755 backhoe

[Mike industrial tractor]

Hello; I have a 755 ford backhoe from a 1973 ford 4500 and wondered if anyone knew how much trouble it would be to fit to a ford 555?
The 550 tractor lists this backhoe as an attachment but the 555 uses some other 15 backhoe. The 555 has a different style loader so I m not sure if I could just switch out the entire loader / backhoe subframe from the 4500 to the 555 or if things are too different for that? Or maybe there is some other kit I could buy.
Thanks

 

[Andy Wickiser]

I don't see that as practical. The 755
backhoe attachment had a four-point
cradle-pin mounting arrangement meant to
be fairly easy to detach. The 555 was
designed as a purpose-built tractor-
loader-backhoe with integrated loader and
backhoe. Of course with enough mod/fab
work anything is possible.

 

[Tom in Mo.]

Agree with Andy on this one. The 555 was a major redesign from the 550 and "attached' hoes.

 

[Sean in PA]

Also, the 755 had a longer 4 cylinder engine than the 3 cylinder 555, so the entire tractor was longer, and the mounting points for the subframe would be different.

 

[Andy Wickiser]

I think Mike was asking about a 755
backhoe attachment as installed on a Ford
4500 industrial tractor. The 755 TLB is
different (a later beast of TLB). Another
example of confusion caused by Ford
reusing model numbers.

 

[Sean in PA]

Oops... sorry. I had a couple of adult beverages before I read the original post and thought he was asking about the 755 TLB.

 

[Mike industrial tractor]

Were there any models besides the 550 that this hoe would fit on, maybe a 455?
( I have blown my engine on 4500 and by the time I buy a new one and split the tractor to put it in etc. it may be cheaper to get a 455 or something and put my hoe on it)
Thanks.

 

[Sean in PA]

There were 2 different tractors that replaced the 4500 in 1975, the 535 and 550. The 550 came from the factory with a loader and a backhoe. The 535 came stock with only a loader, but you could add a backhoe as an option. So if you are looking for a tractor to transplant your backhoe to, look for a 535, or even a 545 which replaced the 535, or a 545A, which replaced the 545. Those models are much more likely to not have a backhoe than a 550.

 

[Mike industrial tractor]

(quoted from post at 09:30:03 04/09/23) There were 2 different tractors that replaced the 4500 in 1975, the 535 and 550. The 550 came from the factory with a loader and a backhoe. The 535 came stock with only a loader, but you could add a backhoe as an option. So if you are looking for a tractor to transplant your backhoe to, look for a 535, or even a 545 which replaced the 535, or a 545A, which replaced the 545. Those models are much more likely to not have a backhoe than a 550.

Ok great thanks! So do you think my loader/backhoe subframe would bolt right onto the 545A ? It s hard to tell with just pics but I was hoping the two holes in the front would be roughly the same and I would forget about the original loader and use my old loader/backhoe subframe from my 4500.
The wheelbase of the 555 (80") was a bit closer to my original than the 545A but I have no idea of all the other complications I may run into. I have one close to me for a decent price but it s hard to tell with just pics what s involved.There does appear to be 2 holes in the 555 front end but also seems to be an angle difference whereas the 545 looks more like mine.

 

[Tom in Mo.]

Mike, there is a lot of pieces to the puzzle. Not only snapping the hoe on the back but if the loader tractor doesn't have the supports then yours would have to be transplanted. Also consider the plumbing involved. My 550 has the main pressure supply piped to the hoe first and then forward to supply the loader controls. An add on hoe would need pressure plumbing and return lines.

 

[Mike industrial tractor]

(quoted from post at 19:57:43 04/09/23) Mike, there is a lot of pieces to the puzzle. Not only snapping the hoe on the back but if the loader tractor doesn't have the supports then yours would have to be transplanted. Also consider the plumbing involved. My 550 has the main pressure supply piped to the hoe first and then forward to supply the loader controls. An add on hoe would need pressure plumbing and return lines.

From what I can tell all the hydraulic lines for loader and backhoe come from the front pump and into the subframe only of the loader/ backhoe as a reservoir. I m not sure if that front pump in front of radiator is original or if it was an add on however if I take the entire frame loader and backhoe it looks like I would just need to go to a front pump (which I could prob move with it as well).
I wonder if there s any basic dimensions from ford for these old tractors as I m still wondering about the two vertical holes in the front end for the subframe on 4500 vs 545 vs. 555?
Thanks for all the comments so far.

 

[ptfarmer]

(quoted from post at 06:00:12 04/09/23) Were there any models besides the 550 that this hoe would fit on, maybe a 455?
( I have blown my engine on 4500 and by the time I buy a new one and split the tractor to put it in etc. it may be cheaper to get a 455 or something and put my hoe on it)
Thanks.

It would be way easier to get another engine to swap into your 4500 than it would be to swap the loader/backhoe on a different model tractor. It's not that difficult to swap an engine out.