Re: Bought my first backhoe

Posted by 135 Fan on April 14, 2007 at 22:55:36 from (68.149.46.121):

In Reply to: Bought my first backhoe posted by Harlan Kruger on April 14, 2007 at 14:25:44:

If your 350 is a C model it's not too bad a machine. C models have wet brakes which are better. I used to have a 355D which was the lastest version of a 350. D's were made from 85-87. I wanted to find a hoe for it. The recommended hoe is the 9550 with a 13 ft. 7 in. digging depth. A 9300 (for 450 and 550 machines) hoe would work on 350 loaders only but is still a little heavy on the back. I ended up selling the 355 because I found a Cat 931B with 4 in 1 bucket and quick attach hoe.
Having had both machines I can make some comparisons on what is better or worse on each machine. The direct drive on the 355 I actually like better because you don't have to rev the engine up as high to get it to move. The power shift is nice if you want to travel faster because you don't have to stop to shift into a higher gear. 4th gear on the JD is too fast and I have seen some where owners have tacked a plate over the slot on the shifter guide so it couldn't be used. The JD is very easy on fuel. The Cat is too but it is closer to a 450 JD. On my 355 I put a piece of 2 1/2 in. square tubing under the seat rails to raise the seat height so your not sitting in the machine and can see better. I put new brake bands in the JD. Not too bad a job with a hoist. The JD steered better but I prefer foot pedals for steering. It leaves your hands free for the tranny and loader controls. I had the track frames off to straighten for new tracks and completely rebuilt the final drives. Everything comes off each side which is way easier than the Cat. One thing that I was told about was the big solid bar than holds the back of the track frames together were known to get sloppy in the mounts. I went to metal super market (that's what it is called) and got a piece of tube that just fit over the shaft and then a thicker tube that fit over the inside tube. It would have been nice if I could have done it with one thick tube. I centered the solid shaft between the worn holes holes on the track frames and welded the two tubes all the way across the middle of each of the two thick plates on each side. I figured this would give me a larger surface area that would last longer. It worked really good.
Something I really noticed with hoe on the back of the Cat is it is really back heavy and not balanced very well. It also slows the machine down. I took the hoe off and it was like a totally different machine. Put a block under the hoe when you take it off so your hoses will still reach if it creeps. The 4 in 1 bucket is over rated. It is good for picking up trees and makes the ultimate fencing tool. You can push posts in and if they are wrong you can pull them out and put them where you need them. Just don't clamp too hard. When clearing brush the hoses on the 4 in 1 bucket get in the way and are always getting branches caught on them. There was an earlier post about a 4 in 1 bucket that it could be used with teeth or if you wanted a smooth finish you just open the bucket and use it like a blade. It does not work the same as a bulldozer blade. It can't go down as low if you are working on hills and stuff and you don't have as good of control.
In response to the post about a track loader with a hoe compared to a rubber tire hoe. Although a rubber tire machine will maneuver faster and cause less damage there are some very good benefits to a track machine. A track machine will work in softer material and won't get flat tires if you are doing some lighter brush clearing. The hoe can also be taken off quickly if it isn't needed. Each machine has its own pros and cons but you can't say a rubber tire hoe is better just because it doesn't cause as much damage on a lawn. Hope this helps you and carry lots of grease for the hoe. Sometimes I wish I had a rubber tire machine but then I do a job that only a track machine could handle. There should be a fair amount of used parts available for a 350 through the used JD network. There are also some very knowledgable JD mechanics on this forum. Enjoy your new toy. Dave

Replies:

• Re: Bought my first backhoe 135 Fan 23:03:15 04/14/07 (0)

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