IH 3414 - Finding compatible hoe attachment

[drwxrwxrwx]

First off the bat: I have no idea what I'm doing. I have wanted a tractor to help with various yard work on our 5 acre property, and found a very affordable IH 3414 tractor at auction. I have never owned a tractor before.

The 3414 does not have a backhoe, however I would like one for trenching and digging work. I found online (including this forum) that parts are hard to find (yikes).

I tried looking up various backhoe attachments (e.g. Woods, Bush Hog, Bradco, etc) in hopes of finding a compatible backhoe. But it's really not obvious to me what parts I can use and which I can't or how to determine from specifications. I don't have a tool shop or expertise e.g. I would not be able to do any kind of significant work to jerry rig an attachment to make it work. I would need something mostly off the shelf.

Am I in over my head on this one?

Any advice heeded...

 

[Fritz Maurer]

Well you have a machine that’s a little off the beaten path, parts/ attachments wise.

Short answer is, I would sell it and get a Ford 4500 backhoe; there’s lots of those around , affordable and most of the parts are still available.

I realize this is money out of pocket, but based on your stated abilities, you have chosen a formidable project in the 3414. If you had at least bought a 3414 tractor/ loader / backhoe, the project would be doable, but… you’re basically starting from scratch, and there are easier ways to do it.

You only have 5 acres… rent a machine every time you want to do something. I know that’s a pain but having a turn-key machine just so you can go out whenever you want is going to require large capital outlay…

I’m an IH guy, but you need to get rid of that 3414 as soon as possible.

 

[drwxrwxrwx]

As soon as I started doing a little more research, this is what I was starting to suspect - that the parts/availability made this a "pro" mode machine, and that I should have been less hot on the auction to get a loader without a backhoe.

Thank you for the suggestion on Ford 4500, that's very helpful. JD and Kubota compact/subcompact backhoes come up as good options but the capital investment is an entire digit more than what I'm willing to venture. And yeah, renting unless/until there's an affordable machine.

Welcome any other suggestions/advice from community.

 

[dbNga]

Does your tractor have 3 point hitch and pto? IF yes a pto operated 3 point hitch backhoe should suit your needs. They are very generic and fit many different models/colors of tractors. Just don't go midievel when using.

 

[drwxrwxrwx]

Yeah it has a three point hitch and 540 PTO - 36HP? - I have little idea about the hydraulics/pressure/flow. Is it really true that any 3-point PTO operated backhoe should generally work? If that's the case I guess I would just need to get one the approximate right size and HP?

 

[caterpillar guy]

Not sure just what to say other than time is money and sometimes it is faster and better to just hire it done. I had been looking at a tile line for several years and finally found a guy close by that could trench it in for not much more than digging it in with an excavator. Part of it needed to be close to 12 feet deep to get through the slope in the field to our other tile doing a different route so it was all on our side of the line. Long story short it was more practical to hire it done than to dig it our selves or hire an excavator in. As for the 3414 It is not a big issue for more experienced person but for your experience level I would find a home for it and look for something more parts available for you. Also consider the dealer parts support you have around you. Just because it is the best if no parts or support is around it is not maybe the best for you. Also what other good aftermarket parts supply do you have. I have a couple good parts supply houses to get aftermarket parts from in a timely manner at reasonable prices. I would look for a 3pt Backhoe for your tractor but keep in mind that you need the hoe to have the same hydraulic system in the way of open or closed center system or your valves will not act right in use. Open center lets all the oil flow all the time untill you pull the lever and trap it to a circuit to do work with that circuit. Closed center only pumps the oil you need to use as you use it so the valves are different. This is the simplest best explanation I can give to understand. The difference. I'm sure somebody will do a better job of it than I did.

 

[Janicholson]

Yeah it has a three point hitch and 540 PTO - 36HP? - I have little idea about the hydraulics/pressure/flow. Is it really true that any 3-point PTO operated backhoe should generally work? If that's the case I guess I would just need to get one the approximate right size and HP?

Example
Welcome to YT forums and parts. A different option is to buy a Backhoe that is on a trailer. This would leave the tractor for all other tasks and have the utility you need. Jim

 

[wore out]

First off the bat: I have no idea what I'm doing. I have wanted a tractor to help with various yard work on our 5 acre property, and found a very affordable IH 3414 tractor at auction. I have never owned a tractor before.

The 3414 does not have a backhoe, however I would like one for trenching and digging work. I found online (including this forum) that parts are hard to find (yikes).

I tried looking up various backhoe attachments (e.g. Woods, Bush Hog, Bradco, etc) in hopes of finding a compatible backhoe. But it's really not obvious to me what parts I can use and which I can't or how to determine from specifications. I don't have a tool shop or expertise e.g. I would not be able to do any kind of significant work to jerry rig an attachment to make it work. I would need something mostly off the shelf.

Am I in over my head on this one?

Any advice heeded...

I think just the things that would be needed to set up a hydraulic system in the tractor capable of running the 'hoe would be quite a task in itself, there's a LOT of difference between the hydraulic system on your tractor and what would have been on a similar tractor that left the factory with a 'hoe.

Unless you come accross a compatible aftermarket 'hoe with it's own PTO-driven hydraulic pump.

 

[drwxrwxrwx]

Good points from everyone and I am learning a lot.

As far as hiring out jobs - definitely the right move for right price and work ethic. Good help can be hard to find in my area.
For attaching a 3pt mount pto driven backhoe - it does sound like its fairly complicated (open vs closes hydraulics, etc). I have little to no hydraulics experience so in this case I'll shy away unless there's an easy way to know which are compatible. Looking online I it just seems like the IH 3414 is too old to make compatibility lists.
For towable backhoe - another good option, could even tow behind a truck in some instances. Definitely more affordable.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Yeah it has a three point hitch and 540 PTO - 36HP? - I have little idea about the hydraulics/pressure/flow. Is it really true that any 3-point PTO operated backhoe should generally work? If that's the case I guess I would just need to get one the approximate right size and HP?

PTO operated means it's self contained. It has its own pump and hydraulic tank. All the pressure and flow is figured out for you by the manufacturer.

3-point backhoes are "better than a shovel." Don't buy one thinking you're going to dig basements, pop large stumps out of the ground, or go gold mining in the bedrock.

 

[Keith Molden]

First off the bat: I have no idea what I'm doing. I have wanted a tractor to help with various yard work on our 5 acre property, and found a very affordable IH 3414 tractor at auction. I have never owned a tractor before.

The 3414 does not have a backhoe, however I would like one for trenching and digging work. I found online (including this forum) that parts are hard to find (yikes).

I tried looking up various backhoe attachments (e.g. Woods, Bush Hog, Bradco, etc) in hopes of finding a compatible backhoe. But it's really not obvious to me what parts I can use and which I can't or how to determine from specifications. I don't have a tool shop or expertise e.g. I would not be able to do any kind of significant work to jerry rig an attachment to make it work. I would need something mostly off the shelf.

 

[Keith Molden]

I've owned an old Case 580B for several years and for probably 50 out of 52 weeks a year it just sits in the shed. I've found that as I've told several friends, it's a lot cheaper to either hire it done or rent one for the little amount of time you need it. That way the maintenance is all on them and believe me there is a lot of maintenance on a backhoe that we don't usually think of. Just my experience and the choice is yours.

 

[Blackhole49]

First off the bat: I have no idea what I'm doing. I have wanted a tractor to help with various yard work on our 5 acre property, and found a very affordable IH 3414 tractor at auction. I have never owned a tractor before.

The 3414 does not have a backhoe, however I would like one for trenching and digging work. I found online (including this forum) that parts are hard to find (yikes).

I tried looking up various backhoe attachments (e.g. Woods, Bush Hog, Bradco, etc) in hopes of finding a compatible backhoe. But it's really not obvious to me what parts I can use and which I can't or how to determine from specifications. I don't have a tool shop or expertise e.g. I would not be able to do any kind of significant work to jerry rig an attachment to make it work. I would need something mostly off the shelf.

Am I in over my head on this one?

Any advice heeded...

A couple of things to consider: How old are you and how long do you plan on staying in your house. I've been in my place (3 acres) for 40 years. Finances weren't always where I would have liked them, but I sure wish I hadn't waited until I was 68 to get his. It would have handled every project I've done (landscaping, footings, tree planting, snow removal, etc.) except one since I lived here. Plus, I got everything you see as a package. A full size backhoe (4500, 580) is just plain over kill on 5 acres in my opinion. Then, if you need a bigger backhoe for a project, just rent it. This machine is handy for just about anything.

 

[drwxrwxrwx]

A couple of things to consider: How old are you and how long do you plan on staying in your house. I've been in my place (3 acres) for 40 years. Finances weren't always where I would have liked them, but I sure wish I hadn't waited until I was 68 to get his. It would have handled every project I've done (landscaping, footings, tree planting, snow removal, etc.) except one since I lived here. Plus, I got everything you see as a package. A full size backhoe (4500, 580) is just plain over kill on 5 acres in my opinion. Then, if you need a bigger backhoe for a project, just rent it. This machine is handy for just about anything.

I am 35 and we plan to live in our home for the next 30 years (but of course anything can happen).

Our needs are:
- We get felled trees that we need to take care of, this includes removing trees and also stumps (we currently have 8 small stumps that need removal, usually a 1-2 more per year)
- We have hills that feed toward our property where lots of water comes in. We have decent drainage that keeps water from collecting at the house but there are some areas on our property that collect standing water - we need to dig in lines for french drains or equivalent to direct water
- A prior owner embedded some rebar into the ground around the yard we have been unable to remove with hand tools (we're hoping tying them to a bucket can pull them out)
- We are planning to expand our landscaping - more small trees & hedges - and while I've personally dug around thirty ~5-15 gallon holes a backhoe for this sure would be handy...
- We have some projects that require small digging (e.g. to put in paver patios)
- We have some fruit trees to maintain every year, we are hoping we can use the bucket as a cherrypicker to reach for small trimming jobs
- We generally need to haul things on the property (firewood, gravel, pavers, dirt, mulch)
- Every so often we need to tow our riding lawn mower out of mud if we get too ambitious with it
- We need to clear/beat-back invasive blackberry (on hills, in mud, also on flat ground), which is currently done by hand with a weedwacker, but a boom mower would be stellar for us

Some of these things would feel great to have a machine on hand to take care of due to annual/etc nature. But the 20-30k price tag for a fully loaded Kubota like you have seems steep for the kind of work we want to do. Or maybe I'm just being a cheapskate.

 

[Blackhole49]

I am 35 and we plan to live in our home for the next 30 years (but of course anything can happen).

Our needs are:
- We get felled trees that we need to take care of, this includes removing trees and also stumps (we currently have 8 small stumps that need removal, usually a 1-2 more per year)
- We have hills that feed toward our property where lots of water comes in. We have decent drainage that keeps water from collecting at the house but there are some areas on our property that collect standing water - we need to dig in lines for french drains or equivalent to direct water
- A prior owner embedded some rebar into the ground around the yard we have been unable to remove with hand tools (we're hoping tying them to a bucket can pull them out)
- We are planning to expand our landscaping - more small trees & hedges - and while I've personally dug around thirty ~5-15 gallon holes a backhoe for this sure would be handy...
- We have some projects that require small digging (e.g. to put in paver patios)
- We have some fruit trees to maintain every year, we are hoping we can use the bucket as a cherrypicker to reach for small trimming jobs
- We generally need to haul things on the property (firewood, gravel, pavers, dirt, mulch)
- Every so often we need to tow our riding lawn mower out of mud if we get too ambitious with it
- We need to clear/beat-back invasive blackberry (on hills, in mud, also on flat ground), which is currently done by hand with a weedwacker, but a boom mower would be stellar for us

Some of these things would feel great to have a machine on hand to take care of due to annual/etc nature. But the 20-30k price tag for a fully loaded Kubota like you have seems steep for the kind of work we want to do. Or maybe I'm just being a cheapskate.

I got the machine 6 years old w/530 hrs and everything you see (60" mower, forks, 60" snow plow, 60" back blade, complete leaf collector, spare loaded R4 tires and wheels, 72" lawn aerator and a couple of 4 wheeler tires) for $17,000. It's a lot of money, but well spent in my opinion. I've dug up 2 18" stumps (fresh cut) and 1 30" stump that had been dead for several years (it took some doing but came out). No matter what you get, I would highly recommend it be parked indoors (yea, I know, more money). I built the small barn 38 years ago and the big 22 years ago. Did all the work myself (this little Kubota would have really helped) and have +- $20,000 in both including cement floors, gas heat and electric. 20 years from now you are going to be asking yourself why you didn't do it 20 years ago. Don't ask me how I know. Whatever you do or get, have fun and enjoy it, don't spend 1/2 your time working on it. View attachment 79079

 

[dbNga]

A three point pto operated backhoe is "plug n play". If you can hook it up to your pto shaft/3 point arms you are ready to go. Just remember it is not as as robust as a real dedicated backhoe. All that weight is hanging off your top link attach point. Don't pick up rear end of tractor and shift tractor around. Mine can dig 80 inches on paper, bucket is twelve inches wide. I have dug up stumps that I could barely grab with boom and tractor move with out floating front end. Needless to say it is way better than a shovel. AS a limb trimming tool, it is very limited due to height bucket can reach. I would guess mine can only reach 6 ft high I guess. Planting in flower beds and burying possum/armadillos/pets, it is the cat's meow.

 

[drwxrwxrwx]

A three point pto operated backhoe is "plug n play". If you can hook it up to your pto shaft/3 point arms you are ready to go. Just remember it is not as as robust as a real dedicated backhoe. All that weight is hanging off your top link attach point. Don't pick up rear end of tractor and shift tractor around. Mine can dig 80 inches on paper, bucket is twelve inches wide. I have dug up stumps that I could barely grab with boom and tractor move with out floating front end. Needless to say it is way better than a shovel. AS a limb trimming tool, it is very limited due to height bucket can reach. I would guess mine can only reach 6 ft high I guess. Planting in flower beds and burying possum/armadillos/pets, it is the cat's meow.

This is super great to confirm. Thank you. Effectively, even though this is an old tractor any modern PTO powered backhoe should work with it, no major compatibility issues (so long as HP matched).

This option actually sounds better to me than a frame mounted backhoe because I probably have a need to get a boom mounted mower in the future I'm speculating will need swapping on the three point mount. It just sounds like, as you previously shared, don't "go medieval".