Compression-Ignition
Well-Known Member
On the way!
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Large backhoe $50k or less with the fewest emissions problems. What years should I be looking at?
- Thread starter Compression-Ignition
- Start date
Willie B
Senior Member
That is a LOT of machine!
Swetz
Senior Member
And trailer!!
Compression-Ignition
Well-Known Member
That is quite the trailer isn't it. I guess the guy selling the machine called the consignment company and said "hey guys, I ain't been paid yet, but there is a big long nose Pete here in my yard after this CAT...." The money went through literally 3 minutes before he called them. Kinda funny. I thought I wouldn't see this machine for a week and a half easy, but it might be here early next week.
Swetz
Senior Member
aighead
Senior Member
That's an interesting loader bucket, are my eyes playing tricks or is it flared out on the sides? Congratulations C-I!
Compression-Ignition
Well-Known Member
That's the aggregate crusher the standard bucket is strapped down behind the machine with the hammer inside of it.
Compression-Ignition
Well-Known Member
Compression-Ignition
Well-Known Member
It doesn't snow a ton here, but it does snow. The property is at 3850ft. Our rental is at 3600ft. The previous property we tried to buy was at 4100ft. The rental was pretty mild in the snow department. The 4100ft place got quite a bit of snow. And the 3850 we didn't see until mid march, but it seemed in between.
My wife and I both run 4wd's with decent snow tires. I really don't need a plow, but I figured I'd be buying one for the other property. At this 3850ft elevation place I'm not sure we really need it. I'm contemplating just using the bucket on the 430 for the first winter and see how it goes.
There is a .25 mile unmaintained road before the driveway. Then the driveway will be about a .25 mile of winding road. More later if we decide on a separate shop.
If the snow sticks to the bucket and we have a 'hard' winter I'm going to be annoyed I didn't buy something to deal specifically with snow removal.
So options:
Use the bucket and see how it goes
Buy a plow for the 430
Buy a pusher for the 430
Buy a plow for my CCLB F-350
CAT is running a 0% interest for 24 months deal and I already decided I'd do the thumb and thew 4 in 1 bucket (4 in 1 depends on lead time).
We will most likely not have any winter visitors, so I really only need to remove snow if my wife or I deem it necessary. I'm just not a fan of having huge sheets of ice over all of the driving and walking surfaces.
My wife and I both run 4wd's with decent snow tires. I really don't need a plow, but I figured I'd be buying one for the other property. At this 3850ft elevation place I'm not sure we really need it. I'm contemplating just using the bucket on the 430 for the first winter and see how it goes.
There is a .25 mile unmaintained road before the driveway. Then the driveway will be about a .25 mile of winding road. More later if we decide on a separate shop.
If the snow sticks to the bucket and we have a 'hard' winter I'm going to be annoyed I didn't buy something to deal specifically with snow removal.
So options:
Use the bucket and see how it goes
Buy a plow for the 430
Buy a pusher for the 430
Buy a plow for my CCLB F-350
CAT is running a 0% interest for 24 months deal and I already decided I'd do the thumb and thew 4 in 1 bucket (4 in 1 depends on lead time).
We will most likely not have any winter visitors, so I really only need to remove snow if my wife or I deem it necessary. I'm just not a fan of having huge sheets of ice over all of the driving and walking surfaces.
Willie B
Senior Member
I plowed Vermont snow as a child with a too simple snow blower. At perhaps 11 YOA I graduated to a primitive homemade wooden plow on a tiny farm tractor. I put a plow on a Jeep at maybe 16. Much later, I bought a full sized Jeep Cherokee, put a Fisher plow on it, that is my favorite snow removal machine. There've been makeshift machines. Last 18 years it had been a backhoe with loader bucket. It isn't perfect, but it beats shoveling. I'd like a snow pusher.
A backhoe is never going to be the best machine to plow 1/4 mile of driveway, but it'll do the job. I'd rather have a 9' plow on a 1 ton truck.
Compression-Ignition
Well-Known Member
Really? Huh. So I'll have to get actual quotes, but from my internet gleanings a 'good' plow for my Ford was going to cost me the same a more as a plow for the 430.
If you were buying a new plow tomorrow for a pickup what would it be? There are a ton of brands out there.
When my hoe arrived, it came with heat and AC. I thought the AC was stupid for someone who wasn’t using it 8 hours a day.
The first time I had to dig on a 90 degree day, I discovered how amazing AC was. And heat in the winter is fabulous too.
Willie B
Senior Member
Fisher was first with bottom edge trip only. They were a great plow 20 years before others were legally allowed to use their design. A number of others are great these days. Nine of ten professionals here use Fisher still. They continue to develop superior equipment.
If plowing a road (1/4 mile), your plow needs to cast to the side. For short driveway, or parking lot, you want a snow pusher. The heavy rear/light front of a backhoe makes it susceptible to sliding the front wheels sideways if you have a plow you can angle.
Also, You will NEED tire chains to use a hoe on ice. It becomes a big snow coaster you can't steer without tire chains. Might find yourself in the neighbor's lawn, or inside their house.
Compression-Ignition
Well-Known Member
I was absolutely planning on chains for the hoe. The 1/4 mile of road will be very easy to plow. All but the bottom where it meets the county road. That won't be hard, but not an easy cake walk like the rest of it. Only one home between us and the main road and it is set back a few hundred feet.
I'll check out Fisher, I just thought it would be nice to leave the plow on the backhoe basically all winter.
Willie B
Senior Member
Backhoe is a 20,000 LB piece of high traction iron. You could lift front wheels off the ground by hand. With them light, or off the ground, you have only the brakes to steer with.
A snow pusher lets you lock the bucket in one position just above the ground where its weight helps hold the front tires down. Only a portion of the snow pusher's weight is resting on the ground. Any side angle in a plow will push the front tires sideways & you fight using one brake to keep the machine straight.
A truck typically has more weight on front tires than rear. An angled plow is less likely to push you sideways. Might weigh half as much as the backhoe, but better balanced for snowplow duty.
I've used a loader bucket years now to clear the neighborhood. Bucket only, it's an OK snow mover, but the cutting edge is always parallel to the rear axle. I do my driveway, it is essentially a tilted plain. It is flat, so the bucket works well. Neighbor's driveways are a medley of changing angles. one corner of the bucket is always farther above the driveway's surface.
A snow pusher lets you lock the bucket in one position just above the ground where its weight helps hold the front tires down. Only a portion of the snow pusher's weight is resting on the ground. Any side angle in a plow will push the front tires sideways & you fight using one brake to keep the machine straight.
A truck typically has more weight on front tires than rear. An angled plow is less likely to push you sideways. Might weigh half as much as the backhoe, but better balanced for snowplow duty.
I've used a loader bucket years now to clear the neighborhood. Bucket only, it's an OK snow mover, but the cutting edge is always parallel to the rear axle. I do my driveway, it is essentially a tilted plain. It is flat, so the bucket works well. Neighbor's driveways are a medley of changing angles. one corner of the bucket is always farther above the driveway's surface.
NH575E
Senior Member
Is that a pic of it loaded to come your way or the arrival to you?
Compression-Ignition
Well-Known Member
Loaded headed this way.
Compression-Ignition
Well-Known Member
Got a 4 in 1 CAT bucket in pretty decent shape on the way. Will remain on the lookout for a hydraulic thumb.
As far as snow removal goes, I'm thinking I'll weld a piece of pipe onto the cutting edge of the standard bucket which would otherwise be essentially useless to me.
As far as snow removal goes, I'm thinking I'll weld a piece of pipe onto the cutting edge of the standard bucket which would otherwise be essentially useless to me.
skyking1
Senior Member
Just brainstorming out loud, but perhaps you could fab something up that hangs on the top edge of the four-way bucket it has a hinge. Open up the four-way and hang the plow blade to that. That way it can swing up if you hit something, then it keeps the bucket weight on the tires for steering. While I'm Rube Goldberg dreaming, I'd make it so I could manually angle it one way or the other.