Backhoe Controls

cmcgalla · Aug 7, 2012

I hope someone here can help me out. I have an old backhoe I just bought. It is a MM 445 Industrial with Shawnee loader and hoe. When sitting and using the hoe I have 6 sticks, I was told they need switched around, but don't remember what needs switched. Tell me if this is standard: From left to right they are, outriggers, swing, main boom, dipper, curl, outriggers.
Thanks
Zeek

showcrop · Aug 7, 2012

They don't need to be switched. There are virtually no 6 stick hoes being produced any more so it doesn't matter how they are arranged. Joy stick controls are virtually all one of two different setups. You get, in feel a little to see which it is, then go at it.

cmcgalla · Aug 7, 2012

Sounds good, but I am new to operating a hoe and
certain sticks will not work when other sticks are
being used. If I want to raise the main boom and
curl it will not, so is it possible that the valve
is set up so that only certain sticks can work in
conjunction with other sticks?

Paul Janke · Aug 7, 2012

If the valves are in parallel then the lowest pressure required load will move first and the others won't move until that first load is no longer activated or until the required force increases to more than some other function. If the valves are in series then the first function in that series will be the only one to move if it and another are activated at the same time. While talking about series that is when all the functions are in the same valve bank.

Wheat Farmer · Aug 7, 2012

First see which sticks can be moved at the same time. What is it that you might want to do. For example draging the bottow of a ditch level. You would want to move the boom and dipper at the same time. I remember Dad bending the sticks so he could put two in the same hand. I think it was the dipper and curl.

Mike in Mn. · Aug 7, 2012

I used to have a Massey set up that way, loved the way it worked. To take a cut or fill the bucket, hold the main boom control all the way toward you with your left hand and run the dipper and curl at the same time with your right. The dipper and curl will have priority and when you let back on them the main boom will crowd toward you. When digging a trench you need to work all three at the same time to get a nice smooth bucket full and keep the trench bottom flat. you cannot just run one lever at a time, it takes practice and you will become one with the machine.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 7, 2012

Sometimes you can't pull one lever all the way back because it takes priority. With practice you learn to not pull it all the way so another function can work at the same time.

Yukon3639 · Aug 7, 2012

(quoted from post at 18:17:50 08/07/12) I hope someone here can help me out. I have an old backhoe I just bought. It is a MM 445 Industrial with Shawnee loader and hoe. When sitting and using the hoe I have 6 sticks, I was told they need switched around, but don't remember what needs switched. Tell me if this is standard: From left to right they are, outriggers, swing, main boom, dipper, curl, outriggers.
Thanks
Zeek

I ran a. Mopower in the sixties and the controls were as you describe.
You brought back some good memories

cmcgalla · Aug 8, 2012

I guess that settles it! I have to keep practicing, because I am basically burying the whole bucket, not taking layers of dirt, and then it bogs down. I was so mad when I got it home because I would point the teeth pretty much away from me, and then dug with the dipper and curl only, and it would get stuck, just stop no power to lift the giant chunk of earth with the main boom.

So from what I just read, it seems that the dipper and curl do the digging and the main boom keeps me from taking a huge bite and hopefully it will also keep my trench level, is that correct?
Thanks
Zeek

showcrop · Aug 8, 2012

(reply to post at 18:17:50 08/07/12) [/quot

I have never been able to explain the operation to anyone; you just do it and it takes practice. I had help starting out from a small contractor who had been using a 6 stick daily for 10 years. What he emphasized is that in order to operate smoothly you need to always have two cylinders in motion at the same time so that as one stops it's motion the other cushions the stop.

john in la · Aug 8, 2012

practice practice practice

Like showcrop said keep two things in motion at all times to soffen the blow of switching between differant motions.
In other words feather the controls so you can control what motion you want to happen.
If you pull the boom and dipper control all the way the boom may be the only thing to work well.
But if you learn to feather the controls you can make it switch back and forth between the two to where it looks and feels like one motion.

Then when you get to where you can do that very well we can see how good a operator you are by switching the controls around because there in several standards. Even todays modern day joystick equiptment uses differant control actions.
Cat uses a SAE standard while John Deere uses a ISO standard.

Backhoe Controls

cmcgalla

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showcrop

Well-known Member

cmcgalla

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Paul Janke

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Wheat Farmer

Well-known Member

Mike in Mn.

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Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

Yukon3639

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cmcgalla

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showcrop

Well-known Member

john in la

Well-known Member

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