I'm just getting some time on the stick, learning how to use my backhoe. I'm not quite at a point, where I can combine two movements at once when using the front or rear digging implements. If I am getting ready to scoop with the front bucket, as I approach the pile and push into it, do I curl first, or lift first? Thanks
You would dig in to the pile with a flat edge, as you get stopped by the resistance of the pile , start curling back. You do this while continuing to push forward. That should make for a full bucket. Breakout force comes from tipping.
While I'm certainly not as experienced as almost everyone here I have moved over 100 tons of gravel over the past few days. I've found with loose-ish materials that I will actually curl the loader bucket down past flat a few degrees, but still up off the ground, shove into the pile (1st gear and with 4wd on) and as I push in I'm curling up slowly as I go, basically shoveling the material into the bucket as I go forward. What was typically happening for me (some of this gravel was kind of frozen in place too) was I'd drive into the pile, my tires would start to spin a bit, then I'd kind of shake the curl up, the bucket would go deeper into the pile and the tires would catch some grip, then if I got lucky I had a good full bucket where I'd give the loader a bit of a shake back to knock off the top so I didn't lose it driving around in the yard. Man, something really satisfying about getting a bunch of full buckets in a row... I didn't have much success going in flat bottomed, but that may have been a material issue. I guess reading back over funwithfuel's post his description was much more eloquent and simple.
if you want to keep a flat grade as you go, you will get the feel of adding a little lift as the front tires squat, combined with that curl. This will load up the tires nicely and help manage any wheel spin on 4wd hoes. Find and learn how to use your differential lock. Avoid filling the bucket while turning. Move over a tire width either side as you repeat to help with tracking in ruts. Don't sit and crank your steering wheel, ever. Pretend you don't have power steering and always be moving while turning, this is easier on both the job site and your machine.
Depends on a lot of stuff. First off, make sure your auto kick out is level. If you don't have one, make sure the indicator is level. Depending on your bucket type, make sure you are not riding on the shoes on the back of the bucket, or even the heel of the bucket. You would be suprised how hard it drags. Lift as you curl, just to keep the back of the bucket off the ground. On a big pile, you can ride a slightly curled bucket up the pile, and crowd the material into the bucket. A lot depends on the design of your bucket. I find some easier to fill than others. If you are picking up windrows... I'll grade material into windrows with the grader for someone working with me to pick up. Once the material starts coming around the side of your bucket, just curl back and take what you have. Nothing else is going into the bucket, all you are doing is dozing the material for me to have to windrow again. Sorry, that last bit was just a tangent. Sometimes you can't always fill the bucket without making a bigger mess. I tell guys when they are picking up asphalt, or concrete, just take what you have in the bucket and go
^all good stuff!
You guys are like Picassos of heavy equipment! True artists!!
I bet you guys could scoop a virus off a pile of dirt, leaving the dirt! I remember one guy removing the old pavement in our driveway with a hoe, using the back bucket against the house foundation. He stripped the pavement, leaving the underlayment, and not touching the foundation.
In all honesty, I'm not much of a backhoe man, but I do run one from time to time, same as a loader. My grader however does have a front bucket, and thanks to a retired co worker that was a wizard on a backhoe, I learned a lot by watching him, and talking about it with him. One thing I have learned on jobs around peoples homes, is to be neat as possible. I try not to overwork the guys doing the hand work, so I avoid putting material on the lawns where possible. I had a seasoned operator, actually a heavy equipment instructor, freak out at me because I tried to explain how to pull old asphalt without putting it all over the lawn
Another non pro response. My bucket level gauge is my friend. I am usually working with dirt and want to keep the surface in front of the pile level. I always set the loader bucket flat on the ground and proceed in then gradually lift and curl as it fills. On the rare occasion I am scooping gravel or something I don't want dirt mixed in with I set the bucket level on the ground then lift it an inch or so before moving into the pile.