Low-Tech Backhoe Buckets

Low-Tech Backhoe Buckets TRACTORS Skid Steer Loaders 27-6-4 "My home-built backhoe bucket is simple and unlike anything on the market. It makes a trench 10 in. wide and up to 14 in. deep mounted on a small skid steer," says Larry Johnson, Ontario, N.Y. Johnson's bucket is used on a Bobcat 310 skid loader that's only 3 ft. wide. The bucket measures about 4 ft. long and 3 ft. high and is partially open on the back side. It's made from 1/4-in. plate steel and 10-in. channel iron. "It works great for digging in electric lines and other shallow trenches. You can use it to dig in either direction, although it's easiest to dig pulling backward," says Johnson. "If I want to get more dirt in the bucket, I can bolt on a steel plate to completely block off the back side. But I usually leave it open to be able to dig in forward or reverse." Johnson built a similar but larger bucket for a larger Bobcat skid loader. It lets him dig trenches 2 ft. wide and up to 4 ft. deep. The bucket is open at both ends and can also be used to dig in either direction. "I built it for my son who is in the landscaping business. He uses it a lot and says he couldn't do without it," says Johnson. "He uses it to dig trenches and also to build footers for stone walls, to strip off soil, and even to dig up small trees. The back side of the bucket is equipped with welded-on teeth (not shown in photo). I spent $100 for the mounting plate. My total cost was about $300. Conventional backhoe buckets sell for several thousand dollars." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Larry Johnson, 1740 Kenyon Rd., Ontario, N.Y. 14519 (ph 315 524-8244; email: joylarjo@aol.com).

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