Will my Deere 410G backhoe run a small excavator type mulch head or flail mower? It is my understanding that the 410G flow rate is 43 gpm and the relief pressure is 3625 psi. The mulch head I am looking at says it requires 12-35 gpm. I know that I will have to make some modifications or an adapter to mount the head in place of my rear bucket. I don't have aux hydraulics so what additions or modifications to the hydraulic system will I need to do? Will my existing pump handle the constant flow that is required by these attachments? I will be mowing and maintaining the bank, edges, and dam for a 15 acre farm pond, so it will be grass, reeds, cattails, and maybe a few finger size sapplings. I won't be trying to clear woods land. Does anyone have any suggestions for size and make/model of a mower or mulch head for this purpose?
I don't know the answer and assume I can't afford a mulch head like you are talking about but it would be a great option to have!
If it has extendahoe you could use that circuit for oil supply. Make sure to route the return oil directly to the hydraulic filter and not through a control valve section.
Unfortunately I don't have extendahoe. Could I use the curl circuit for the front bucket instead? Also, how/where do I route the return oil to the filter? Can the return oil be routed straight to the hydraulic tank or does it have to go through the filter circuit (maybe for pressure purposes)?
Also don't know the answer but will add some food for thought. Is this one of those china mini ex attachments? If so make sure you flush the oil out that came in it before introducing it into your system. You won't have to run it continuous but it will run more than your typical cylinder action. I recently adapted one of those sickle bar mowers to my little Kubota tractor and it seems to work okay but my situation is opposite where I have less flow than it was rated at. Your flow and pressure might blow the motor. I am running it with a momentary switch on a third function setup I designed.
You could use the oil for the front bucket curl but getting the oil to the back of the machine may be awkward. The return oil from the mulcher needs to go directly to the filter.
Thanks DD. I'm an electrician trying to work on a hydraulic system, so bare with me. I've been thinking (watch out)! Could I install a tee fitting in the main pressure line coming off of the pump and a tee fitting in the return line going to the filter, then install an auxiliary valve and power my mulcher that way? Then I would not have to interrupt any of the lines after the factory valves. Everything would work as usual and when I needed the mulcher I could just cut it on and go. I ran across a youtube video that gave me an idea of powering the mulcher with a pedal so it would only run exactly when I need it. I know the return would go to the filter return line tee instead of passing back through the valve. Couldn't I just plug the other hole on the valve? I've added the video link for reference. Also, the mulcher flow is 15-37 gpm. My backhoe is 43 gpm. Could I install something to limit the flow rate so I don.t burn up the motor on the mulcher? How would that affect the pressure? Is this whole project going to harm the new pump I just installed 6 months ago?
The mechanical closed center valve you purchase to run the mulcher will need an LS (load sense) port to turn on the pump. IMHO I think a solenoid operated valve with controlled oil flow to the mulcher is the way to go.
I know what you are wanting to do sounds appealing, basically making a boom mower out of a backhoe, but IMHO it is a bad idea for several reasons. First, backhoes were never intended to run high flow, high load hydraulic motors for extended periods of time. I think it would work for a while, but I'm guessing you'd have trouble keeping it cool and it may eventually lead to pump or other system failure. Second, since I assume you are planning to hang it to the side and use it like a boom mower I think the tractor would become pretty unstable. Imagine putting a 3' bucket on, filling it with dirt, hanging it 90* all the way out to the side with the stabilizers up and trying to drive around a pond edge, it wouldn't be pretty. Tractors setup for a boom mower have a huge counterweight for this reason. An excavator is holding the mower out straight, and again, has a counter weight. Third, if you could balance it off the side, what would happen if you hit an immovable object? Boom mowers have a breakaway feature to protect against this. If you hit something I could see all sorts of things bending or breaking on the backhoe. Several people have come on here asking advice on this setup over the years, but as far as I know no one has followed through and built one. Sounds good on paper, but I think there is a good reason they aren't commercially available.
^^^^ This! Get a Mini Excavator. Even that will be a challenge.
This backhoe owner seems to have no problems running a mulcher...
I think overheating the hyd. oil would be the biggest issue. As mentioned above a mulcher is a constant flow high demand implement and a backhoe isn't really designed for it without some kind of aux. oil cooler.