Whether I decide to add a thumb to the backhoe arm, or something on the front bucket, are the hydraulic plumbing parts already there in a Deere 310? Are they a dealer option that you order? Or is all of it custom, including the controls, valves, and hoses? I think I want to add some sort of a snowplow to the front, but don't see auxiliary hydraulics up there to angle the plow or control the wings, aside from the quick attack system. Thanks
I believe it's an easy thing if you order it on the machine when new, depending on the age of your machine (what letter is after the "310") there may be kits available for the additional valve sections, controls, and steel lines and hoses to run the aux circuits out near the front bucket.
I would say, just tell the dealer what you intend to add later and have them make "Sure" all the necessary hydraulics lines and connections are ready for what you want on your machine.
It's already bought. a 2016 310L.
A dealer could certainly add what's necessary for a hydraulic thumb for example. Hold your hat when you get a quote for that add on from a dealer. There are aftermarket solutions also. Tinkerer here came up with a cool way to add a hydraulic thumb to his backhoe.
Seems to me that replacing the bucket with a blade would be ok on concrete or asphalt. But, on gravel and pushing snow off a driveway onto grass would be nightmare. You also lose the capability a bucket has to load trucks or pick snow up and carry to where you may want it. If you don't have a quick coupler, every-time you need to use it as a fel there it sits with a useless blade on it.
If the quick attach system is two way hydraulics, then I'd put an electric switch valve up front and use an electric switch in the cab to switch the quick attach system between the quick attach and "third function" or fourth function in this case.
I hold my hat every time I walk into any place that is involved in this backhoe. Bigger, expensive, and more volume is always part of everything I do with this thing. I suppose it could be worse. I could be doing service on something really big, like a D11 CarryDozer.
Most likely no. Machines can be ordered with say an extra valve section in the backhoe or the fifth function loader valve and not have the lines installed. But is pretty rare that a dealer would have ordered it without the lines. Give me a serial number and I can tell you if any of those options have been installed at the factory. I cannot tell if a dealer has installed them however. The parts for the backhoe auxiliaries and fifth function loader are available in a kit form. It gets a little more complicated and expensive to add front auxiliaries if you do not have the fifth function loader valve.