What are these for on my 1989 bobcat 742B

[Jhiner1978]

On either side of the front of the cockpit are ball hitches. They are welded on thick angle iron and bolted with 4 bolts, so whatever it is fneeded to be very heavy duty.
The only thing I can think of is that they where used for like a boom or something.
Link to picture

 

[flyerdan]

Those are for a backhoe attachment, can't recall the model # offhand, but it's one of the earlier ones.
If you have no interest in a backhoe, you can easily flog them on craigslist or the facebook Melroe group , they are always in demand.

 

[HmsNimrod]

They are for mounting appropriate attachments, sit in side backhoe, posthole driver stump grinder, brush. plow, etc if you can find them. You take the bucket off obviously, lift the attachment and lock it in and hook up the Hydraulics to the two connectors on the left side the stix move left and right, you must have a 743 or similar, your machine looks to be in pretty new shape,

 

[AJ-17]

Those happen to be the second generation of attachment for the backhoe. The first generation had the balls on the inside of the cage, but were hard to get over every time you got into the machine. I know when I rented the Bobcat in the mid 1980 that is where they were. Now has big brackets on the outside of the cage. Not my machine, just a picture off Facebook market place.