Backhoe Intro
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The backhoe is a simple hydraulic arm and bucket which attaches to the front of the LifeTrac and is used for digging holes and trenches. The backhoe is one of the most basic dirt working tools and is a common attachment to many small tractor and skid-steer vehicles. It can be used for digging trenches for foundations, digging up material to make compressed earth blocks, digging waste pits, and many other common building/farming tasks. Furthermore, by attaching a chain to the bucket, the backhoe can be used to lift and transport heavy loads such as engine blocks, battery packs, long pieces of pipe, etc.
Commercially manufactured backhoes vary greatly in their size and capabilities and therefore vary significantly in price. A quick google search seems to indicate that relatively small, simple devices like the one we are considering range from 2 to 4 thousand dollars with more sophisticated attachments approaching 10 thousand dollars.
Prototype I
A prototype backhoe attachment has been built and used at the farm. There is a short clip of the backhoe laying on the ground in this clip from 0:28 to 0:30:
- Over the next day or two I will be putting together a CAD drawing of this prototype based on the photographs/video of it. -Andrew Buck 16:36, 19 May 2011 (PDT)