A backhoe is a piece of earth moving equipment designed for digging. There is a common misconception that the entire vehicle is known as a backhoe when actually it refers only to the attachment with the digger on the end. This two-part arm with its bucket used for digging is technically the backhoe attachment. But it's also common for tractors that have a bucket on the front end of the arm with the digger on the back to be called backhoes.

The arm with its clawed scoop designed for digging is also found on a piece of equipment known as an excavator. There are generally two types of excavators: the standard type and a mini-excavator. A mini-excavator is usually a skidsteer loader which is a very small type of front loader with a backhoe attachment mounted on the front. A regular excavator is a huge piece of equipment with an arm permanently mounted on the chassis.

The difference between excavators and backhoes lies in their uses. A tractor backhoe has the scoop bucket on the front for lifting and moving earth and other materials and the backhoe arm on the back. It can be use for both those purposes where an excavator is used chiefly for digging and earth-moving whether it's a regular size or mini-excavator. Excavators are also on tracks rather than wheels.

A backhoe attachment can also be put on a front loader and interchanged with other things like a bucket, forks, blades and other attachments. That makes the front loader or a skidsteer loader used in this way a multipurpose vehicle. That can save a company money if they don't need a dedicated backhoe or excavator because they can get several different uses out of one piece of equipment.

Backhoes are called "back" not because the arm and bucket are mounted on the back of the machinery but because the hauling action or the digging action is done back toward the tractor. The two-part arm consists of the first part that's attached to the machinery called the boom and the second part on which the bucket is mounted called the dipper or dipperstick. This arm raises and lowers the digging bucket which is facing the operator. It digs down into the earth and pulls back toward the tractor. That's why when this arm and bucket is mounted onto a front loader, it still called a backhoe.

Renting a backhoe is a popular option for people who don't want or need the extreme expense of purchasing one. But because this is a heavy-duty equipment for digging in even hard and rocky ground, it's best to hire someone to operate the backhoe and rent the service rather than the equipment unless you're trained in driving and operating one. Businesses that need backhoes can purchase used or reconditioned models if their budget won't allow for a new one. A reconditioned backhoe will probably be better in the long term than a used one because it will come with a better warranty.

Photo Credits: mag3737

Originally posted 2010-04-08 03:54:37. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Green Construction, Tools and Equipment

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backhoe attachment, chassis, digger, earth moving equipment, excavators, mini excavator, moving earth, multipurpose vehicle, scoop bucket, skidsteer loader, tractors