get close to the tree. First bite at the ground pulled the machine almost into the tree i was trying to avoid.

I found it best to establish the desired dig depth, then pull up with the hoe rather then towards the machine when ever possible. If you have to dig sideways etc then you have to be a little more careful.
When I put my well in I hired a 330 Cat excavator to dig 32 feet deep. I had a couple other small projects after, one was stripping 3 to 5 feet of clay overburden off a patch of bed rock.
The operator asked if I want to try it and so I jumped right in the seat. I'm not sure what a 330 weighs, 50 or 60 000 lbs, but I hooked the bedrock pulling the boom in and it slid that monster 6 feet like it was a tonka toy. Surprized the hell out of me, but it takes some major power to make a hoe any good, and big or small they all seem have it.
When I see the force they give a small bucket to dig, its little wonder that digging with the 5 or 6 ft bucket is so tough of a job for a skidsteer.
Ken

 

[farmboy55]

I found it best to establish the desired dig depth, then pull up with the hoe rather then towards the machine when ever possible. If you have to dig sideways etc then you have to be a little more careful.
When I put my well in I hired a 330 Cat excavator to dig 32 feet deep. I had a couple other small projects after, one was stripping 3 to 5 feet of clay overburden off a patch of bed rock.
The operator asked if I want to try it and so I jumped right in the seat. I'm not sure what a 330 weighs, 50 or 60 000 lbs, but I hooked the bedrock pulling the boom in and it slid that monster 6 feet like it was a tonka toy. Surprized the hell out of me, but it takes some major power to make a hoe any good, and big or small they all seem have it.
When I see the force they give a small bucket to dig, its little wonder that digging with the 5 or 6 ft bucket is so tough of a job for a skidsteer.
Ken

Here in my area any bucket smaller than a 16" has a lot of problems with dirt sticking in it. I have a 16" on my 709 that I use 99% of the time.
dennis

 

[Tazza]

Here in my area any bucket smaller than a 16" has a lot of problems with dirt sticking in it. I have a 16" on my 709 that I use 99% of the time.
dennis

I tried cleaning out a dry pond (well it looked pretty dry) with a 12" bucket, i spent most of my time belting the bucket against a large tree to try and get the mud out!.
Work out what you plan on doing then decide on a suitable bucket. If the dirt is loose you can use a large bucket. If its hard you want a small one. But as farmboy55 said, if you have sticky dirt like clay you need a bucket large enough to be able to dump or you will spend most of your time with a shovel cleaning the bucket out.
I'm not sure if there are any good bucket designs that assist in dumping the dirt or not. It would be a good idea if they did.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

I tried cleaning out a dry pond (well it looked pretty dry) with a 12" bucket, i spent most of my time belting the bucket against a large tree to try and get the mud out!.
Work out what you plan on doing then decide on a suitable bucket. If the dirt is loose you can use a large bucket. If its hard you want a small one. But as farmboy55 said, if you have sticky dirt like clay you need a bucket large enough to be able to dump or you will spend most of your time with a shovel cleaning the bucket out.
I'm not sure if there are any good bucket designs that assist in dumping the dirt or not. It would be a good idea if they did.

I never used it much then I sold it because the offer was right, but I had a JD 911 pro hoe that had a relative shallow 20" bucket that seem great in the sticky stuff the little I used it. Personally I felt it was a good design.
Ken