Building truck mount hoe - whats best design and mat thickness?

[MultiFunction]

I'm hoping to start soon building a hoe that mounts on the back of a truck. It would be great to get any input you may have. Theres so many different boom designs out there that i don't know which one to copy. Due to design limitations I definitely have to build it from scratch. I'm trying to decide what material thickness to use, does anybody know how material on the smaller booms are? Since the boss has plenty of money, we were talking about using aluminum! Also I was curious if any of the extend-a-hoes or telehandlers, etc have any type of wear plates or bearings? Please post any input u may have. Where are some good picture galaries of machines?

[digger242j]

First, welcome to the forums!

One of the gas companies in theses parts used to run hoes mounted on about an F-600 Ford truck chassis. I can't say I ever got an up close look at one. I haven't seen any around for quite some time now.

The hoes looked to be about the same size as a Case 580, Ford 555, etc.

The backhoe looked to be mounted so that the whole structure pivoted up and rode above the truck bed--nothing overhanging the back of the truck during travel.

Personally, I always thought the setup looked a bit clumsey. I'm used to moving the machine around a lot while working it. I'm not sure that would've been too easy with those setups. I guess the gas company was more interested in getting to the job quickly and digging a hole in one spot.

I've seen a US Army vehicle with a loader and backhoe. It was a Unimog, and
it had a JD loader mounted in front, and a Case 580 hoe in back.

Just out of curiousity, why do you want to do this?

[Steve Frazier]

I can remember seeing these as a kid, but I can't say that I've seen one in over 25 years! I'm curious too, what is your need for this? I'd think the machine's use would be pretty limited due to terrain and on site mobility as digger suggests.

If yopu do tackle it, please keep us posted on your prgress with pictures!!

[xkvator]

a friend of mine in the used truck business used to pick these up at auctions.
as digger said, they were ford 555 hoes mounted on f-600's. also were some smaller hoes mounted on dodge 1-ton chassis.
i used the f600 1 time to finish a drain by my garage when my 580 was down...PIA!
like digger said...they're ok if you just have to dig a hole in 1 spot & staying on a street as the gas co. does.
since your boss has money...spend it on a nice comfortable air cond/heated mach. with excavator controls, 4WD, etc.

[digger242j]

i used the f600 1 time...

So, how did the hoe pivot up over the truck bed? Extra hydraulics, or what? And where does the operator sit?

[Taylortractornu]

Id avoid aluminum at all cost. I build alot of equipment attachments and most etendahoes have a roller at the bottom of the boom or wear plates wear plates being used mostly. Machinebuilders.net and tractorbynet.com are both good sites to look at for info, Also try Cadpplans.com. Im thinking about building one to for fun. Id go with aleast 1/4 inch wall rectangular tubing to. I have a friend here whose granddad had a 50 MF backhoe attachment onto the back of an old F600. Its still in use today Ive used it in some rought places trenching but it was rough. Id lock the steering wheel in place and drag myself with the hoe. I just thought of another source that makes Caddiggers but call them canadian excavators. THey mount into the backs of pickups youll have to do a google on them though.

[Steve Frazier]

ConEdison used to have some small backhoes in the back of F-350 Dually pickups. I think they contract out digging now, I haven't seen them in quite a while.

[xkvator]

So, how did the hoe pivot up over the truck bed? Extra hydraulics, or what? And where does the operator sit?
uses PTO to power hyd. Like you said, the whole unit pivots up and tilts back & the boom sits in a cradle. i can't remember for sure, but i think the seat just stayed in position on the floorplate and tilted up as a whole unit.