BASIC OPERATIO MAUAL

FOR
BACKHOE LOADER

Using Backhoe Bucket

Use type of digging which is best suited

for your specific job.

Crowd Digging:

For most general excavating, leveling

material, and digging trenches. Crowd
digging utilizes the crowd cylinder (A)
for majority of movement.
Crowd Digging
1. Position dipperstick in vertical
position and then move away from
machine approximately 0.61 m (2 ft).

2. Retract dipperstick and curl bucket

simultaneously to make first cut. First
cut should be approximately 1.2 m (4 ft)
long and 75-100 mm (3-4 in.) deep.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for remaining

cuts and increase depth to 100-150 mm
(4-6 in.) deep.

Bucket Digging:

For power digging or working in a small

area. Use bucket cylinder (B) for
digging.

1. Lower extended bucket to digging

area and lower boom to force bucket Bucket Digging
into ground.

2. While retracting the dipperstick, curl

(retract) bucket until it is full.

If bucket stalls, raise the boom slightly

and continue to curl bucket.

If dipperstick stalls, roll back bucket to

break out.

Page 1 of 17
Positioning Spoil Piles

To prevent cave-ins, place spoil pile at

least 1 m (3 ft) away from edge of
excavation. Deeper excavations require
larger area for spoil pile due to
increased pile size. Place spoil piles in
convenient locations for easier truck
loading or backfilling.

On slopes, place piles on the upper side

for improved machine stability and
easier backfilling.

Leveling Machine

Operate machine on firm, level ground

when operating backhoe.

1. Level work area as necessary.

IMPORTANT: To avoid injury from

tipping or unexpected machine
movement do not dig under stabilizers.

NOTE: When stabilizers are lowered to

level machine, they may not be
extended the same length due to
variations in ground.

2. Lower stabilizers to level machine

and provide side-to-side stability. Take
load off rear tires with minimum
clearance between tires and ground.

3. With front bucket in dig position,

lower until weight of machine is off
front tires. Add material in bucket for
additional counterweight.

Position loader bucket in fully dumped

position when ground surface is icy,
wet, or rocky.

Page 2 of 17
Using Loader Bucket

NOTE: Bucket and boom can be

positioned while machine is on-the-go.

1. Place bucket in dig position on

ground.

2. Move gear shift lever to appropriate

gear to dig. First or second gear is
recommended.

3. Move forward into the material.

4. Raise and curl bucket to hold load.

Excavating With Front Bucket

NOTE: Buckets with teeth are

recommended for excavating.

Position bucket at a slightly downward

angle on ground and drive forward to
scoop ground and curl bucket at end of
excavating area.

If digging in tightly packed, hard or

dense ground, use a gentle up-and-down
motion to break up ground.

Page 3 of 17
Dozing and Plowing

DOZING: With bucket parallel to

ground, remove as little dirt as possible
from top surface. Let dirt spill from
partially dumped bucket to fill in low
spots.

PLOWING: Place boom in float

position and bucket in dig position to
prevent gouging surface (e.g.-cleaning
concrete and snow removal). Also use
float position to avoid mixing surface
and stockpile material.

Backdragging

Leveling and grading can be done by

backdragging with front loader bucket in
reverse. Place front loader boom in float
position when backdragging so bucket
will follow contour of ground.

Page 4 of 17
Excavating Banks or Stockpiles

CAUTION: To prevent possible

injury from falling material, remove
overhangs from top of bank or stockpile
before starting excavation.

Remove overhang with backhoe or

loader before starting to dig at the base
of a bank or stockpile.
Remove Overhang
Using backhoe or loader, reduce
required breakout force required when
digging into hard, dense, or tightly-
packed material by working from top of
bank or stockpile to bottom.

Under normal conditions, start to

excavate bank or stockpile from bottom,
working up the side. Work face of bank
or stockpile evenly to prevent
outcroppings and overhangs.

Excavate bank or stockpile with

machine at a 90° angle to digging
surface. Hard Material Start Point

1. Position bucket on the ground in dig

position.

NOTE: Use differential lock as

necessary.

2. Place gear shift lever in first or

second gear depending on ground
conditions.

3. Move forward into the bank or

stockpile.
Normal Excavating Position
4. Raise and curl bucket as it fills.

Page 5 of 17
Backfilling

CAUTION: To avoid injury due to

an overturn when backfilling, DO NOT
position machine at an angle to
excavation. To ensure best possible
traction and stability, approach
excavation straight on.

IMPORTANT: To prevent machine

damage, DO NOT use loader bucket in
dump position or side of bucket to
backfill.

Use bucket side or loader in dump

position only if finish grading with front
boom in float position.

Backfilling Next To a Building:

NOTE: If operating in an area with

limited work space, use backhoe bucket
instead of loader for easier
maneuvering.

Extra dirt can be backfilled around

foundations to allow for settling.

When backfilling next to a building,

push load as close as possible with
loader bucket, then backdrag to pull
excess material away.

Backfilling An Excavation:

As an excavation is filled nearly to

grade, begin to compact material by
slowly moving front wheels onto fill
material while gradually emptying
loader bucket. Front wheels will
compact loose soil which will support
machine as it moves further onto filled
area.

TX,35,BG254 -19-29AUG97-1/2

Page 6 of 17
NOTE: To level surface and fill tracks
as grade is reached, backdrag when
backing out over filled area. (See
Backdragging in this chapter for
backdragging procedure.)

Backfilling Large Areas:

To bring a large area up to grade, while

being able to drive in, spread material in
thin layers over entire area. Operate at
nearly full engine speed while in first
gear and dump material on-the-go.
Reverse direction just prior to emptying
bucket. Tractor will compact fill
material as it moves back and forth.

Page 7 of 17
Truck Loading

Level and smooth loading area before

loading trucks to increase machine
stability.

Retract and lock backhoe and

dipperstick. Install swing lock pin.

Ensure working area is clear of all

persons, including truck driver, before
loading truck. "V" Path
Park truck close to stockpile to reduce
backhoe travel time.

If possible, load truck on driver's side

for easy communication with driver.

If possible, park truck so wind will be at

your back to keep dust of the dumped
load out of your eyes and away from
engine air cleaner.

Follow a "V" path between truck and

stockpile.

Raise loader while moving toward truck

and lower while moving away from
truck to save time.

Load truck box from center front to

center rear.

Dump load into truck at a steady pace

(rather than abruptly) to minimize stress
on truck.

If loading large rock, first place a load

of smaller rock into truck to cushion
impact of large.

If loading with backhoe bucket, do not

swing bucket over truck cab.

Page 8 of 17
Benching

CAUTION: Prevent possible

injury from a collapsing soil bank. DO
NOT undercut soil bank with bucket.

NOTE: Start benching on a level

surface. If necessary, use backhoe
bucket to create a level starting point to
bench.

1. With bucket positioned at a slightly

downward angle, move gear shift to
first gear, lower bucket into ground and
drive forward.

2. Create a windrow of spoil material to

build the bench.

TX,35,BD2121 -19-07OCT96-1/3

CAUTION: Prevent possible

injury from rollover. DO NOT drop
leading front tire past windrow edge.
DO NOT work parallel to road edge to
compact spoil.

NOTE: Keep material in bucket while

moving forward to fill low spots on
bench.

3. Push windrow at 45-90° angle to

road edge to extend bench.

4. Compact windrow spoil with leading

front tire ONLY.

TX,35,BD2121 -19-07OCT96-2/3

Page 9 of 17
5. Make a final grading pass to
straighten uphill bank and level bench.

Page 10 of 17
Lifting

CAUTION: Never move the load

suddenly. Never move load over person's
head. Do not allow any persons near the
load. Keep all persons away from raised
load until blocks are supporting it or load is
sitting on the ground.

Make sure chain/sling is in good condition

and is rated for load you are lifting.

1. For maximum lifting capability, attach

chain/sling to buckets at positions shown.
Refer to Specifications chapter for
capacities of backhoe.

2. Attach a hand line to load for stability.

Use long enough line to ensure that person
holding it is a safe distance from load.

3. Before lifting, perform following test of

load stability:

NOTE: If using backhoe to lift, raise rear

tires off ground 50 mm (2 in.) and ensure
machine is level. If ground is soft, place
boards or other wide support under
stabilizer feet to increase stability.

a. Park machine close to load.

b. Attach load to chain/sling.

c. Raise load 50 mm (2 in.) above ground.

d. If using backhoe, swing load all the way

to one side.

e. While keeping load close to the ground,

extend it away from machine.

If there is any indication of reduced

stability of your machine, lower load to the
ground and make necessary adjustments so
machine can successfully perform test. Do
not lift load until machine can perform test
at acceptable level.

Page 11 of 17
 Universal
Bucket
Couplers
and Bucket
Options

NOTE: In
addition to
the Universal
coupler
shown here,
other
couplers are
available
through your
authorized
dealer for a
specific
machine
manufacturer;
such as
CASE and
FORD NEW
HOLLAND.

The 310G
and 310E
backhoe
buckets have
the same pin
sizes as the
D-series and
C-series
backhoe
buckets,
allowing D-
and C-series
backhoe
buckets to
pin to 310G
and 310E
linkage in the
power dig
position. This
provides 190°
bucket
rotation
without

Page 12 of 17
 changing
bucket pin
location.
Bucket must
be installed
in truck load
position to
prevent rod
from hitting
grease fitting
on top of
dipperstick.

Item Measurement Specification

310G and 310E Bucket-to- Diameter 44.5 mm (1.75 in.)
Dipperstick Pin
310G and 310E Bucket-to- Diameter 38.1 mm (1.5 in.)
Bucket Linkage Pin

A universal coupler is available to adapt a 310G or 310E backhoe for use with
existing Deere and other types of buckets. To use coupler (A), slide front bucket pin
into pin groove (B) of coupler and attach back bucket pin through appropriate size
hole (C) in coupler, with coupler installed, the following buckets may be used:

• 310G and 310E Buckets

• 310SG, 315SG, 410G, 310SE, 315SE, and 410E Buckets
• 300D-510D Buckets
• 210C-610C Buckets
• Case C, D, K and L Series Buckets
• Caterpillar B-Series Buckets

OUO1079,0000294 -19-09OCT00-1/2

Page 13 of 17
 NOTE: The E-series and C- and D-
series John Deere buckets have
different rear pin positions in the
coupler.

To attach the coupler to a bucket,

engage the hook on the coupler with
the front bucket pin. After the front
pin is in the hook, roll the bucket to
the correct rear pin position. The
coupler has three rear pin holes to
attach different buckets.

A-Caterpillar
B-Deere C- and D-Series and Case
C-Deere 310G and 310E
D-Deere 310SG, 315SG, 410G,
310SE, 315SE, and 410E

Page 14 of 17
Loading and Unloading Machine
on a Trailer

Loading the Machine on a Trailer

1. Keep trailer bed clean. Put wheel
chocks (A) against trailer wheels.

2. Use a ramp or loading dock. Ramps

must be strong enough, have a low
angle, and correct height. Load and
unload machine on a level surface.

3. Fasten seat belt before starting A-Wheel Chock (6 used)

engine. Allow engine to run for several
minutes.

4. Install the extendible dipperstick

locking pin, if equipped, and engage the
backhoe swing lock. (See Operating the
Machine chapter for lock operation
instructions.)

5. Drive the machine up ramps slowly

with centerline of machine over
centerline of trailer. (See Driving the
Machine chapter for driving
instructions.)

6. Lower loader bucket onto blocks or

trailer bed.

7. Lower backhoe boom until bucket

rests on trailer bed.

8. Move gearshift lever and FNR lever

to NEUTRAL.

CAUTION: Prevent possible

injury from unexpected machine
movement. Never rely on FNR lever
and gearshift lever to keep machine
from moving. Always engage park
brake to hold machine.

9. Engage the park brake.

IMPORTANT: Turbocharger, if
equipped, may be damaged if engine is

Page 15 of 17
not properly shut down.

10. Run engine at 1/2 speed without

load for two minutes.

11. Move engine speed control lever to

SLOW IDLE.

12. Turn key switch to OFF and remove

key from switch.

OUO1079,00002C0 -19-24OCT00-1/3

13. Move hydraulic control levers to

release hydraulic pressure.

OUO1079,00002C0 -19-24OCT00-2/3

IMPORTANT: Prevent possible

hydraulic system damage. Fasten chains
or cables to machine at proper locations.

14. Fasten chains or cables from trailer

to frame tie-downs (A). DO NOT route
chains or cables over or against
hydraulic lines or hoses.

15. Fasten backhoe bucket to trailer

with chains or cables to prevent
movement during transport. Left Side Shown
16. Cover engine exhaust pipe opening
with tape to keep dust and rain out of
pipe.

Unloading the Machine from the

Trailer
1. Park the trailer on a level surface.

2. Put wheel chocks against all trailer

wheels.

3. Clean the trailer bed. Remove chains

from the trailer bed. Uncover engine A-Frame Tie-Down (3 used)
exhaust pipe.

4. Use long ramps to unload the

Page 16 of 17
machine.

5. Lock the brake pedals together with

the pedal lock device.

6. Fasten seat belt and face the front of

the machine.

7. Start the machine and run the engine

at SLOW IDLE for several minutes.

8. Raise the front bucket approximately

30 cm (1 ft). Engage the backhoe boom
lock and fully curl the backhoe bucket.

9. Disengage the park brake.

10. Shift transmission to 1st and drive

slowly off the trailer.

Page 17 of 17