How to Operate

a Backhoe
The BackhoeTips Guide

© Copyright 2006 BackhoeTips.com

All Rights Reserved

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[email protected]
How to Operate a Backhoe Contents & Introduction

Important
As always, the best source of information on correct operation and
maintenance of your machine is the operators manual supplied by the
manufacturer.

The operators manual gives important and essential machine specific details
on safety, controls, specifications, maintenance intervals and routines.

Always read the operators manual and familiarize yourself with your machine
before operating it.

Disclaimer
This publication is for educational purposes only. Under no circumstances
is any liability accepted by BackhoeTips.com or any person affiliated with
BackhoeTips.com, for any damage, cost, injury or outcome resulting from the
direct or indirect use of the information contained in this guide.

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How to Operate a Backhoe Contents & Introduction

Contents
Important............................................................................................................... iii
Disclaimer............................................................................................................iii
Foreword................................................................................................................ ix
Chapter 1 - Introduction............................................................................ 12

The Backhoe Loader...........................................................................................13

The Parts of a TLB – a basic overview ........................................................15
Terminology..........................................................................................................15
The Main Components of the TLB..................................................................16
The Tractor............................................................................................................17
The Loader............................................................................................................18
The Backhoe..........................................................................................................19
1. The Boom.......................................................................................................19
2. The Dipper.....................................................................................................20
3. The Bucket......................................................................................................20
Chapter 2 - Controls...................................................................................... 22

Hydraulic Controls Overview......................................................................23

Hydraulics.............................................................................................................23
Feathering and fine control.................................................................................27
Controls – Configurations and Patterns..................................................29
Loader Controls....................................................................................................30
Loader Float Position.........................................................................................32
Return to Dig Position.......................................................................................32
Additional Loader Controls..............................................................................33
Backhoe Controls.................................................................................................34
Configurations....................................................................................................34
Four Lever Setup..................................................................................................35
Three Lever Setup with Foot Swing...................................................................37
Two Lever Setup – The Backhoe Pattern..........................................................39
Two Lever Setup – The Excavator Pattern........................................................41
Control patterns – correct information............................................................43
ISO and SAE Standards.......................................................................................44

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How to Operate a Backhoe Contents & Introduction

Learning How to Use the Backhoe Controls...........................................45

Practical Exercises................................................................................................49
Practice Exercise 1.............................................................................................51
Practice Exercise 2.............................................................................................53
Practice Exercise 3.............................................................................................54
Practice Exercise 4.............................................................................................55
Chapter 3 - Operating Techniques.......................................................... 58

Introduction........................................................................................................59
Smoothness and Cycle Time – the signs of a Pro............................................61
Backhoe Techniques...........................................................................................63
Stabilizing Your Machine....................................................................................63
Spoil placement..................................................................................................65
Digging...................................................................................................................65
1. Preparing to dig.............................................................................................66
2. Breaking the Surface.....................................................................................66
3. The Middle of the Dig..................................................................................66
4. Finishing Off..................................................................................................67
5. Moving to the Next Section.........................................................................67
Digging Technique..............................................................................................68
The Digging Sequence.........................................................................................69
Digging Tips.........................................................................................................71
Backfilling and Compaction...........................................................................73
Grading with the Backhoe Bucket...............................................................73
Loading a Truck with the Backhoe..............................................................74
Safety with the Backhoe..................................................................................75
The Swing Radius...............................................................................................75
Undercutting.......................................................................................................76
Visibility..............................................................................................................76
Hand Signals.......................................................................................................76
Traveling..............................................................................................................76
Loader Techniques..............................................................................................77
Stability..................................................................................................................77
When carrying a full loader..............................................................................77
Loading from a pile............................................................................................78

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How to Operate a Backhoe Contents & Introduction

Ground conditions.............................................................................................78
Loading...................................................................................................................79
Picking up material from the pile......................................................................79
Step by Step: Filling the Bucket........................................................................80
Loading Material Into a Truck...........................................................................81
Step by Step: Loading the Truck.......................................................................82
Loading Tips.........................................................................................................82
Backfilling and Compacting...........................................................................84
Backfilling with the loader..................................................................................85
Adding water......................................................................................................86
Grading...................................................................................................................88
Shovel positioning................................................................................................88
Using the shovel to cut........................................................................................90
Using the shovel to fill.........................................................................................91
The Float Position................................................................................................92
Angle - loader or grader......................................................................................93
Grading tips..........................................................................................................93
Brakes – stopping and steering...........................................................................94
Loader position..................................................................................................96
Visibility..............................................................................................................96
Hand Signals.......................................................................................................96
Traveling..............................................................................................................96
Chapter 4 - Safety............................................................................................. 98

Introduction........................................................................................................99
Purpose...................................................................................................................99
Operator Handbook........................................................................................100
Accidents.............................................................................................................100
Preventing Accidents......................................................................................101
Before Use - checks...........................................................................................101
Self check.............................................................................................................101
Machine Checks.................................................................................................102
Getting in and out of the cab............................................................................103
Neutral start........................................................................................................103

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How to Operate a Backhoe Contents & Introduction

Parking brake......................................................................................................104
Loader support strut..........................................................................................104
Startup routine....................................................................................................104
Shutdown routine...............................................................................................105
During Use – working safely.........................................................................105
Backhoe...............................................................................................................106
Excavating...........................................................................................................106
Loader..................................................................................................................108
Hand signals........................................................................................................109
Traveling..............................................................................................................110
Loading & transporting.....................................................................................110
Step by Step: Load for Transport......................................................................110
Useful resources...............................................................................................112
Chapter 5 - Maintenance............................................................................ 114

Introduction......................................................................................................115
Benefits................................................................................................................115
Reliability..........................................................................................................115
Extend working life..........................................................................................115
Reduce maintenance costs..............................................................................116
Increase resale value........................................................................................116
Service overview.................................................................................................116
Intervals.............................................................................................................116
Lubrication........................................................................................................117
Care and attention............................................................................................118
Maintaining your machine...............................................................................119
Moving parts.....................................................................................................119
Loader................................................................................................................119
Backhoe.............................................................................................................119
Engine................................................................................................................119
Hydraulic system..............................................................................................120
Cooling system.................................................................................................120
Daily Routine Checklist................................................................................121
Daily Routine Checks........................................................................................121
Before Starting ...................................................................................................122

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How to Operate a Backhoe Contents & Introduction

Safe Starting .......................................................................................................122

Greasing .............................................................................................................123
Check the Machine ...........................................................................................123
Walk Round......................................................................................................123
Check the Safety Equipment . ..........................................................................124
Operating Check..............................................................................................124
After a Days Work . ...........................................................................................125
Parking .............................................................................................................125
Glossary...............................................................................................................128

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How to Operate a Backhoe Contents & Introduction

Foreword
Congratulations on investing in the BackhoeTips Guide for backhoe
operators. Here at BackhoeTips.com we’ve created something we think is
unique - we asked you what you wanted to know most about, and then put it
in this book.

There’s a real demand out there for useful, easy to understand, and practical
information on how to operate a backhoe, and we’ve done our best to
provide as much of it as we can.

In fact, we were so keen to provide exactly the right information and

resources, that we put up a survey and asked you to let us know what you
wanted most of all. Much of what we got back thankfully confirmed what we
thought, but there were some surprises in there also.

In particular, there was a real need for a very basic explanation and clear
diagrams of simply "how these darn things work!" – it seems that many first
time users get quickly frustrated with not knowing and trying to find out
what the actual controls do.

A big request was for lots of information on basic operator techniques – how
to excavate, trench and fill, and the most popular was how to grade with the
front shovel.

It was also great to find out that the most people wanted information in the
format of an ebook. Creating this publication in ebook format allows us to
easily update the text - and let you know that there's a new version available
- free of course to valued customers. As a result we’d like to ask readers to
actively give us detailed and specific feedback, and even request any extra
content you’d like to see included.

In these 'information highway' days, there's a growing wealth of online

information available. As a result we’ve also created a companion set of
webpages, which allow us to provide answers to frequently asked questions,
and links to a growing collection of valuable internet resources.

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How to Operate a Backhoe Contents & Introduction

You can see the companion webpages at:

http://www.BackhoeTips.com/book/

You can provide feedback on the book, ask questions, and request more
content at:

http://www.BackhoeTips.com/book/feedback/

Thanks for choosing BackhoeTips to help you get the best out of operating
your backhoe.

P.S. Also welcome to all the excavator, mini-excavator and tractor 3 point-
hitch owners who also want the best information on operating the backhoe
component of your machines.

Paul Coughlin.
September 2006

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How to Operate a Backhoe Chapter 1 - Introduction

Chapter 1

Introduction

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How to Operate a Backhoe Chapter 1 - Introduction

The Backhoe Loader

Although regularly debated by enthusiasts, many agree that the backhoe
loader was invented by Joseph Cyril Bamford – the founder of JCB, in 1953, in
the UK. Certainly it appears that this was the earliest recorded appearance of
a tractor unit equipped with a front loader and a 'back hoe'.

Originally called the tractor backhoe loader, or TLB, this type of machine is
now more commonly known as the backhoe loader, or backhoe for short.

The backhoe loader has become one of the most useful, popular and
versatile machines you’ll find in the construction industry. It is often referred
to as the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ of construction – a true multi-function tool.

Although extremely useful in it’s native form when comprising of a loader

and a backhoe, it’s versatility also comes from the ever-increasing number of
attachments that can be fitted. Here’s a short list of the type of attachments
and jobs that a backhoe loader can be used for:

Excavating, trenching, loading, lifting, leveling, bulldozing, snow-plowing,

hydraulic breakers, brooms (sweeping/cleaning), scrapers, sccops, grapple
buckets, side-dump and ditch cleaning buckets, compactors, thumbs for
carrying/lifting logs, pipes, trees etc, planers (for milling asphalt/concrete
removing road markings), wheel saws, augers (planting trees/posts), tillers,
rakes, mulchers, brushcutters, snow-blowers, blades, mowers, vibrators, pallet
forks, bale spikes, stump grinders, rollers and more!

Not only have backhoe loaders become an essential part of the construction
industry, but because you can do so much with just one machine, they are
also a top favourite with the homestead owner and DIY enthusiast.

Whether you’re laying drainage pipes, connecting power to outbuildings,

digging footings for an extension, creating a basement, swimming pool or
some heavy duty landscaping – the backhoe loader makes it many many
times easier and quicker.

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How to Operate a Backhoe Chapter 1 - Introduction

Of course, the potential of this extreme versatility hasn’t escaped the eyes
of budding business owners – and the backhoe loader is perhaps one of
the easiest ways to start your own business! With such a large repetoire of
applications, the self-employed owner-operator is never far from the next
job.

To see a backhoe in the hands of a skilled and experienced operator can be a

wondeful sight – but that level of skill it normally takes years of experience to
acquire.

In this book we share many of the secrets of that experience, getting you
started on the right track - with the easiest and safest ways to work – and
learn!

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How to Operate a Backhoe Chapter 1 - Introduction

The Parts of a TLB – a basic overview

Terminology
Before we get started, lets mention terminology – it’s a common cause of
confusion when learning about backhoe loaders.

What one person calls a backhoe, another calls a digger, another calls a JCB,
and another calls a 180 degree excavator. What one person calls a dipper-
stick, another calls a dipper and another calls a crowd arm or just arm.

Backhoe as a general term can refer to the complete machine itself, or

specifically to just the rear digging component, which correct name is in fact
the backhoe.

To ease the confusion we’ve provided a handy glossary at the end of the
book, but we’ll also clarify right now the standard terms we’ll use throughout
the book to refer to the various parts and functions.

Here’s a diagram with labels showing the terms we’re going to use:

Boom BACKHOE Dipper

TRACTOR

LOADER

Shovel Stabilizer Bucket

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How to Operate a Backhoe Chapter 1 - Introduction

The Main Components of the TLB

1. Tractor – houses the operator’s seat, cab, wheels and engine. Both the
loader and the backhoe are mounted on the tractor unit. The tractor
unit also holds the stabilizers – one on each side.

The tractor unit is where all the power comes from, it’s where you’ll
check the oil and fluid levels. It’s also where you’ll spend nearly all of
your time!

2. Loader – consists of the the front shovel and connecting arms. The
loader is controlled from the operator’s seat, when facing forward, and
at the same time as driving the tractor unit.

3. Backhoe – consists of the boom, dipper and bucket. The backhoe is

controlled from the operator’s seat, but this time facing rearward, and
only when the tractor is stationary and stable.

The machine as a whole we’ll refer to as the backhoe loader or TLB – short for
Tractor Loader Backhoe.

The backhoe assembly has the same basic parts, whether it’s for excavators,
compact excavators, three-point hitch attachments etc – we’ll refer to the
same components and controls when we cover operating techniques.

Stabilizers are sometimes referred to as outriggers – they’re the same things.

You’ll sometimes hear the dipper called a dipper arm, crowd arm or just arm.

To crowd the bucket means to curl or close the bucket. The opposite is to
open or dump the bucket.

When you hear the term ‘swing’ – it means to swing the boom across from
side to side. For example, if you’re digging, and you’ve just filled up the
bucket with dirt, you’ll lift it out of the trench, then swing the boom over to
the side where you’ll dump the dirt out onto a spoil pile. Then swing the
boom back over the trench and dig back infor more dirt.

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The Tractor
Historically, this was where it all started. That first machine that Joe Bamford
built in 1953 started out as a general purpose farm tractor. A useful machine
in it’s own right; power for pulling, and power for driving attachments.

Joe added the two most useful tools – the front loader shovel, and the back
hoe. This ‘invention by necessity’ is one of the reasons the backhoe loader
became so popular.

These days the tractor unit does the same job of transporting and powering
the tools, but is no longer a general purpose farm tractor. The tractor units
on modern backhoe loaders are highly customised and suited to that specific
purpose, and in fact are not even looked at a separate unit, but part of a
single machine.

There are a number of specific functions that the ‘tractor’ provides:

• Transporting the backhoe loader

• Powering the front loader and the backhoe via hydraulics

• Housing the operator and the controls

• Providing stabilizers for safer and more accurate working

In addition, the tractor houses the engine and gearbox, the oil, fuel and fluid
systems, hydraulic pump, electrical system, and of course sits on the rolling
chassis.

The controlling connections to the loader and backhoe are mechanical

linkages – pivot points and moving levers, and also flexible hoses – carrying
hydraulic fluid under pressure to the rams which move the loader and
backhoe.

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How to Operate a Backhoe Chapter 1 - Introduction

Whether it’s driving the backhoe to and from or around the site, or operating
the loader shovel or backhoe – the operator does this all from the seat in the
cab.

The only difference is that for driving the TLB and operating the loader/
shovel, the operator seat faces forward, but when using the backhoe for
digging etc the seat is rotated to face rearwards – overlooking the backhoe
and it’s separate set of controls.

The Loader
An obvious difference but one worth noting for beginners, is that the loader
is always operated in conjunction with the moving tractor – i.e. loading is a
mobile operation.

As the TLB is driven around, it picks up loose material in the shovel, and
empties it somewhere else – perhaps loading it into a waiting truck, or
maybe putting it out of the way on a stockpile. It’s also used to bring spoil
back, or chippings etc when backfilling excavations. Occasionally the loader
is used for lifting, which we’ll cover later.

There are typically two controls for the loader, one which raises and lowers
the shovel, and one which tips the shovel, either for filling it as loose material
is ‘scooped’ up, and for tipping it out to dump into a truck or trench etc.

Because loading with the shovel is a mobile operation, safety is very

important. We cover safety in more detail later – but there are some habits
we want to get into straight away:

1. Always travel with the shovel as low as possible – visibility is better,

stability is better, and if anything does fall out it’s much less likely to
cause damage.

2. Tilt the front edge of the shovel upwards – in the event of accidental
collision, this avoids hitting anything/anyone head on with either the
teeth or the cutting edge.

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How to Operate a Backhoe Chapter 1 - Introduction

3. Fit a guard over the shovel teeth - if you’re travelling on publich

highways or over longer distances, fitting a guard over the front edge
improves safety and reduces damage in an accident.

The Backhoe
The backhoe is the most difficult part to master. As we’ve seen there are
three basic components to the backhoe:

1. The Boom
This is the heaviest and strongest part of the backhoe, because it has to
support the dipper and bucket in addition to it’s own weight. The boom has
a number of functions.

1. It can swing from left to right, pivoting where it is joined to the back of
the tractor unit, and moving the whole backhoe assembly. This is also
called slewing.

You would do this when for example, you have a bucket full of dirt and
want to move it off to one side and dump it in a pile out of the way.

2. It can be raised and lowered which actually does two things:

a. Primarily it lowers the dipper and bucket into excavations to reach

down and dig into the dirt, and also then lifts up the dipper when
bringing up a bucket full of spoil.

b. When lowered to the horizontal – it also extends the reach of the

dipper and bucket to it’s maximum.

The boom also has two main safety controls:

1. Swing lock – during operation, the operator can swing the boom
from side to side as required. During transit, or at the end of the day,
the swing lock should be engaged - this consists of a heavy duty pin
which drops into position and prevents the boom from swinging.

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How to Operate a Backhoe Chapter 1 - Introduction

2. Boom lock – the operator has to fully raise the boom, so it is tucked
up against the back of the tractor, and then a latching mechanism
physically locks the boom into place, so it can’t be lowered.

2. The Dipper
The dipper connects the boom to the bucket. The dipper can only do one
thing – pivoting where it joins the end of the boom, the bucket end swings in
and out – towards and away from the operator.

Some backhoe loaders have an optional extendable dipper. There is an extra

smaller section inside the main dipper housing which allows the dipper to
extend out – generally controlled by a pedal. This gives the operator more
reach with the bucket, which for example means that more digging can be
done before having to move the backhoe loader.

3. The Bucket
The bucket sits right on the end of the dipper and is the bit which digs into
the earth, scooping up the dirt. Like the dipper, the bucket can also only do
one thing – curl or open, scooping up or emptying out.

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How to Operate a Backhoe Chapter 2 - Controls

Chapter 2

Controls

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How to Operate a Backhoe Chapter 2 - Controls

Hydraulic Controls Overview

In this section we look at how the controls work including the basic principles
of hydraulics and the functions of common controls.

We look at how hydraulic controls can give different responses under

different conditions, such as when using more than one control at the same
time or changing engine speeds, we cover the different control patterns you
will come across in various backhoes, and then we have a detailed section on
each set of controls for the tractor, loader and backhoe.

Hydraulics
Let me warn you now - this is probably the most complicated section in the
book – but it is important, and short - so please bear with it!

The reason we’ve included it, is that it’s important to understand where the
backhoe gets it immense power from.

This will not only help you to understand why the controls appear to be
‘quirky’ sometimes, but it will also help you understand where to look when
things go wrong.

The backhoe gets its amazing power from using high pressure hydraulics.
One of the main reasons that hydraulics are so popular in construction
machinery is that:

Hydraulic fluid or oil, cannot be compressed

That is to say it’s volume remains constant. Why is that so important? Here’s a
quick explanation of the significance:

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How to Operate a Backhoe Chapter 2 - Controls

Imagine as per the following diagram, we have a two identical pistons,

connected by a rigid pipe, which is filled with hydraulic fluid:-

PISTON 1 PISTON 2

Now if we push piston 1 down, the hydraulic fluid is pushed along the tube
which pushes piston 2 up.

PISTON 1 PISTON 2

Because hydraulic oil cannot be compressed, if piston 1 moves down 1 inch,

then piston 2 has to move up 1 inch.

As a result of this principle - we have the extremely useful ability to transmit

‘power’ or ‘force’ along strong pipes, without losing any of the power. This is
exactly how hydraulic fluid is transported around the backhoe via pipes to
the piston rams for moving the boom, dipper and the bucket.

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How to Operate a Backhoe Chapter 2 - Controls

Here’s the second reason hydraulics are so useful:

If instead of pushing with piston 1 to create the pressure on the fluid, we use
a high pressure pump, then the more pressure we pump with, the more force
piston 2 will push up with.

Here’s the bit I warned you about! - quick maths lesson:

We can calculate the actual force that piston 2 will push with using a simple
formula:

Piston 2 Force = Pump Pressure X Surface Area of Piston 2

For example, say we have a hydraulic pump which produces a pressure of

3,000 psi (pounds per square inch). And say the piston has a radius of 2
inches (these are realistic values).

The surface area of the piston = pi x r²

Which is for us is 3.14 x 2²
Which is the same as 3.14 x 4
Which is 12.56

So Piston 2 force = 3,000 x 12.56

Which is 37,680 pounds of force

This is 18.84 tons of force!

You should be able to see from this that we can increase the force by either
using a bigger piston, or by having a higher pump pressure.

Here’s an important fact:

In backhoe we can’t change the size of the piston, but in fact we can increase
the pressure of the pump by increasing the engine speed (modern machines
have automatic pressure controls).

You might think ‘great’ – lets crank those revs up and get better performance.
Well of course that higher pressure not only pushes harder on the piston to

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How to Operate a Backhoe Chapter 2 - Controls

create more digging and loading power, but it also pushes harder on all the
hoses, seals and hydraulic components. With more of a strain on them they
are likely to break sooner so not lasting as long.

As always the secret is balance – use enough force to get the job done,
without putting too much strain on the machine. As you’ll hear again and
again, working effectively isn’t about speed and brute force, it’s about
smoothness and efficiency.

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Feathering and fine control

If the hydraulic controls were like switches, either fully on or fully off, it would
be very difficult to dig safely and accurately. So the controls are designed to
provide varying amounts of hydraulic fluid to pass into the cylinder, and then
push the piston:

With just a small amount of hydraulic fluid, the piston will move slowly, with
more fluid, it will move faster.

Feathering the controls means to move them gently at first, only partly
opening them, thereby restricting the amount of fluid we are letting through.

By feathering the controls we can control the speed at which the boom,
dipper and bucket move. You will feel this as you gently start to move one of
the hydraulic controls – you can hear hiss of the hydraulic fluid start to flow
– and the more slowly you move it, the slower the boom or dipper or bucket
moves.

Here’s a question for you:

If less fluid means slower movement, what happens when you do two things
at once (such as lift the boom and extend the dipper) and share the fluid
between two or more cylinders at the same time so each gets less?

Yes – you probably guessed that they will both get less pressure than if they
were being operated on their own. This is an important point to remember
as we move onto operating techniques. Operating two or more controls at
the same time has the effect of lowering the response speed of both controls,
which in actual fact results in a smoother motion.

Now we can start to establish the basics of good control:

• Make sure the engine speed is at the right level to provide a good
hydraulic pump pressure, but not too high as to strain and shorten the
working life of components.

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How to Operate a Backhoe Chapter 2 - Controls

• Start to think about using more than one control at the same time
– you will have easier control and smoother movement.

Note: some machines have a manual setting which lowers the pump
pressure, useful if you are unfamiliar with the controls, or want to do accurate
and more careful digging, maybe close to utilities.

Lets summarise what we’ve covered so far:

• The major components on the backhoe are controlled hydraulically,

by moving hydraulic pistons and rams.

• Hydraulic fluid is pumped into the hydraulic system of tubes and

pistons under high pressure.

• The hydraulic fluid is directed to various components by the use of the

operator controls – levers and pedals.

• The response of the controls is dependent upon the pump pressure

and amount of fluid passing through.

• We can control the pump pressure by adjusting engine speed.

• We can control the amount of fluid by feathering the controls and

using multiple controls at the same time.

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Controls – Configurations and Patterns

Although all backhoe loaders have the same parts, the controls differ
between the various manufacturers. Loader controls are simpler and tend
to be the same, whereas the more complicated backhoe controls are where
most of the differences lie.

Bear in mind that these different configurations and patterns are becoming
less common. Almost all new backhoe loaders now come with a multi-
function loader control lever, and backhoe pilot controls - two joysticks:

Photo courtesy of JCB

With the pilot controls you can typically also choose the 'control pattern'
- backhoe or excavator. Very modern backhoe loaders have the control levers
built into the seat - so there are the same two controls for the backhoe, and
then with the flick of a switch one of them becomes the loader control.

The bachoe controls are arguably the most complicated to learn initially, and
most of the questions asked by you in our survey refered to the backhoe

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controls and not the loader and tractor, so we'll focus in more detail on the
backhoe controls and techniques. First we'll cover the loader controls.

Loader Controls
Referring to the original TLB overview diagram, you can see that the loader
in its basic form consists of the two loader arms, and the loader bucket or
shovel.

The arms are simply raised or lowered. The bucket can be curled up when
'scooping' material into the shovel, or rolled forward to release or 'dump' the
material.

When the operator is sitting in the seat, facing towards the front of the
machine, the loader controls are located next to the right hand side of the
operators seat - as seen inthe image below.

The two yellow levers are the loader and bucket controls - loader on the left
and bucket control on the right.

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Although the image shows a seperate control for the loader bucket, you will
see that when the main loader control is moved from side to side - it moves
this smaller bucket lever with it.

A common configuration is to have a single loader control which operates

the loader and bucket - this operates in exacctly the same way:

LOADER LOWER

ARMS
and
BUCKET
BUCKET CURL BUCKET DUMP

LOADER RAISE

• Pushing the loader control forward lowers the loader arms.

• Pulling the loader control backwards raises the loader arms.

• Pushing the loader control across to the right will curl the bucket.

• Pushing the loader control across to the left will dump the bucket.

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Once you become more familiar with the loader control, and after reading
the section on loader techniques, you will learn about the float position, and
the return-to-dig position of the loader.

Loader Float Position

To engage the 'float' position, push the loader control forward as if lowering
the arms - and then push further until the control lever jumps into the
'detent' position. It will stay there until you manually pull it back.

You can learn more about when and how to use the float position in loader
techniques.

Return to Dig Position

To engage the return-to-dig position, push the loader control over to the left
as if curling the bucket - and then push further until the control lever jumps
into the 'detent' position. It will stay there until the bucket reaches the level
dig position and then will jump back to the loader control neutral position.

LOADER FLOAT

RETURN TO DIG

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Additional Loader Controls

Of course, when operating the loader the machine is moving. So the loader
controls include the steering wheel, gear selector, forward-reverse selector,
brakes and throttle.

Steering Wheel

Forward - Reverse - Neutral

(FNR) Selector

Gear Selector

Parking Brake
Bucket Control

Throttle Loader Control

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Backhoe Controls

Configurations
Older machines will more than likely fall into one of the following
configurations:

1. A four lever setup.

This is commonly found on Ford machines.

2. A three lever setup with foot swing.

This is commonly found on CASE machines.

3. A two-lever setup – found on the more modern machines, with

basically the same setup as the newer pilot controls, with either the
backhoe or excavator control pattern.

Let’s look at each of the control sets in detail.

Note: we've included full page diagrams of the control sets at the end of the
book.

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Four Lever Setup

As mentioned, the four lever setup is commonly found on Ford machines.

DIPPER OUT BOOM LOWER BUCKET OPEN SWING LEFT

DIPPER BOOM BUCKET SWING

DIPPER IN BOOM RAISE BUCKET CURL SWING RIGHT

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As mentioned, the four lever setup is typically associated with Ford backhoes.
With the four lever system, as the diagram above illustrates:

The far left-hand lever operates the DIPPER

• Pushing the lever forwards and away from you extends or moves out
the dipper.

• Pulling the lever rearwards and towards you retracts or brings in the
dipper.

The left hand of the middle two operates the BOOM

• Pushing the lever forwards and away lowers the boom away from you.

• Pulling the lever rearwards and towards you raises the boom towards
you.

The right hand of the middle two operates the BUCKET

• Pushing the lever forwards and away opens the bucket away from you.

• Pulling the lever rearwards and towards you curls the bucket towards
you.

The far right hand lever operates the SWING

• Pushing the lever forwards and away swings the boom left.

• Pulling the lever rearwards and towards swings the boom right.

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Three Lever Setup with Foot Swing

BUCKET OPEN DIPPER OUT BOOM LOWER

BUCKET DIPPER BOOM

SWING LEFT SWING RIGHT

BUCKET CURL DIPPER IN BOOM RAISE

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The three lever setup is commonly associated with CASE backhoes. With the
three lever setup with foot swing, as the diagram above illustrates:

The left hand lever operates the BUCKET

• Pushing the lever forwards and away opens and dumps the bucket
away from you.

• Pulling the lever rearwards and towards you curls and scopps the
bucket towards you.

The middle lever operates the DIPPER

• Pushing the lever forwards and away from you extends and moves out
the dipper.

• Pulling the lever rearwards and towards you retracts and brings in the
dipper.

The right hand lever operates the BOOM

• Pushing the lever forwards and away lowers the top of the boom away
from you.

• Pulling the lever rearwards and towards you raises the top of the
boom towards you.

The left side pedal operates the Boom SWING to the LEFT

The right side pedal operates the Boom SWING to the RIGHT

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Two Lever Setup – The Backhoe Pattern

The two lever setup is found on many backhoe models, mini-excavator,
tractor 3 point hitches etc. It comes in two configurations – or patterns as
they are called - the backhoe pattern and the excavator pattern. Here’s the
backhoe pattern:

BOOM LOWER DIPPER OUT

BOOM DIPPER
and and
SWING BUCKET
SWING LEFT SWING RIGHT BUCKET CURL BUCKET OPEN

BOOM RAISE DIPPER IN

‘JD’ and ‘BACKHOE’ PATTERN

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John Deere typically uses the backhoe pattern, and it is often referred to as
the ‘JD’ pattern. The backhoe pattern has the boom control on the left, and
the dipper control on the right.

The left hand lever controls both the boom and swing actions:

• Forward (away from operator) for boom lower.

• Rear (toward operator) for boom raise.

• Left for swing left.

• Right for swing right.

The right hand lever controls both the dipper and bucket actions:

• Forward (away from operator) for dipper out.

• Rear (toward the operator) for dipper in.

• Left for bucket curl.

• Right for bucket open (or dump).

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Two Lever Setup – The Excavator Pattern

DIPPER OUT BOOM LOWER

DIPPER BOOM
and and
SWING BUCKET
SWING LEFT SWING RIGHT BUCKET CURL BUCKET OPEN

DIPPER IN BOOM RAISE

ISO, SAE and ‘EXCAVATOR’ PATTERN

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The excavator pattern has the boom control on the right, and the dipper
control on the left.

The left hand lever controls both the dipper and swing actions:

• Forward (away from operator) for dipper out.

• Rear (toward operator) for dipper in.

• Left for swing left.

• Right for swing right.

The right hand lever controls both the boom and bucket actions:

• Forward (away from operator) for boom lower.

• Rear (toward the operator) for boom raise.

• Left for bucket curl.

• Right for bucket open (or dump).

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Control patterns – correct information

As can be seen from the diagrams above, in addition to various combinations
of levers and pedals, there are two ‘patterns’ for a two lever setup.

They are commonly known as backhoe and excavator patterns. The only
difference between the two patterns is which side the boom and dipper
controls are on. The directions of operation, and the bucket and swing
controls remain the same.

Unfortunately, there is some confusion in the industry around the correct

names for these two patterns. You may hear the terms ISO, SAE, standard,
JD (John Deere), JCB and more, in addition to the backhoe and excavator
terms. Surprisingly, you will also come across this same confusion with some
backhoe manufacturers!

Some refer to the two patterns as SAE and excavator, or ISO and SAE – this is
also incorrect.

The question of correct names for the two control patterns came up in the
surveys, so we decided to clarify the issue and provide the correct answer
here, so novice operators and readers of this book can avoid confusion and
will know for sure which name refers to which pattern.

There are only two patterns, and it is common (and recommended) to refer to
them as Backhoe and Excavator patterns.

The Backhoe Pattern has the boom control on the left, and the dipper control
on the right (note: is commonly used by John Deere and JCB).

The Excavator Pattern, with the boom control on the right, and the dipper
control on the left, is also called the ISO or SAE, and is commonly used on CAT
backhoes, mini-excavators and of course normal excavators

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ISO and SAE Standards

For those interested in the source of this information, here’s where it comes
from and where you can also obtain copies of the standards:

ISO – the International Standards Organization has the standards publication

reference ISO 10968:2004(E) – Earth-Moving Machinery – Operator’s Controls.
You can purchase and download the publication for approximately $60 USD.
http://www.iso.org/

Annex B.1.1 refers to hand operated equipment controls for raising and
lowering (boom), and states that the control should be accessible to the
operator’s right hand.

Annex B.2.1 refers to hand operated equipment controls for extension and
retraction (dipper) and states that the control should be accessible to the
operators left hand.

SAE – the Society of Automotive Engineers has the standards publication

reference SAE J1177 OCT2002 – Hydraulic Excavator Operator Controls. You
can purchase and download the publication for approximately $60 USD.
http://www.sae.org/

Section 5.5, Figure 1 shows the left and right hand controls, with an image
similar to the one below:

TWO LEVER CONTROL ARRANGEMENT

(VIEWED FROM OPERATOR’S SEAT)

ARM OR TELESCOPE BOOM

OUT DOWN

SWING LEFT SWING BUCKET OR RIGHT BUCKET OR

LEFT HAND RIGHT CLAM CLOSE HAND CLAM OPEN

ARM OR TELESCOPE BOOM

IN UP

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Learning How to Use the Backhoe Controls

All experienced backhoe operators will tell you that there’s no substitute for
experience, for the hours sat in the seat working the controls. One of the
things which comes as a result of experience, is not having to think about the
backhoe controls as you use them.

As a beginner (which over half of our readers describe themselves as), with
none or very limited experience, it can be frustrating when we have to
constantly think about which control lever does what.

Learning to operate a backhoe loader is similar to learning any other skill

requiring manual dexterity and co-ordination. Compare it to learning to play
the guitar. Most students want to end up playing music, but have to start
with the basics of individual notes, progressing onto chords and then simple
melodies.

At some point there is a change – and the student starts to play music,
instead of playing separate notes. It’s the same with driving a car – at first
we have to learn the function of each individual control, and we have to
consciously pay attention to what our hands and feet are doing, it doesn’t
feel natural, and it can be frustratingly difficult.

And then after some practice and repetition, we start to be able to do things
without thinking, and the movements become more natural.

There are a number of books which will cover techniques, as this one will, for
trenching, excavating, grading etc – but at the time of writing, there are no
other books which will take you through the absolute beginners basics of
how to use the controls, i.e how to start to play notes.

I can tell you that from personal experience, I found it very frustrating having
to constantly think not only about which levers did what, but also about
which lever movements – forward or backwards, made the boom and dipper
move up and down, in and out.

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Here’s the most useful beginners tip I’ve come across:

For the boom – imagine you’re sitting in the seat, and there’s a piece of string
going from the top of the boom lever to the top (far moving end) of the
boom where it joins the dipper. As you push the boom lever forward, so the
string goes forward and lowers the far end of the boom.

BOOM
LEVER

Alternatively, as you pull back on the lever, so it pulls on the string and lifts
the boom up.

BOOM
LEVER

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And of course the same works for the dipper – imagine a piece of string
going from the top of the dipper lever to the far moving end of the dipper
where the bucket is connected.

As you push the dipper lever forward, so the string lets the far end of the
dipper go out:

DIPPER
LEVER

And as you pull the dipper lever towards you, so it pulls the end of the dipper
towards you:

DIPPER
LEVER

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It may sound silly at first, but just picture that in your mind a few times
– move the boom lever forwards and backwards, and see the boom go down
and up. Then move the dipper lever forwards and backwards, and see the
dipper go away and back towards you.

Visualizing something in your head first is a powerful way to make sense of a

new concept - and it does work. Actually picture yourself sat in the operators
seat, with your hands on the control levers - pushing and pulling them - and
see the boom moving up and down. See the dipper moving in and out.

Before attempting the exercises, if you're completely new to your machine,

and you're not exactly sure of how to start it safely:

1. Read the operators manual supplied with your machine.

2. Read the section on safety - understand the dangers of operating.

3. Read the quick start guide included in the appendix.

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Practical Exercises
Once you’ve started to get used to both the movement of the components
and direction of the controls, and also smoothness by feathering, we can
start to build some of the movements you will use when carrying out work.

You’ve probably noticed that if you only moved one control at a time, you
wouldn’t be able to get much done, working would be difficult and awkward.
There are a couple of reasons for this:

Every component of the backhoe is fixed to a pivot point. So the opposite

end to the pivot point moves in an arc and not a straight line. For example
when we move the dipper in and out, the bucket on the end follows the path
of an arc:

Although this may be fine for rough excavating to move dirt, once we get
near the bottom when digging a trench, ditching, or perhaps footings, then
we want a level and flat bottom.

The secret is to keep the height of the bucket edge constant as we bring it
towards us. Straight away you can guess that we need to do two things at
once.

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You can probably see from the preceding diagram that the way to achieve
a flat bottom would be to lower the boom (thereby lowering the bucket) at
the furthest point and start bringing in the dipper, then raise the boom as the
dipper and bucket reach the middle, and then again lower the boom as we
pass the center point and move the dipper and bucket to the nearest point.
And indeed this is what we would do when creating a flat base.

Note: Be sure to read the section on safety first, and make sure your machine
is ready for work and stable before operating the backhoe.

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Practice Exercise 1
We start by extending the bucket as far as possible, and holding it
approximately 6 inches off the ground:

1. Extend the boom fully (by pushing the boom lever forward gently).

2. Raise the dipper fully (by pushing the dipper lever forward gently).

3. For now, leave the bucket central and in line with the dipper.

4. Gently pull on the boom lever, until you hear the hiss of hydraulic fluid
and feel the pressure – but don’t pull enough to move the boom, only
enough to apply pressure to it.

5. Then gently pull the dipper lever, whilst keeping the pressure steady
on the boom lever.

6. Once the dipper starts to come towards you slowly, keep that speed
constant and then adjust the boom lever to hold the bucket a steady
height above the ground.

The idea with this exercise, is to bring the bucket towards you keeping it at 6
inches above the ground all the way.

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You will soon notice as we mentioned earlier, that as you start to bring the
dipper in towards you, you will also be raising the boom. As the dipper gets
closer, you need to raise the boom less. And once the dipper passes the
vertical midway point, in fact you have to start to lower the boom.

Practice this a few times, and experiment with the lever control. What you
will find is that you start to get used to using two controls at the same time.

Try moving both the boom and dipper at the same time as you extend the
bucket out to start; begin by starting to raise the boom, and then gently
extend the dipper – and keep the dipper going, but as it passes the midway
point, start to lower the boom but remebering to keep the dipper moving
steady out.

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Practice Exercise 2
This time we’re also going to do two things at the same time, but only the
dipper and the bucket. For this exercise don’t move the boom. We start by
making sure the boom is high enough so that the dipper can move all the
way out and all the way in without the bucket catching the ground.

Push the dipper all the way out (pushing the dipper lever away from you).
Then adjust the bucket until the bottom is horizontal with the ground:

1. Gently pull on the dipper lever to bring the dipper towards you.

2. At the same time, open the bucket as the dipper comes in, so that the
bottom of the bucket stays horizontal to the ground.

3. Once the dipper is all the way in, reverse the exercise and do the same
as you push the dipper out, keeping the bucket horizontal.

Practice this until you can keep the bucket bottom flat. You will have noticed
by now that the controls are affected by each other, using more than one at
the same time results in different responses.

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Practice Exercise 3
You guessed it – combining execise 1 and 2.

1. Extend the boom and dipper fully out, with the bucket 6 inches off the
ground and the bottom flat horizontal to the ground.

2. Apply gentle pressure to the boom..

3. Start the dipper coming in and hold steady..

4. Use the boom control to maintain the height of the bucket above
ground..

5. Use the bucket curl control to keep the bottom flat..

This exercise is an important one, because once mastered, you will be able
to finish off the bottom of a trench so that it is flat and smooth – making it
accurate and easy to work with.

The other application of this technique, which you can practice now, is to
perform exercise 3 but with the bucket teeth pointing vertically down - about
2 inches into the ground.

Pulling the bucket towards you whilst keeping the bucket teeth only two
inches into the ground is how we start to excavate without making a big
mess! – we break the surface gently with the teeth, then take up a slice with
the cutting edge/teeth facing forward.

If we were to just dive straight in with a big bucket full of dirt, you’ll see edges
get pushed up, spillage all over the place etc. Not good if we’re digging
where there’s a finished surface which will need to be replaced – such as a
hole cut in asphalt or concrete.

A variation of exercise 3, whichcan be more fun, is to find a rock the size of

a football, and practice bringing that towards you and pushing it away from
you, until you can do it without touching the ground at all – the smaller the
rock the higher the skill required!

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Practice Exercise 4
This one is tricky, and harder than it sounds, but it will really polish up those
skills of changing smoothly from one direction to another as your work.

You only need to use the boom control, but it’s difficult to move from one
direction to the other smoothly with the same conrol.

Park and level the machine as for work, and fully extend the boom and
dipper. The idea with this exercise is to draw a large circle in the air with the
bucket – whilst keeping the boom and dipper fully extended. Sounds easy..

1. Begin at 6 o’clock – with the bucket in the centre and at the bottom.

2. Start to move the boom left.

3. Slowly introduce some lift and reduce the left movement.

4. Once the left movement has stopped and the boom is lifting,
introduce some right direction ans slow the lift.

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5. Once the lift has stopped and the boom is moving right, introduce
some lowering and slow the right.

6. Once the right has stopped and the boom is lowering, introduce some
left and slow the lowering – back to 6 o’clock!

This one does take a lot of practice and perseverance, but will pay off with
much better and smoother control skills – the aim of the professional.

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How to Operate a Backhoe Chapter 3 - Operating Techniques

Chapter 3

Operating
Techniques

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Introduction
Although the backhoe is one of the most versatile and flexible machines
in the construction industry, and can be used very effectively for a vast
selection of jobs – it’s primary role still remains that of an earth-mover, either
digging it up or moving it.

The two main tools – the backhoe and the loader, perform those two most
common tasks of digging and moving. Often they are part of the same
job, and we can summarize the typical stages of this earth-digging/moving
process:

1. Digging into the earth – backhoe.

Excavating trenches in which to lay some type of utility or drainage

system, footings and piers for new structures, basements, swimming
pools, tree removals, landscaping etc.

2. Depositing the spoil – backhoe.

The type of excavation dictates what happens to the spoil. Temporary

access excavations such as utility trenches will need the spoil close
at hand, ready for backfilling, consequently positioning of the spoil is
important.

It may require either loading the spoil for removal as it is excavated, or

transporting the spoil to a stockpile for later removal or backfilling.

3. Backfilling – backhoe and loader.

Backfilling could either be with the original dirt, or perhaps concrete

for footings, or a mixture of both aggregate/concrete and then earth
depending on the job.

4. Compaction – backhoe and tractor.

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Compaction can be simply compressing the backfill with the backhoe

bucket as it is placed back in the trench, it can involve wheel-rolling
with the backhoe loader, or even water jetting for larger projects and
construction site work.

Compaction is carried out because the normal condition of the earth

before digging is in a compacted state. If we simply backfilled our
trench and left it, first of all there would be soft areas, and then as it
settled over time the ground would sink.

5. Grading – loader and occasionally backhoe.

Grading of the excavation or work site is sometimes required, and the

backhoe loader is very capable of achieving a good finish for small
to medium sized jobs. Although grading is normally a front shovel
exercise, grading also applies to the bottom of trenches, where the
backhoe bucket is used.

Other related and common jobs include moving loose aggregate and
dirt around and loading it with the loader, transporting or lifting heavy
equipment or materials, and using specialist tools as part of larger
construction jobs.

Before starting any job, a work plan should be put together - as a quick
summary you need to familiarize your self with the site, understand the
purpose of the excavation so you can position your machine and also place
the spoil accordingly, and constantly assess and be aware of the safety
aspects.

Always think ‘safety’ - both before starting and during work. Check the
machine, check yourself. Think about whether sloping or shoring are
required, remove any obstacles from the work area that may cause injury
or accident, mark clearly and fence off work areas where required, maintain
clear visibility of the work area whilst operating your machine – especially
within the swing radius of the backhoe.

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Smoothness and Cycle Time – the signs of a Pro

As your experience and skills grow, you’ll recognize that there are two factors
that stand out above the rest when we look for what really makes a pro just
that - a pro.

The first is safety, which we cover in a later chapter. The other is work rate
which we’ll cover here because it’s a direct result of operating techniques.

The work rate is how quickly we can get a job done. It’s important to
understand right from the start that this doesn’t necessarily mean how fast
the boom and dipper fly around or how fast we can race around the site – it’s
not about the raw speed of movements, it’s about efficiency and also the
ability to work for prolonged periods.

Efficiency comes from achieving the job with the least effort – taking the
shortest paths, and only carrying out the movements which are necessary.
By working efficiently you’ll be able to work with less strain and therefore be
able to work longer.

You’ll hear this again and again – try to remember it as you work:

The primary goal of the pro operators’ technique is smoothness

Once you work smoothly, efficiency and speed will follow automatically.

Whether we are digging or loading, the movements involve repetitions of the

same actions, for example we might shovel up a load of gravel, transport it to
a waiting truck, dump it into the truck, go back to the stockpile, shovel up a
load, transport, dump, back to the stockpile etc. etc.

For digging we might sink the bucket into the ground and pull it in, lift the
load and dump on the spoil pile, then back to the trench to sink the bucket
again and pull it in, lift the load and dump on the spoil pile etc.

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One repetition of these repeating loops of actions is called a cycle. Cycle

time is the time taken to complete a single repetition. Operators talk about
increasing cycle time, which increases the rate of work.

As mentioned above, increasing the cycle time isn’t just about hurling the
boom and dipper around, and slamming the bucket into the ground as fast
as possible. This type of approach will quickly tire the operator and quickly
wear out or even damage the backhoe loader, increasing the need for costly
servicing and maintenance.

The way to increase the cycle time whilst also working comfortably and for
longer periods, is to develop a smoothness in your techniques. We start
by learning the individual movements of each cycle, whether digging or
loading, then we look at how to combine individual movements to reduce
distances traveled and increase efficiency.

We also concentrate on using more than one control at the same time, or
more than one valve as it is sometimes described as – remember the valves
are used in the control lever mechanisms to direct the flow of hydraulic fluid
to the pistons and hydraulic rams.

Again:

The primary goal of the pro operators’ technique is smoothness

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Backhoe Techniques
In this section we’re going to cover the general principles common to most
digging jobs, whether trenching, digging footings or creating that swimming
pool! – this will give you a good understanding of the basic steps that are
involved.

Stabilizing Your Machine

The first step when using the backhoe to dig is to setup the machine in the
right position. This position depends on what the job is, and is different
for every job. However, once in the correct position, the second step is
stabilizing. We do this for both safety and for accuracy.

Safety – this gives a secure and solid base to work from, avoiding unplanned
movements, and giving us more stability for operations.

Accuracy – this gives us a fixed, rigid and accurately setup position to work
from.

The main principle behind stabilizing is to:

Remove the weight of the backhoe from the tires

Keep the weight off the tires. Pneumatic tires in combination with
suspension were invented to intentionally allow movement and play in the
up and down motion of the wheels, cushioning bumps, and softening the
hardness. These are all things we want to avoid for solid and rigid positioning
– for a number of reasons.

The safety and accuracy factors overlap. For safety we want a solid and
secure base to work from. We also want to avoid the machine moving
unexpectedly, which it is less likely to do when supported on the stabilizers
and front shovel.

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If the machine is rocking around as we work, you as an operator will also

be rocking around, and your hand movements on the controls will also be
rocking around – resulting in poorly controlled and potentially dangerous
operations.

From an accuracy point of view, stabilizing lets us level the machine, it

anchors the machine more solidly helping prevent unnecessary movement
of the machine itself and also unwanted movements of the controls. It also
lets us adjust position of the machine so that digging can be done to a true
vertical line, even if the machine is sat on a sloping surface.

There are three points of contact when the machine is stabilized – the front
shovel and the two stabilizers.

It’s important to understand the relationship between the front shovel and
the two stabilizers when setting up.

Because it is wide, when the front shovel is lowered and the wheels lifted off
the ground, the shovel will sit perpendicular to the ground surface – it will try
to sit flat on that surface, and of course there is no adjustment to the angle of
the shovel.

The two stabilizers can compensate for uneven ground level, and to a degree
can tilt the machine – especially if the front shovel is on softer ground or is
not taking the full weight of the front wheels. The best way to understand
this is to try it: lift the front wheels off the ground using the front shovel, then
slowly experiment with the two stabilizers.

A common situation is if you want to sit the machine straight up and down
(plumb) to cut a vertical trench, but the ground surface slopes: there are a
couple of ways to proceed.

On soft ground it is simple to cut a flat level area big enough to hold the front
shovel, which can then sit flat on that area.

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Alternatively, face the cutting edges of the bucket down, so they can dig into
the ground. This gives more flexibility to sideways tilting as you level the
machine with the stabilizers.

Stabilizing the machine on hard surfaces is a little more difficult – not only for
leveling but for actually placing the front shovel and stabilizers. The shovel
can be sat on heavy boarding or solid wood to avoid damage to the ground
surface, as can the stabilizers.

If the front shovel tilts the machine when lowered, try leveling the machine
first with the stabilizers, then sitting just one side of the shovel on the solid
ground – just enough to prevent the bouncing from the tires.

Stabilizers can be sat on 'pads' – many backhoe loader models have

reversible stabilizer feet, with rubber pads on one side for just this purpose.

Once we have the machine positioned and stabilized, we can look at the
digging procedure.

Spoil placement
Before starting to dig, give thought to where you will place the spoil. For
safety reasons it should be far enough away from the edge of the trench so
that it doesn’t contribute to the weight of material on the trench sides.

As part of the work plan, consider the backfilling and/or grading stage, and
place spoil in an appropriate position.

Lastly, if operating on a slope, always dump the spoil on the uphill side of the
trench – extending the loaded backhoe bucket downhill increases the risk of
tipping the backhoe loader.

Digging
In any digging job there are a number of stages:

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1. Preparing to dig
This involves preparing the surface and marking out if required. The we
position the machine, checking alignment, level and stability. For anything
more than the simplest task, we should have a work plan. This would include
where to put the spoil as we dig.

2. Breaking the Surface

Here we actually start to cut in with the bucket teeth – with the very first
cut not digging out dirt yet, but loosening and marking the surface of the
ground. We do this first light cut for a number of reasons.

Firstly we get to see where our dig is going to happen – we can check its
position against any markings and make adjustments if necessary. This cut
also marks the ground and is these marks are used to guide the remaining
passes – take time to get this first one accurate.

Secondly, if we dig in deep straight away and pull up a bucket full of dirt, the
ground swells as we pull the bucket up and the top edges of the trench break
up and spread out. We want to avoid this breaking of the edges. Apart from
the mess and extra work it creates, we want the trench walls to remain as
solid and stable as we can.

We dig gently taking shallow slices – only two or three inches at first.
Depending on soil conditions these first light cuts might go down anywhere
from 6 inches to 18 inches.

3. The Middle of the Dig

Once we’ve established the edges, and we’re into the solid ground, we can
then dig more swiftly using the power of the backhoe to it’s full potential.
We move quickly down to within six inches or so of the final depth, at which
point we need to slow down again and start to dig more accurately.

During this bulk removal stage, if there are utilities or other obstacles in the
area, of course we need to proceed more carefully and take appropriate
measures.

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4. Finishing Off
Much depends on the job as to what finish we are looking for. Typically we
want a clean area around the top of the trench, with a clean and flat bottom
to the trench.

Start by cleaning the area around the edges of the trench. Although some
operators don’t recommend this, you can use the boom swing to side-
swiping the earth around the edges of the trench, into the trench. Angle the
bucket so that the flat back lays down on the ground, and gently push loose
earth into the trench.

Be very careful with this side-swiping – if you start to move solid earth it will
put strain on the boom joints in a way which can easily wear or even damage
them – there should be no resistance to the side-swiping movement.
Another and less risky way is to simply slide the bucket towards you with
it’s back on the surface of the ground, along next to the edge of the trench,
pushing loose dirt either into the trench or out away from the edge.

Use this opportunity to also remove any rocks from around the trench, and
also anything that sticks out of the sides of the trench which may cause
problems later.

Next we fine grade the bottom of the trench. This is often done in
conjunction with someone else who is checking the depth/grade. These
long grading passes need to be done carefully and slowly for accuracy. Once
this section of the trench is complete, the operator can move onto the next
section.

5. Moving to the Next Section

There are a number of ways to move along the trench line. At first we might
think we need to fold in the backhoe, raise the stabilizers (outriggers), swivel
the seat around, raise the front shovel, put the machine in gear and drive
forward, all the time looking behind you to make sure you’re following the
line. Then stop, apply the brake, lower the shovel, swivel the seat around,
lower the stabilizers, level the machine, extend the backhoe and start to dig
again…

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It does depend on how accurate the trench line is, but with a little practice
you should be able to ‘push back’. By this we mean: pull in the backhoe and
sink the bucket teeth vertically into the ground, raise the stabilizers, lift the
front shovel slightly clear of the ground, then push the bucket out whilst
keeping it dug in the ground.

This has the effect of pushing the backhoe loader forwards along the line of
the trench. Make sure the front wheels are pointing straight along the trench
line!

Note: for safety reasons – always push back off the bottom of the trench,
and not the ground in front. There is a risk the ground could cave-in into the
trench when pushing back.

When you’ve moved it far enough, lower the front shovel to take the weight
off the front wheels, lower the stabilizers to level the machine, and lift the
bucket ready to extend out and start the next dig.

Note: if you do prefer to actually drive the backhoe loader along for the next
section, and you’re working without a marked trench line, you can do this
with the backhoe extended and the bucket just above the ground – this will
help you stay lined up with the trench section you’ve just dug. Be careful to
make sure the bucket is high enough to let you lower the stabilizers without
it hitting the ground.

Digging Technique
Early in this section we talked about first learning the individual steps of the
digging sequence, then working on smoothness and efficiency by combining
movements and taking the shortest path between points.

During the research for the book, we were also asked by many people for a
step by step guide on what actions make up a complete digging sequence.
We’ll work through both here: the individual steps, and then how to perform

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them with a smoothness that results in short cycle times and more efficient
working.

The Digging Sequence

We’ll first look at all the movements that are involved. We assume at this
stage the machine is in position, setup, and ready to dig. We’ll work through
one complete cycle.

1. We extend the boom and dipper just short of the overall reach.

Note: we stop just short so that there is a little extra reach remaining
– to maintain a vertical end to the trench, we’ll need to reach slightly
further out as the bucket digs deeper and lower.

2. The bucket is opened so that the teeth are pointing vertically down.
This will allow us to create the vertical end of the trench, and also
provide the sharpest cutting angle.

3. The boom is lowered, thereby lowering the bucket into the dig.

Note: As the dig deepens, there will be a tendency for the bucket to
cut a curve as it is lowered – at this point we would start to extend the
boom/dipper that extra bit to compensate, and keep the back end of
the trench vertical.

4. We pull the bucket towards us, by applying pressure to the boom and
dipper, using the boom to control the height of the bucket as it comes
in (which is also the dig depth), and the dipper to control the speed at
which it comes in.

5. After a few feet, we curl the bucket, and gather material into the
bucket, as it continues moving towards us.

6. As the bucket becomes full, and gets close to the near end of the
trench, we stop moving it towards us, and push it back very slightly
– this will make it easier and cleaner to lift out.

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7. We raise the boom, thereby lifting the laden bucket up and out of the
trench.

8. The boom is swung off to the side where we are dumping the spoil.

9. The bucket is opened, and material is released onto the spoil pile.

10. The bucket is returned to the start position by swinging the boom
back over the trench.

Once we understand those basic actions, and have mastered them through
practice, we can then begin to work on the technique of smoothness and
speed.

It is often said there are three golden rules of trenching:

1. As many tasks as possible need to be accomplished in as few moves as

possible.

2. The more valves that can be used at the same time, the smoother the
digging action will be.

3. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

If we look at the original list of steps, and start to incorporate the three
golden rules, the sequence can be modified.. Here’s what it becomes:

1. We extend the boom and dipper just short of the overall reach, whilst
at the same time opening the bucket ready for the dig. As we reach
the extended position we start to..

2. Lower the boom into the trench to bite the bucket teeth into the dirt.

3. We then pull the bucket towards us biting into the earth, using the
boom and dipper simultaneously to control depth and speed of
movement.

4. The teeth are kept vertical for a few feet, then curled to pick up dirt.

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5. As the bucket reaches the near end it is pulled backed slightly and at
the same time the boom is raised to lift it out of the trench.

6. As the bucket passes the top edge of the trench, we start to swing the
boom, and a move the bucket in a straight line towards the spoil pile.

7. As the bucket gets close, we start to open it, as material is released

we reach the far point of the swing and start to smoothly swing back
towards the top edge of the trench.

8. As the boom swing across, we are extending it out, and moving the
bucket into the correct position for the next cut.

You can see that there will be a smoother, quicker, but more complicated set
of actions. Try this slowly at first, concentrate on smoothness. You’ll soon
find that the movements start to come more easily and speed increases
naturally.

Digging Tips
Here are some more tips to keep in mind as you work towards digging with
these smoother actions:

1. Don’t dig the trench too close in to your machine, try to keep the dirt
for building up between the stabilizers/outriggers.

2. Pushing the boom back slightly at the near end of the cut before
raising the boom helps avoid build-up, and also allows excess dirt to
fall away from the bucket that would otherwise spill as it was lifted.

3. Imagine seeing a straight line in your mind, going from the top edge
of the trench across to where you want to release the dirt – move the
bucket straight onto that line as it comes up out of the trench, and the
same on the way back.

With practice you’ll find that the bucket just brushes the top of the
trench as it comes up and starts to head over to the release point, and

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it also brushes the edge on the way back in as it goes down for the
next cut.

By brushing the sides of the trench in this way, you’ll also keep the
edges clean.

4. Once you learn to start swinging the boom across as soon as the
bucket clears the trench, you can also start to open the bucket as soon
as the boom starts to swing.

At the same time, you’ll also be extending the boom – with both of
these actions combined you’ll find you only need to open the bucket
about halfway for the material to fall out.

5. Carrying on from the previous point, continue extending the dipper as

it moves back over the trench for the next starting point, and start to
straighten up the teeth ready for the dig.

6. Performing three or four lever movements at the same time can be

tiring, but as it becomes more natural it will become much easier. And
of course with the new pilot controls it becomes very easy.

7. Shorter length trench cuts are easier to correct than longer ones. If
you find yourself wandering off the trench line, a smaller cut is pulled
back online with a smaller correction.

For correcting a longer trench, you might even have to go back and
re-cut the last section to bring it back onto the line. Check regularly,
and work in smaller sections where accuracy is important.

8. A second reason for working with smaller trench cuts is that it puts
less strain on the machine. The further out you reach, the more power
is required to apply the same force, i.e. lift a full bucket. This extra
power puts more strain on the pivot points and bushes etc.

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Backfilling and Compaction

If you’re using the backhoe to backfill and compact, then follow the same
principles as you’ll read in the ‘Backfilling and Compaction’ section in Loader
Techniques, i.e. fill using layers of material and wet the material if required.

Straddle the trench as you did when excavating, and lay down the material in
layers along the trench, in depths of 12 to 18 inches. As each layer is dumped
into the trench, compact it by either:

1. Pushing it down with the flat back of the bucket – push the boom
down enough to start to lift the backhoe loader off the stabilizers.
Then move the bucket along and repeat the tamping action.

2. Or, starting at the far end of the trench, follow the technique similar to
the smoothing of the bottom, but put the full weight of the backhoe
loader onto the bucket as it slide along compacting the layer of
material.

After each layer is compacted using one of those techniques, add another
layer of material and repeat, until the trench is full enough to allow wheel
rolling – see section on loader techniques.

Grading with the Backhoe Bucket

Although most grading will be performed with the front shovel, it is useful to
know how to use the bucket to perform basic grading.

The primary reason for grading with the backhoe bucket, simply one of
access – there is not enough room to perform grading with the loader, for
example when removing concrete driveways and then preparing a level
surface for decorative paving etc.

Occasionally there are also unique situations, for example creating stepped
terraces on a hill side, basements etc.

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Of course, with accurate digging for footings etc. we also grade the bottom
of the trench. The technique for grading with the backhoe bucket is similar
for most applications: excavating where required, then scraping to trim high
spots and fill hollows, and final smoothing if required.

If we require a particularly smooth flat surface to the bottom of the trench,

follow this procedure:

This assumes you have dug down to the required depth.

1. Ensure the bucket teeth are vertical, and lower the boom to place the
cutting edge of the bucket at the far end and bottom of the trench.

2. Lift the boom slightly, then start to curl the bucket so that the flat
bottom of the bucket is flat on the trench bottom. You will need to
lower the boom to do this as the bucket curls.

3. The idea now is to have the bucket back flat on the bottom as tight
into the rear of the trench as possible. We will then slowly slide the
bucket towards us, taking the lightest cut from the bottom, almost
smoothing it rather than digging.

4. The actions are similar to the practice exercises. Light pressure on the
boom, and then slowly start to bring the dipper in. Use the boom to
maintain height, the dipper to maintain speed, and slowly open the
bucket as it comes towards you, to keep the back flat on the bottom of
the trench.

It takes practice, but the finish is very impressive!

Loading a Truck with the Backhoe

There two common situations where it is beneficial to load using the
backhoe:

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1. When the material is too hard, compacted or inaccessible to be loaded

with the loader.

In these cases, be careful to avoid overhangs where material is

removed from the lower part and there is a risk of the higher part
collapsing.

2. When loading directly as the digging proceeds.

In these situations, positioning of the truck is important. If the truck

will be following the backhoe loader along the trench, position the
truck facing the same direction as the backhoe loader, far enough
away from the trench so that the swing radius of the backhoe allows a
smooth motion from the trench to the truck.

By positioning the truck facing the same direction as the backhoe

loader, the bucket will never move over the cab when loading.

Always remember the primary safety rule when loading – whether using the
backhoe or the loader:

Never swing the load over the cab

Safety with the Backhoe

In addition to the section on safety, here are some backhoe specific issues
and tips to be aware of.

The Swing Radius

This is the danger area – always, always be aware of anyone entering or
standing within the swing radius.

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Undercutting
Be aware that you can dig under the stabilizers and backhoe – with the risk of
ground collapse!

Visibility
Always check the working area before maneuvering your machine. Don’t
assume because you can see them, they have seen you.

Hand Signals
Before starting a job – confirm that anyone who uses hand signals is in
agreement about which signals to use and their meaning.

Traveling
When traveling, engage the transport (boom lower and swing) locks and
ensure stabilizers are fully raised.

Always lock the brakes together.

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Loader Techniques
In this section we’ll cover using the loader, including stability, loading,
grading, backfilling and compaction, finishing with basic loader safety.

The same as the backhoe techniques, smoothness and efficiency are the
goal. The shortest distance between two points, with multiple movements at
the same time.

And of course, safety. Perhaps safety with the loader plays an even bigger
part, because of the fact we are traveling around, with a higher risk of contact
with people. Safety when loading starts with stability.

Stability
Stability of the loader is very different from stability of the backhoe. With the
back it is typically a static stability, solid positioning, anchored to the ground,
and trying to stop the machine moving.

With the loader stability is typically an issue when moving. The three main
areas where stability is an issue are:

1. When carrying a full loader - the higher you lift the loader, the more
unstable the machine becomes, and the faster you travel with the full
loader, the more unstable the machine becomes.

2. When picking up from a pile – maintaining traction/grip with the

wheels.

3. Ground conditions – slopes and surface type.

When carrying a full loader

The more weight you carry in the loader, and the higher the loader is lifted,
the more unstable the machine becomes. This applies even when not
moving! When you have a heavy load, carrying it high, and are also moving
– this is the most dangerous situation to be in.

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The reason is that the center of gravity shifts, and the once it passes over the
wheels, then the machine will tip or roll. When turning, the center of gravity
(and therefore the weight) is pushed outwards from the turn – this is what
results in a roll when cornering too fast.

The rule for safer loading is to always travel with the loader low – close to the
ground, and only raise the loader when you need to – to dump into the truck
etc.

Loading from a pile

Although becoming less of a problem with modern backhoe loaders, traction
is something which still needs to be understood for safe and efficient
working. If you need to travel up a steep slope, first gear is more likely to
get you up than fourth. This is because with gears, speed is exchanged for
‘pulling power’. First gear is slower, but can pull more.

When loading, and we drive into a pile to shovel up a load, we want to

keep moving – this is smoother, more efficient and of course safer. If we
lose traction and the wheels start to skid, we also lose momentum, and an
element of control.

The idea is to not lose traction, and the simplest way is to not put so much
power to the wheels – i.e. use second gear instead of first. If you’ve ever
driven a car in the ice, it’s much easier to get started in second gear than it
is first – because the wheels are less likely to spin in second gear, and we
maintain traction. We then use good techniques to pick up full loads.

Of course, in the more modern machines we have the option of four

wheel drive and electronic traction control which will help maintain grip
automatically.

Ground conditions
Next to operator control, ground conditions have the largest effect on
stability. Slopes will affect the weight shifting of the backhoe loader and it’s

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ability to stop, slippery surfaces will affect traction, bumps and ridges will
affect control.

Remember: Safety is always important but becomes a prime consideration

where the ground conditions are less than optimal.

Loading
The two most common tasks for loading are picking material up from a pile,
and loading material into a truck.

Picking up material from the pile

Probably the first point to learn and remember when loading from a pile, is
to enter the pile with the shovel at the correct angle. This is the same as the
most effective cutting angle for the backhoe bucket – with the cutting edge
foremost, and the back of the bucket parallel and horizontal to the ground.
This angle of attack offers the least resistance

Secondly, as with digging, aim for smoothness – try to keep the machine
moving as you fill the shovel. If you simply open the shovel and drive straight
into the pile, the wheels will spin, the machine will quickly come to a halt, or
will push a small pile across the ground, and none of those either results in a
full bucket!

The secret is to combine loader movements with tractor movements.

Remember the aim is to efficiently fill the shovel - as quickly and with as little
effort as possible.

Another important principle when loading from a pile, is to always work

toward the centre of the pile. This provides the greatest resistance, and will
give you something to ‘push’ against when filling the shovel.

It follows from this, that the most useful pile is one which has the most
material in the smallest space – the most compact or contained pile. So as

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you work, keep the pile contained. Always working towards the centre will
help with this.

Step by Step: Filling the Bucket

1. Start in second gear. As mentioned, this helps reduce the likelihood

of the wheels spinning. Move forward at a moderate speed, and be
prepared to operate the loader controls whilst still moving forward.

2. Approach the pile with the shovel base horizontal and low down. We
want the maximum cutting angle for the shovel – and for soft light
material we can approach the pile with the shovel just touching the
ground.

3. Aim for the centre of the pile. We want to balance the load across the
width of the shovel – this helps is fill the shovel with the least effort.

Note: the exception to this is as we work to contain the spread of the

pile – bringing in the edges after we have created a empty area in the
centre.

4. Push forward until the machine almost stops. Resistance will build up
quickly – be prepared for the next movements.

5. Start to raise the loader and slowly curl the shovel – this does two
things: it will reduce resistance and therefore allow the machine to
carry on moving forward, and it will also allow the bucket to fill more
completely. With packed material it also helps loosen the pile.

6. Once the shovel is full, stop moving forward, back out of the pile and
lower the loader for safe traveling.

Occasionally we come across a pile which is either very soft or very hard, and
we can handle these slightly differently.

For a very soft pile, you can cut into the pile further up. This means there
is less ‘weight’ on the shovel so it fills easier and offers less resistance to the

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forward push of the loader. Additionally, the next load from the bottom
won’t have any weight on top of it either, so will also be easier.

For a very hard pile, which you can’t cut into far enough, you will need to take
more vertical cuts with little forward movement. Start at the bottom and
keep some pressure on the forward movement, but dig in and curl with the
shovel, lifting the loader to break away the edge of the pile.

Loading Material Into a Truck

When we are in a position of needing to load material into a truck, the
considerations start well before the actual loading operation. As with any
job, a work plan is needed. Survey the area and plan the job.

Bearing in mind our aim of smoothness and efficiency – and the shortest
distance between points, we should give thought to where we will place the
truck. We need enough space to be able to maneuver the backhoe loader
around the pile, but need the truck as close as workable.

The aim is to keep the material in the loader for as little time as possible. This
is achieved with short distances and efficient operating techniques.

We want to be able to approach both the pile and the truck-side (or rear)
straight on. We want to avoid the dangers of loading over the cab, and we
want to avoid if possible having to have trucks backed into position – this
slows the loading process down.

We even want to consider things such wind direction – if the conditions are
dry and the pile is dry, having the dust blow away from us makes life much
easier and bearable.

Lastly, we want the work area to be safe when traveling at a reasonable

speed. This means preparation work by clearing and smoothing the paths to
and from the pile and truck. This time at the beginning spent by grading the
area will very quickly be regained and result in a faster job completion time.
Step by Step: Loading the Truck

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We carry on here from the steps covered in filling the shovel, assuming we
have a fully loaded shovel and are traveling towards the truck with the loader
carried low and close to the ground.

Step by Step: Loading the Truck

1. As we approach the truck we lift the loader as late as possible. This is

to minimize time spent with the loader high. Aim to just clear the side
of the truck as the loader is raised.

2. As the shovel edge moves over the side of the truck, start to dump the
load, continuing to move forward. This helps spread the load evenly
on the truck bed.

As the loader passes across the truck, stop and engage reverse, then
start to backup, whilst also starting to curl the bucket. This will empty
the rest of the material.

3. As the loader shovel passes the edge of the truck side, lower the
loader quickly to the safe traveling position, and continue with the
cycles.

4. Leveling the truck load: as the truck fills, the material will naturally
heap towards the centre of the truck. Towards the end of the loading
operation, use the shovel to either push or pull the top of the heap flat
against the sides of the truck, leveling the top.

For soft materials you should also push down with the flat bottom of
the shovel to compress and flatten the material in the truck.

Loading Tips

1. For two-wheel drive backhoe loaders, when loading from a pile,

traction can be improved by lowering the pressure in the tires – this
increases the amount of tire that is in contact with the ground.

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2. Use second gear to cut into the pile – there is less chance of losing
grip and spinning the wheels.

3. Where possible, lift the loader shovel over the top of the pile and then
pull the pile down and towards you, saving maneuvering time.

4. Completely fill the loader shovel! – but to avoid spillage, before

moving off quickly jolt the bucket curl lever – this will shake of any
lose material that would have fallen off whilst traveling.

5. Clear and flatten the travel path – not just at the beginning but also as
you work. This allows faster movement and reduces spillage.

6. When loading into a truck, keep the backhoe loader moving, either
forwards or backing up.

7. When dropping large heavy objects into a truck, such as concrete and
rocks, ‘bed the truck’ by first putting down some material that will
absorb the shock, such as sand.

8. As with the backhoe, never load over the cab.

9. Be aware of local regulations – in some cases the weight of the load in

the truck is the operators responsibility!

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Backfilling and Compacting

Most trenches and excavations will at some point need to be filled in. Even
the most inexperienced operator will quickly notice the difference between
the ‘solidness’ of normal ground and the ‘looseness’ of excavated dirt.

Bear in mind, on a serious construction job that required measured

compaction for supporting a structure, we would more than likely use a
compaction attachment, and a technique such as water jetting to help with
compaction.

If we didn’t compact the dirt as we replaced it:

1. It would settle over time, leaving a dip where the excavation was,
possible requiring more work.

2. It wouldn’t be able to safely support any weight – the structure would

sink on the soft ground.

So for anything more than a very basic job, compaction as part of backfilling
forms an important part of the work.

The backhoe’s effectiveness for compaction comes from either using the
backhoe bucket to push down, or wheel rolling – using the weight of the
backhoe loader by driving over the surface to compact it.

Of course wheel rolling in a deep trench isn’t an option, and we use the
backhoe to fill and bring the depth of the trench up to a wheel rolling height.

As mentioned in the backhoe techniques section, we can backfill material

into the trench using either the backhoe or the loader, and then compact in
layers of between 12 and 18 inches using the backhoe to either tamp up and
down along the trench or push down as the bucket slides along the trench.

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Either way the full weight of the backhoe loader should be on the bucket as
it pushes down – push down until just before the machine starts to lift up off
the ground.

Once the material has built up to within about a foot of the top of the trench,
wheel rolling can begin. Wheel rolling simply involves running the backhoe
loader along the ground, using the weight of the machine to compact the
surface.

It’s important to note that most of the surface compaction is done by the
front wheels – unless of course you have a modern backhoe loader with all
four wheels the same size! The reason is that the front wheels are smaller
than the rear wheels, so carry a higher amount of weight on a smaller area
– therefore provide a higher ‘pressure’ on the ground.

The effectiveness of wheel rolling can be increased by adding weight to the

loader shovel – in addition to increasing the general weight, it adds more to
the front wheels because of it’s position.

To wheel roll – simply drive backwards and forwards over the surface until
there is no more compaction taking place, this can be three or four times.

Backfilling with the loader

Working along the trench backfilling with the backhoe is used when each
level or ‘lift’ is to be compacted as it is put down. If this type of compaction is
not required then a quick backfill can be achieved with the loader.

Backfilling with the loader can be more dangerous as the loader sometimes
has to travel near to the open trench edge. There are some advanced
techniques which involve coming at the trench on a 45 degree angle and
sweeping across using the brakes to steer etc.. but we’ll concentrate on the
standard 90 degree push.

This can be no more complicated than using the backhoe loader as a ‘dozer’
– to push material into the trench to fill it up, and then driving over it to

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compact it. Alternatively it could for example involve filling in a trench that
has a new drainage pipe in it.

In this case we would also want to first backfill with some small grade
aggregate or sand. This would need to be dumped in slowly from the loader
– to 'fall like rain' as they say, until it had reached the required depth above
the pipe. Then earth would be dumped on top, and gently compacted with
the backhoe – not wanting to push too hard and break the new pipe.

Once backfilled and compacted up to within a foot or so of the top of the

trench, you can fill and wheel roll as normal.

Adding water
For maximum compaction, the particles of soil need to be packed together
tightly. We all know dry surfaces don’t slide very well together, but wet
surfaces are lubricated and do slide – water lubricates the soil particles and
allows them to slide when being compacted, so they can be packed and
compressed tightly together.

An easy test to see whether the water content of the material is good for
compaction, is to drive over it and look at the tread marks. It should only be
as deep as the tread, and should hold the tread mark without crumbling.

If it’s too dry, the tread mark will crumble. If it’s deeper than the tread – and
has reached the sidewall of the tire, then it will probably be wet anyway, and
too wet for good compaction.

If it needs wetting then it’s easiest to do this whilst it’s piled up – or even
better spread it around if you have the space – and wet it until it has the right
consistency.

Alternatively, water each layer as you fill the trench and compact as you
go. The difficulty with this is that the water will tend to pool and not spread
evenly across the material.

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On more professional jobs, and also once material has been backfilled, it can
be jetted – this is simply a water supply which is delivered to the dry material
by long rigid pipes which are pushed into the ground.

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Grading
Grading is the term used to describe the process of leveling the ground
surface to a required depth or height. In its simplest form, grading consists
or removing bumps and filling in dips to create a flat and level area. There
are only two things you can do: either cut down the high spots, or fill-in the
low spots.

Cutting accurate requires more skill, time and effort than filling, so it is better
to cut slightly too far than not far enough, and then fill back to the required
grade.

Although not always the case, typically much of the cutting down of high
spots is done with the front-lower edge of the shovel whilst moving forwards.
And much of the filling-in is done using the back-lower edge of the shovel
whilst moving backwards.

Additionally, finishing or fine grading is done by back dragging – moving the

backhoe loader in reverse and using the loader shovel to ‘smooth’ the surface
(in the float position when possible), removing even the tire marks.

As always, safety first, then smoothness and efficiency. Before starting the
grading job, make a work plan. If there is some type of edging that can be
used to set the level of the grade, work from that edge if possible.

Make visual notes of the areas to cut and the areas to fill – efficient operating
will move material from high to low areas as you work, and not as two
separate tasks.

Shovel positioning
Imagine the backhoe loader stood there on a flat open area, with the loader
bucket about a foot or so off the ground. Picture the rear wheels being
raised, lifted off the ground – what happens to the front of the backhoe
loader?

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It’s easy to see that the weight would rest on the front wheels, and the loader
shovel would move down towards the ground, as the machine pivoted on
the front wheels. The opposite would happen if we could sink just the rear
wheels into the ground – the machine would pivot on the front wheels, and
the loader shovel would move up.

Additionally, if only one of the rear wheels was either lifted of lowered, it
would tilt the loader shovel so that one side of it would be nearer to the
ground.

Once we understand how much the rear wheels affect the cutting edge
of the loader shovel, we can start to use those principles to both avoid
problems, and also achieve better control.

This is also the reason why when starting the grade, both the front and rear
wheels need to be already on a flat area, because they will affect the ‘ride
height’ of the loader shovel.

Perhaps the biggest differences between the front and rear edges of the
loader shovel, are that:

• The front edge is of course open, so can cut into the material, whereas
the rear edge also has the flat vertical back of the bucket, so is more
akin to ‘pushing’ the material.

• Using the front edge – you move forward, so driving over the graded
area after you have graded – leaving tire marks and compaction
marks.

• Using the rear edge you move backwards, driving over it first before
you have graded – then the shovel grades the surface, removing tire
and compaction marks in the process.

The rear edge of the loader bucket is used mostly for filling by back dragging,
and fine grading, although once you build up experience you will be able to
cut and fill as you move backwards and forwards, using both the front and

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rear edges of the loader shovel and accurately controlling the angle of the
shovel.

Using the shovel to cut

As mentioned, the front lower edge is strongest and most accurate edge to
use for cutting the high spots. Additionally, if the whole area needs to be
lowered, then that front cutting edge is the best one to use to cut into the
grade and start the run.

An important point to note if you are cutting into firm material using the
front edge of the loader shovel: once the edge ‘bites’, as you move forward
the loader shovel will try to follow the direction of the angle of the front edge
down into the earth, and not move along at the height of the loader shovel.

For this reason once the surface has been broken into, you will need to judge
the best angle for loader shovel as you move forward.

If the surface is a workable surface, either light/soft material or even

imported material, then starting the grading cut will simply be a case of:

1. Ensuring the machine is already level (both rear and front wheels on
the flat area), and the loader shovel is not touching the ground, but
set at the correct angle – approximately level to the ground.

2. Start the machine moving slowly forward, and then lower the loader
shovel to the desired grade – you will see the finish and can adjust the
angle and height.

Depending on the type of material, a few things can also happen, lets quickly
remind ourselves of what affects the cut:

1. The height of the rear wheels. If the rear wheels drop into a rut, the
loader shovel will jump up and the grade will have a bump.

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2. If the loader is full of material, the weight will tend to lower the loader
and it cut more deeply.

3. If the angle of the loader front edge is pointing up – the loader will
tend to ride on the surface of the grade and not cut.

4. If the angle of the loader is pointing down, the loader edge will tend
to cut down into the grade – pulling the loader shovel further into the
grade.

As you move forward and start to cut, one of the first obvious things that will
happen is that material will be ‘cut’ from the high spots – where does it go?
Yes, straight into the shovel. This adds weight to the loader, and so will tend
to lower the loader.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – in fact weight in the loader will stop it
tending to lift and ‘ride over’ the surface when cutting.

Once your confidence and skill increases, and you start to cut and fill at the
same time, operating with the shovel approximately half full will be the norm
– enough weight to help cutting without riding up, and enough material to
also fill as you move forward.

Using the shovel to fill

Depending on whether you are rough grading or fine grading, you can fill
with the shovel by either:

• Move forward, filling as you also cut, using the method shown above
of having a half full shovel so that there is always an excess ‘wave’ of
material in front of the shovel.

• Move backwards, back-dragging material with the rear face and edge
of the shovel, filling in and also grading as you travel.

• Open the shovel into the full dump position, and move forwards with
the bottom of the shovel in the vertical position, acting more like a

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motor grader. Be careful with this as hitting a solid obstruction can

damage the edge and/or the loader arms.

For the typical setup of using the loader shovel as a forward cutting edge
and then back dragging with the bottom of the loader shovel flat on the
ground, small changes in the angle can result in bit changes in the grade.
Only experimentation and experience will show exactly how the machine
responds.

An important not to bear in mind when filling, is that newly filled areas will
require some form of compacting. For light grading (less than four inches
depth) that doesn’t require serious and measured compaction, this can
simply as part of the traveling backwards and forwards over the same area a
few times, as the surface is leveled to grade.

Once you become experienced in grading, overfilling ‘fill areas’ to allow for
compaction will become automatic.

The Float Position

As you reach the final stages of grading, you will be aiming for a smoother
and flatter surface, until at last you will be finishing the final surface.

Modern backhoe loaders have what is called a ‘float position’ on the loader
control. The lever is pushed fully forward, past the loader arm lower position,
and locked into the float position. It will stay there until pulled back out.

What this does is open the hydraulic valves for the loader arm control,
allowing the hydraulic fluid to flow freely through the loader arm cylinders.
This has the effect of removing any control from the raise/lower and letting
the weight of the loader ‘float’ freely on the ground surface.

The float position can only be used when moving the machine backwards. If
you try to use when moving forwards, the weight of the loader will dig it into
the ground without any control – be prepared for a quick stop!

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The effect of floating the loader backwards over the grade is to smooth the
surface without any resistance, so there is no cutting done by the shovel.

Angle - loader or grader

You may come across some controversy regarding the method of using the
vertical edge when grading. With heavy grading there isn’t much choice, the
vertical edge of a backhoe loader shovel contacting a solid obstruction or
heavy resistance will not only damage the edge but possibly the hydraulic
arms/linkages, and because of this manufacturers don’t recommend it.

But take a look at the large motor graders, the grading blade is vertical and
there is no bucket. The action is more like a scraping or pushing action than
a slicing or cutting action. Of course at the same time, these machines were
built for this position, similar to dozers. Backhoe loaders were not.

As mentioned, this setup can be reproduced with the backhoe loader by

tilting the shovel into the full dump position – with the cutting edge lowest
and the ‘bottom’ of the shovel vertical. There are some advantages to this:

• The vertical edge will push material along, automatically scraping the
tops of high spots and filling the low spots.

• By opening a typical loader bucket to the vertical, you will have two
edges, the front one which is the top of the bucket, and the rear one
which is normal cutting edge of the bucket.

Although the principles are the same, grading using the vertical orientation
requires slightly different approaches, and of course doesn’t work when
using the float position.

Grading tips

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1. To find the position where the bottom of the shovel is flat follow this
quick tip. Start with the shovel partly curled, lower the loader until the
shovel is resting on solid ground, then push the loader control forward
into the float position.

Now start to open the loader shovel – it will roll on the ground,
without much movement. As soon as it passes the flat edge of the
bottom, the loader arms will start to get pushed up – stop opening
and curl it back slightly to sit it flat again – learn to recognize this
position by the location of some part of the loader. You may even
have a level indicator to help with this.

2. Before starting the grading task – check the loader by lowering it

close to the ground – both sides should be an equal height from the
ground. Adjustments can be made by altering the tire pressures in the
rear wheels – inflate to raise the height.

3. Never start the grading with the shovel on the ground – it will create
a dip in the grade which will bounce the rear wheels and therefore
bounce the loader, spoiling the grade.

4. If you need to cut into hard material and the level loader shovel won’t
penetrate the surface, swing the backhoe boom over to one side to
tilt the machine which will tilt the loader shovel – then dig that low
corner in first to break the surface.

5. Watch out when turning a corner at anything more than a very slow
speed – this will tilt the backhoe loader over to the outside edge,
which will also tilt the shovel edge and dig in on the outside.

6. When finishing off – ‘smoothing’ or ‘polishing’ – grade in one direction

first then again at 90 degrees to achieve more even finish.

Brakes – stopping and steering

You’ll often find that there are two brake pedals in your backhoe loader
– each one operates one of the rear wheels. These two pedals are next to

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each other, and have a mechanical device which can lock the pedals to each
other so they operate together as a single pedal. Both pedals are typically
operated with the left foot, whilst the engine speed is operated exclusively
with the right foot.

Split brakes introduce a very useful and also potentially dangerous option to
the backhoe loader. Historically most of the weight of a backhoe loader sits
on the rear wheels, and the backhoe assembly itself tends to lift weight from
the front wheels – these two factors reduce the effectiveness of the front
wheels to steer.

Applying the brake to one of the rear wheels will slow or stop that side of the
backhoe loader moving, pulling the machine around to that side. This can
be very useful when for whatever reason the steering is not as effective as it
needs to be – for example when grading, the weight of the backhoe loader is
on the loader shovel, and the front wheels tend to lift of the ground.

Unfortunately, this also works if we are traveling on public highways and

the brakes are not locked together – accidentally depressing just one of the
brake pedals will steer the machine off to that side – fighting against the
steering wheel.

For this reason you should normally have the brakes locked together, unless
you require the steering function of the split brakes.

NEVER travel on public highways with the brakes in the unlocked position.
Safety with the Loader

In addition to the section on safety, here are some loader specific issues and
tips to be aware of.

Safety with the loader is primarily about stability whilst moving. Depending
on the size of the loader, filling it can increase the weight of the loader by 3
or 4 thousand pounds! Lifting this weight up high will drastically affect the
stability of the backhoe loader.

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Loader position
NEVER travel with the loader lifted up high – ALWAYS travel with the loader
as close to the ground as possible.

NEVER load when facing the truck on a downhill slope – as you lift the load
there is a serious danger of the backhoe loader tipping forward.

NEVER load when facing the truck on a sideways slope – as you lift the load
there is a serious danger of the backhoe loader rolling sideways.

If you absolutely have to load in an area which is on a slope, only do this on a

slight slope, and ensure you move up the slope towards the truck.

Visibility
Always check the working area before maneuvering your machine. Don’t
assume because you can see them, they have seen you.

When traveling in reverse – be aware of the blind spot down the center of the
rear caused by the backhoe, and look over both shoulders to check this area.

Hand Signals
Before starting a job – confirm that anyone who uses hand signals is in
agreement about which signals to use and their meaning.

Traveling
When traveling, travel with the loader low, and fully curled. If the front edge
of the loader shovel is sharp or has teeth, fit a protective cover that is clearly
visible.

Always lock the brakes together when traveling on public highways, and to
and from the jobsite.

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Chapter 4

Safety

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Introduction
A Plumber Repairing a Water Line in a Trench in Texas Died When He Was
Struck by the Bucket of a Backhoe:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/tx/99tx390.html

Heavy Equipment Operator Killed When Pinned Under a Backhoe Tire:

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/nj/98nj082.html

Backhoe Bucket Crushes Worker in Trench:

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/ne/97ne041.html

Construction Laborer Killed After A Backhoe Slid into an Excavation:

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/ma/00ma055.html

Operator Crushed By Backhoe Boom While Doing Maintenance:

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/ia/99ia093.html

A Truck Driver Died When He Fell Off Of and Was Run Over by the Backhoe He
Was Riding On:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/ca/02ca006.html

A Construction Carpenter was Killed When Struck by the Bucket of a Backhoe:

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/ca/01ca013.html

Backhoe Operator Dies When Run Over by his Backhoe in California:

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/ca/96ca011.html

These are just a very small selection of backhoe accidents that are reported
– see http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/injury/traumaconstructface.html

Purpose
A primary purpose of safety training, mechanisms, procedures and rules, is
to prevent accident and damage to the operator, the machine, and other

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personell. Unfortunately many of these safety features were created in

response to accidents, injuries and fatalities.

Thankfully, by learning more about safety, understanding the risks, taking

sensible precautions and adopting an attitude of awareness – accidents can
be prevented. This saves lives, avoid injuries, and contributes to making the
industry a safer and more professional one.

Operator Handbook
It’s important to understand from the start that the best source of
information on your machine is your manufacturers operator handbook.
Read the operators handbook thoroughly, familiarise yourself with the
controls, the safety features and recommended procedures.

Know where the first aid kit is located, understand how to start and stop your
machine safey and correctly, and what to do in the case of an emergency.

Accidents
Accidents are a fact of life, and more so in the construction industry.
Although horrific injuries and fatal accidents grab the headlines, the most
common type of accident may surpise you.

It’s reported that the most common type of accident is falling or slipping
whilst mounting or dismounting the machine. Fortunately it is also one of
the easiest to prevent.

There are many types of accidents that can happen to the operator or the
machine. These include the operator slipping, falling, snagging clothes or
jewelry. These are not necessarily small injuries either. A case I read whilst
putting together this section involved a young man reparing a backhoe.

He was lying underneath freeing up the brakes, with the wheels off the
ground and the machine in gear so that the wheels turned slowly. A

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workmate came by after a few minutes and saw the limp body – the young
man’s hood had got caught on the drive shaft, pulled him up, broke his neck
and killed him.

Accidents can also happen to the machine, which then put the operator in
danger. These include tipping, rolling over, crushing, trapping etc.

Preventing Accidents
Preventing accidents is a combination of knowledge, checks and an ongoing
attitude of safety awareness. We’ve divided the safety checking into two
main sections; before use – which involves checking that you and your
machine are ready for work, and then during use – checking that you are
working safely.

Note: the best place to find information specific to your backhoe loader
model is in the manufacturer supplied operators handbook.

Before Use - checks

Self check
The self check not only includes your personal protective equipment, it also
includes the operator themselves – are they ready for work.

Never work when your judgement or ability to handle machinery is in

doubt – this includes never operating your backhoe loader when under the
influence of drugs and alcohol. Drugs includes ‘recreational’ drugs as well as
prescription drugs.

If in doubt – always seek medical advice first.

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Always wear adequate protective clothing, and a safety vest or equivalent

reflective jacket. Protective clothing might include:

• Hard hat

• Safety googles or glasses

• Dust mask, respirator or face shield

• Hearing protection – especially on older machines

• Gloves

• Safety footwear

Always avoid loose fitting clothing which can easily snag, trip or catch in
moving parts. Jewelry should be removed – especially rings and wrist
watches.

Once ready yourself, ensure you are familiarized with the machine
controls, the site rules if appropriate, local by-laws and traffic regulations if
appropriate.

Keep a copy of the manufacturers operators manual in the cab for reference.

Machine Checks
Remember that the point of the safety checks is to protect you, your machine
and other workers from accident and injury. The machine checks should
include the daily routine checklist (included at the end of the book). Always
keep the operators manual in the cab of the vehicle – stored safely for
reference.

It’s important to keep your cab clean and free of obstructions, apart from
being a more pleasant working environment, loose objects in the cab can roll
around and easily lodge under pedals which could potentially prevent you
from stopping or controlling the machine.

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Getting in and out of the cab

We’ve already heard how this is the most common reported cause of
backhoe loader accident. There are two simple but golden rules which will
prevent almost all of these types accidents:

1. Always maintain a three point contact getting in or out

What this means is that you either have two hands and one foot touching the
machine, or one hand and two feet – no exceptions. It’s the same principle
rock climbers use to stay alive!

2. Always face the vehicle when mounting or dismounting

This way you can see where your hands and feet are going, therefore making
it easy to maintainthat three point contact, you can also see and avoid
broken steps, hand rails etc, and lastly it makes it difficult to try and jump
from the machine, which of course you should never do!

When operating the vehicle, always wear the seat belt. Contrary to our
instinct and popular belief, you won’t be able to jump clear of a rolling
machine – the safest place is in the operators seat.

If you hit an obstacle or ride over a very uneven surface, the seat belt will
keep you safe in the seat, and keep you where you can control the machine.

Neutral start
Neutral start systems, start-up lockout or interlock systems are all designed to
prevent the engine from being started when the machine is in gear.

NEVER attempt to bypass these systems – it could result in serious injury or

even death. If the machine won’t start, then the protection system might be
doing it’s job! – check that it isn’t in gear.

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Parking brake
In addition to applying the parking brake when shutting down the machine,
it should also be applied when leaving the machine and the engine is
running. Often there is an audible alarm to wanr the operator if the parking
brake is engaged and the machine is put into forward or reverse gear. The
parking brake should be applied when using the backhoe.

Loader support strut

NEVER work under any part of the machine which is held in a raised position
by hydraulic pressure. The machine should come equipped with a steel
loader support strut that is fitted to one side of the loader piston - fit this
when the loader is raised, then lower the weight of the loader onto it, so that
the loader is fully supported by the strut.

Startup routine
Refer to the manufacturers operator manual for the most accurate
information. The basic startup routine should include:

• Conduct a walk round inspection – look for leaks and damage.

• Check fuel and fluids, tires and safety systems.

• Make sure other personell are clear from the machine and know that
you are starting it up.

• Mount vehicle correctly, and fasten your seat belt.

• Ensure parking brake is set, and controls are in neutral.

• Start the engine (following operators manual instructions).

• Check guages and use warm-up period to grease machine.

• Check operation of controls – it is the operators responsibility to check

for faults and report or take appropriate action.

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Shutdown routine
Again – refer to the manufacturers operator manual for the most accurate
information. The basic shutdown/stop routine should include:

• Stop the machine - park on level ground where possible, if not then
also block the wheels in addition to the normal procedure.

• Lower loader – park flat on the ground.

• Either lower boom so that bucket is on the ground, or lock into

transport position for safe storage.

• Shift controls to neutral.

• Engage the parking brake.

• Let the engine idle for a few minutes – this avoids overheating and
turbo damage etc. – perform quick visual check of parking area and
vehicle.

• Stop the engine.

• Cycle the hydraulic controls to release and hydraulic pressure.

• Remove key and secure vehicle.

During Use – working safely

Always wear your seat belt when operating your machine – as mentioned
and also demonstrated in the case studies, your seat is the safest place to be
in the event of a roll, tip or sudden impact.

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FOPS – falling object protection structure – check that this is intact,

servicable, and locked into place if appropriate.

ROPS – roll over protection system – this may be part of the FOPS structure,
check that this is also intact and secure. If the FOPS or ROPS are damaged,
seek professional advice for repairs – the structural integrity and strength of
these systems can be affected by dents, bends, cracks and corrosion.

Backhoe
The two biggest danger ‘issues’ when operating the backhoe are probably
the swing radius and trenching.

Always check the swing radius – as you are maneuvring the backhoe, your
eyes should be ahead of the bucket movements, always looking at where
you’re moving to, not at the bucket. In this way you’re automatically and
constantly checking the area before moving the bucket into it.

On a busy site, where other workers need to be withing the swing radius – for
example when giving you hand signals to control operations you can’t see,
then always make sure you have made eye contact with the other person,
before operating the backhoe.

Excavating
Trenches are notoriously dangerous areas, for a number of reasons. The
biggest danger is stability – the risk of cave-ins and collapse. On deep
trenches visibility is often impossible for the operator.

If we remember back to backfilling – undisturbed ground is normally in a

compacted state. Those compacting forces – or the ‘weight of the soil’ not
only pushes downwards but also sideways. Once we dig out a trench, there
is a natural tendency for the material slide or fall away from the open side
down into the trench.

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The higher the open side (the deeper the trench), the more likely it is to break
free and fall. Also the less solid the material, the more likely it is to break free.

Although in no way a guarantee of safety, here’s the golden rule of thumb

concerning trench depth:

NEVER get into a trench deeper than 5 feet unless it has

adequate shoring, sloping or benching, and has
safe easily accessible entrance and exit points.

If the trench is deeper than 4 feet, then provide some means of easy exit/
entry such as a ramp or ladder etc.

When placing spoil next to a trench, make sure it is at least 2 feet away from
the edge, otherwise the weight will increase the likelihood of collapse, and
the height of the spoil needs to be included in the depth of the trench!

Be sure to check your relevant country, state and local regulations, there may
be laws governing limits and depths etc.

One thing to also be aware of, is that vibration will loosen the earth on an
exposed trench side – potentially causing collapse. The type of vibration that
is most likely to cause this is exactly the vibration that comes from machines
designed to move the earth, such as virbrating plates, compactors and
breakers.

Vibrations travel long distances in the ground so even something as afar

away as 100 feet can still affect the stability of an unsupported sidewall.

When a trench is more than 5 feet deep, or the soil conditions dictate that
some form of precaution needs to be taken, there are basically two choices:

1. Use an excavation method to reduce the risk – sloping or benching.

2. Use some mechanical means to support the walls - shoring

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It’s important to note that even if a regulation doesn’t specify that shoring or
sloping is required, it can still be used as a safe choice when in doubt.

Note: Normally a nominated competent person who is capable of identifying

different soil types and risks will specify shoring/sloping etc. The operator
may well assist with installation of shoring, and will carry out sloping and
benching.

Note: There is much useful information on excavations, including soil

classification, sloping and benching, timber and aluminum shoring, and
selection of protective systems:

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owastand.display_standard_group?p_
toc_level=1&p_part_number=1926#1926_Subpart_P

A quick assessment of whether a protection system is needed, and which one

to use:

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_
table=STANDARDS&p_id=10936

Loader
The primary risk when moving and using the loader is the instability that
comes from either carrying the load too high or too dangerously, or simply
losing control on sloping ground.

The steep slopes at the edges of roads and embankments provide the
biggest cause of rollovers. As we know, the backhoe loader is relatively
unstable on sloping ground because of it’s high center of gravity – and this
makes it very vulnerable to easy toppling.

Side slopes are dangerous, as is loading facing down the hill towards the
truck. Even level areas that have rough and uneven surfaces can easily result
in the backhoe loader tipping over.

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As we mentioned in the loader techniques, if loading needs to be carried

out an anything but a flat surface, then always load facing towards the
truckuphill, and only ever if the conditions are safe enough to do so.

Always carry the loader as low to the ground as possible, and always wear
your seat belt.

Hand signals
Communication is always difficult around noisy and busy machines
and construction sites. With operators in their cabs, and workers on the
ground, even shouting sometimes isn’t enough. Another system had to be
developed, and hand signals were adopted.

There is an official SAE standard for recommended excavator and backhoe

hand signals, and the document is available for purchase, for around $50:

http://www.sae.org/technical/standards/J1307_200208

Although using approved standard hand signals is the best way to go, the
most important point is that both the operator and the signaller both agree
on the signals to use and their meaning.

Hand signals are of course a visual communication, and are best shown using
examples. You should have received the hand signals ebook with this book,
showing all the standard hand signals as recommended by the SAE, and also
some other you may come across.

If you are given a signal you don’t understand, don’t guess at it’s meaning
– simply do not act on it. The signaller will then clearly understand that there
is a problem.

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Traveling
When traveling any distance, make sure the vehicle is safely prepared and
ready. This includes transport locks such as swing and boom locks, light, turn
signals and warning signs.

As we mentioned earlier, never travel on public highways or long distances

with the brakes unlocked.

Check tire pressues, brakes, lights and securing mechanisms.

If after traveling for a while, traffic starts to build up behind you, pull over and
let it pass.

Lastly, ensure you have the correct documentation and licenses where
appropriate, and are familiar with the relevant traffic regulations.

Loading & transporting

Transporting a backhoe is one of the more dangerous tasks you may have
to deal with. Again, because of the weight distribution of the backhoe
loader, operating on slopes always brings a higher risk. Driving on and off
a transport trailer is a hazardous operation, and best left to an experienced
operator.

Step by Step: Load for Transport

1. Ensure that the transporter or trailer is suitable for carrying the load.
Check weight, width and height, safety warning signs a regulations.

2. Ensure that transporter or trailer is stable, on level ground and

securely blocked to prevent movement when being loaded.

3. Be aware of and follow manufacturers recommendations for loading

and unloading – see your operators manual.

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4. Ensure that transporter or trailer ramps and bed are free from
anything that may affect traction/grip, such as fluids, dirt, ice etc.

5. Ensure the ramp or trailer angle is long enough so as not to be too

steep. Steep angle increase likelihood of slipping and tipping.

6. Have someone guide you as you load the vehicle, and keep buckets
and attachments low as drive on.

7. Once on the platform, lower and then secure the loader, backhoe and
any attachments on to the bed of the transporter.

8. Apply parking brake, put transmission into park or low gear, remove
key.

9. Use appropriate and recommended securing chains or strops and tie-

down points – and block wheels securely ready for transport.

10. Be sure to check dimensions of loaded vehicle, especially height and

width.

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Useful resources
Trenching and Excavation Safety – OSHA Fact Sheet:
http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurricane_Facts/trench_excavation_
fs.pdf

Working Safely in trenches – OSHA Safety Tips:

http://www.osha.gov/Publications/trench/trench_safety_tips_card.pdf

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How to Operate a Backhoe Chapter 5 - Maintenance

Chapter 5

Maintenance

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Introduction

Benefits
Well done to you if you already have a good maintenance routine in place.
Sadly, the reality is that many operators and owners don’t carry out regular
maintenance procedures.

There are many reasons for this, but most come from simple fact of not
understanding the benefits of regular servicing and maintenance, and so not
setting aside the time as important.

So why is servicing and maintenance so important? – in general terms:

Reliability
A well serviced and maintained machine is a reliable machine. It will work
to its full capacity; digging, lifting, loading - you won't have to worry about it
breaking by pushing it too hard.

And it will keep on working, being far less likely to break down unexpectedly,
because you've spotted any early signs of wear and damage, and dealt with
them before they turn into an expensive problem.

On a daily basis, it will be far more likely to work for long full days without
breaking down - allowing you to be more productive and getting the job
done quicker.

Down-time can be expensive, either through repair costs, loss of earnings

simply because you cannot work, or even having to bring in replacement
machines.

Extend working life

Replacing a backhoe can be expensive. A well serviced and maintained
machine will simply last longer. You'll get more working hours out of it - so it
doesn't need to be replaced as soon.

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Reduce maintenance costs

Parts on a well serviced machine last longer – so that you don’t have to
replace them as often – saving you time and money, and letting you spend
more time in the operators seat.

Servicing and maintenance costs will be more about fluids and consumables,
and less replacement parts – again saving costly repairs and downtime.

Increase resale value

A well serviced and maintained machine will be in better condition. When it
comes time to sell – a machine in good condition will sell for a higher price.
This means you have more money to buy the next machine - effectively
lowering it's cost.

A machine that has been looked after sounds smooth, handles well and feels
‘tight’ - and is consequently more in demand - it will sell more quickly and
easily.

A machine that has been cared for and well maintained will be more in
demand because it will last the new owner much longer – they know it will
be more reliable and last longer.

Now we understand how servicing and maintenance benefits us as operators

and owners, let’s get an overview of what’s typically involved.

Service overview

Intervals
Service intervals are regular – not one-off, all the tasks will need to be
repeated at some point. The time between repeated tasks is called the
service interval. Some service intervals are daily, weekly, fortnightly, monthly
and longer. Often you’ll have service intervals quoted in hours – 10 hours is
normally equivalent to a day – so 5 days is 50 hours, or weekly.

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More modern backhoe loaders have an some indication of the machine

hours as part of the instrumentation in the cab.

Also bear in mind it that there may be regulations concerning a requirement

to record the hours that the machine has been used for. In any event, a
record of the hours that a machine has been used for are also important
when selling or buying.

The operators manual supplied with your machine is the best place, and
sometimes the only place, to find out the recommended service intervals for
your machine.

Different tasks are carried out at different intervals. For example fuel and oil
checks, and greasing has to be done daily, whereas fuel and air filters require
changing or cleaning less frequently.

When we look at the benefits of ‘looking after you machine’ - servicing and
maintenance can be broken down into two main categories, firstly there’s the
routines tasks of checking and lubricating:

Lubrication
If two dry moving metal surfaces come into contact with each other, friction
quickly builds up, causing heat and then damage to those metal surfaces. If
we were to run the engine without oil, moving components would quickly
seize up and the engine would be permanently damaged.

Lubrication allows the two metal surfaces to slide against each other, with
minimal friction, enabling easy movement. This allows us to construct such
things as joints, bearings and bushes.

Contamination of the lubricant reduces it’s effectiveness, and allows dirt etc.
to get into the lubricant in the gap between the moving surfaces – which will
then act as an abrasive instead of a lubricant.

So there are two parts to lubrication: providing the lubricant and keeping it
free from contamination. When adding oil to the engine, wipe the filler hole

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and cap with a clean rag first, and make sure no dirt gets into the engine
during the filling.

When greasing the grease points (also known as grease nipples or zerk
fittings) of the backhoe loader, wipe the grease points first to remove dirt,
otherwise you may inject it with the grease. Normally you would inject
grease until it starts to show somewhere on the joint.

It’s far better to grease lightly but more often, rather than not very often and
heavily on the rare times you do.

Be sure to check the operators manual for the right type of lubricants for your
machine.

Care and attention

The second part to maintaining your machine is how you operate it. As we
covered in operating techniques, the aim is smoothness in all movements.
Every time the boom crashes against it’s stop, or the arm or bucket bang
against their stop, you’re putting stress and strain on those parts, and they
will wear out more quickly.

Additionally, with larger impact there’s always the risk of actual damage,
whether it’s actual breakage or simply bending and denting.

The last important part of taking care of you machine is to keep it clean – at
the end of each day wash it down. This not only results in a more pleasing
machine to work on, it keeps dirt out, and makes it a safer machine to work
with.

We’ve included a daily routine checklist as part of this chapter, which gives
you a list of things to do both at the beginning of the work day and also at
the end.

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Maintaining your machine

Moving parts
As mentioned, any moving parts of your machine will require servicing and
maintenance.

This of course includes the moving metal parts and lubrication, but it also
includes the flexible hoses which carry the hydraulic fluid. Without hydraulic
fluid the machine simply cannot function. Check hoses as part of the daily
routine, look out for fraying or cracked hoses, or deteriorating sheathing
which looks in poor condition.

The two most important areas for greasing are the loader and the loader and
backhoe.
Loader
All the loader pivot points should be greased every day – but pay particular
attention to the bucket/shovel pivot points where they meet the loader arms
– where dirt comes into contact with the joint. Dirt will absorb grease and dry
the joint faster than normal.

Backhoe
The same applies for the backhoe – all of the joints are important but pay
particular attention to the bucket joints where they come into contact with
the dirt.

Additionally, extending dippers also need the tracks to be greased regularly.

Engine
As mentioned earlier, it’s important to keep lubricants as free from
contamination as possible. The engine is designed to take in air and fuel – so
these entrances need to be filtered. Keep the fuel and air filters clean, and
change according to the service schedule in the operators manual.

You will more than likely have a water and/or sediment bowl along the fuel
path, perhaps as part of the filter – regularly empty this. Water in the fuel is

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the single biggest cause of diesel injector failure. This is another reason for
topping up your fuel after a days work rather than in the morning – empty
space in the fuel tank allows air, and the air will cool overnight and water will
condensate in the fuel tank – mixing with the fuel.

In dusty and dry conditions, it makes sense to check and clean the air filters
more frequently. The small amount of time spent servicing your machine will
more than make up for the increased reliability and reduced maintenance
and repair costs.

Hydraulic system
As part of the daily routine checks, see that the hydraulic fluid is up to the
correct level.

Note: on some machines it is the level once the engine has started running
that needs to be measured – usually through a site glass or tube. The level
will drop once the engine and pump are started, as fluid fills and circulates
around the system.

Cooling system
Lastly, ensure the cooling system is topped up, and with the correct mixture
of water and anti-freeze if required. It may be a different mixture depending
on the time of year.

Note: Never check the coolant level on a hot or running engine

– dangerously high pressures can build up and the sudden release of this
pressure can blow scalding fluid out of the filler cap.

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Daily Routine Checklist

 Quickly confirm your machine is ready for a days work.

 Avoid down-time and repair costs by spotting early

signs of trouble.

 Extend the working life and reliability of your machine

with simple maintenance.

 Work safely in the knowledge that all equipment has

been checked properly.

Note: The best source of information on correct maintenance and operation

of your machine is the operators manual supplied by the manufacturer. The
operators manual gives machine specific details on controls, specifications,
maintenance intervals and routines.

Daily Routine Checks

A good daily routine will not only help avoid accidents by detecting
problems early, it will also extend the operating life and reliability of your
backhoe.

Probably the most important routine to establish is warming up your

machine adequately. Overnight the oil drains down from the engine parts
and collects at the bottom in the sump. This means that when you first start
the machine, there is no oil circulating, and hence no lubrication.

The running engine pumps the oil around, but it can take up to 20 minutes
for the oil to fully circulate. You should allow at least 10 minutes for the warm
up period.

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During the warm up period you should avoid using the machine, or putting
any stress on the engine. Operating the machine before it has warmed up
will greatly increase wear and the likelihood of damage, which in the long
term will cost money in servicing and repairs.

Before Starting

1. Check the oil levels every day and top up as required.

2. Check the coolant every two days.

IMPORTANT: Under no circumstances should you remove the radiator

cap when the machine is hot. In a hot engine the coolant is under
pressure – wait until the engine has cooled before removing the
radiator cap.

3. Check the hydraulic fluid levels.

IMPORTANT: Under no circumstances should you check for leaks

using your hands. Hydraulic fluids are under pressure – use a piece of
card or paper held close to hoses and connections to spot leaks.

Safe Starting

• Before starting check no-one is under, on or close to your machine.

• Only start the engine from the operator’s seat.

• Engage the parking brake and put all controls in the neutral position.

• Start the engine following the instructions in the operator’s manual.

• Check gauges and indicators and warning lights are all correct.

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Greasing
Once the engine is running, the warm up period can be used to do a visual
check, and also grease lubrication points. Grease for moving parts is as
important as oil for the engine.

Check the owner's manual for recommended greasing intervals and greasing
points. Have lots of clean rags, for keeping your hands clean and also to clean
grease points before greasing.

If you machine squeaks, then grease is required. If left ungreased, squeaks

turns into hot spots, and then gaulding occurs – which is where the two
surfaces act like sandpaper, resulting in obvious and permanent damage.

A good habit is to grease lightly and frequently, which maintains a more

constant level of grease, preventing dirt getting in and preventing joints
drying out.

Check the Machine

Walk Round
Check your machine for obvious signs of leaks, damaged or missing parts,
loose fastenings etc.

As mentioned, if a hydraulic fluid leak is suspected, under no circumstances

check with your hands. Check hoses and connections for hydraulic leaks with
a piece of paper or card, held close to the suspected leak point.

Check battery connections are clean and secure.

Check tires for damage and correct pressures.

Check the bucket pins and clips are properly seated.

Clean windshields, mirrors and lights.

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Check the Safety Equipment

• FOPS (falling object protective structure)

• ROPS (roll-over protective structure)

• Seat belts/Operator Restraints

• Lights

• Horn

• Back-Up Alarm

• Mirrors

• Fire Extinguisher

• First Aid Kit

Operating Check
It is the operator’s responsibility to check the condition of all systems.

• Check the engine speed control operates correctly.

• Check each control lever to ensure it functions correctly.

• Check the gear shift controls for correct operation.

• Check the parking brake and service brakes for correct and safe
operation.

• Driving slowly, test the steering.

• Ensure you can control your direction and speed before moving off.

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After a Days Work

Although most daily checks are done before the days work, it’s important to
follow a routine at the end of the day.

Allow the engine to idle for five minutes before turning it off. Whilst the
engine is running it is being cooled by the circulating coolant and also the oil.

If you have worked the machine hard, and it is hot, turning the engine off
stops the coolant and oil circulating, which may allow parts of the engine to
temporarily become too hot, potentially damaging those parts.

Parking
Select a safe site, on level ground wherever possible. If you have to park on
a slope or incline, block the wheels and if possible park your machine facing
across the slope, not facing up or down.

1. Stop the machine using service brakes.

2. Lower all attachments.

3. Shift controls into neutral.

4. Engage parking brake.

5. Idle the engine.

6. Stop the engine.

7. Cycle all hydraulic controls.

8. Remove the ignition key.

9. Isolate master electric switch if fitted.

Lastly, clean your vehicle down ready for the next day!

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Operator:
Date: Vehicle:
Description Checked
Check Oil Level 
Check Coolant Level 
Check Hydraulic Fluid Level 
Battery Connections Sound 
Idle Engine for 10 minutes 
Gauges and Indicators Working 
Greasing Routine Completed 
Tires Checked – damage and pressures 
FOPS and ROPS 
Seat Belt / Operator Restraint 
Lights 
Horn 
Back-Up Alarm 
Mirrors 
Fire Extinguisher 
First Aid Kit 
Loader and Backhoe Controls 
Brakes 
Steering 

End of Day Routine Completed 

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How to Operate a Backhoe Glossary

Glossary
Boom
Primary arm component of the backhoe assembly - the section between the
tractor and the dipper. Also provides the swing movement for the backhoe.

Breakout Force
A measurement of the force created by curling the bucket. Also used as a
comparitive specification between different models.

Compaction
The act of compressing material through mechanical action - typically with
either the bucket, wheels or a compacting attachment.

Crowd Arm
Also know as crowd, arm, dipper, dipper arm. The secondary arm component
of the backhoe assembly - the section between the boom and the bucket.

Cycle Time
The time taken to move from a start point, then through one complete
individual digging sequence and back to the start point.

Feathering
The technique of gently operating the controls so that only a part of the full
flow is used - this gives more accurate and better control.

Swing
The left to right movement of the boom.

Utilities
Normally the public service supplies such as electricity, gas, telephone, water,
sewage etc.

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 DIPPER OUT BOOM LOWER BUCKET OPEN SWING LEFT
How to Operate a Backhoe

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DIPPER BOOM BUCKET SWING

DIPPER IN BOOM RAISE BUCKET CURL SWING RIGHT

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Glossary
 How to Operate a Backhoe

BUCKET OPEN DIPPER OUT BOOM LOWER

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BUCKET DIPPER BOOM

SWING LEFT SWING RIGHT

BUCKET CURL DIPPER IN BOOM RAISE

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Glossary
 BOOM LOWER DIPPER OUT
How to Operate a Backhoe

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BOOM DIPPER
and and
SWING BUCKET
SWING LEFT SWING RIGHT BUCKET CURL BUCKET OPEN

BOOM RAISE DIPPER IN

‘JD’ and ‘BACKHOE’ PATTERN

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 DIPPER OUT BOOM LOWER
How to Operate a Backhoe

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DIPPER BOOM
and and
SWING BUCKET
SWING LEFT SWING RIGHT BUCKET CURL BUCKET OPEN

DIPPER IN BOOM RAISE

ISO, SAE and ‘EXCAVATOR’ PATTERN

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Glossary
 How to Operate a Backhoe

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LOADER LOWER
LOADER FLOAT

ARMS
and
BUCKET
RETURN TO DIG BUCKET CURL BUCKET DUMP

LOADER RAISE

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Glossary