A backhoe is an ingenious invention really. It's really three pieces of heavy machinery all in one: a tractor, a loader, and a backhoe. Contrary to popular belief, its name has nothing to do with the back of anything; its name refers to the action of the bucket. A backhoe scoops up earth and pulls it towards you or backwards, as opposed to a shoveling action where the scoop goes forward. However, some buckets on backhoes may face forward, which would then make them "hoes." Wagner Used Equipment is proud to offer used heavy equipment for sale. We are an authorize Cat dealer with locations in Colorado, New Mexico, and far west Texas. Founded in 1976, we've been providing the best heavy equipment for all types of industries, including construction, forestry, mining, agriculture, oilfield, landscaping, demolition, and many more. We take pride in offering comprehensive services for our customers, meaning once you purchase your Cat machine, we offer everything to help you care for it throughout its lifetime, from service to Cat parts. We offer technology uses, such as machine control systems, to help you do your jobs more efficiently, and we offer fluid analysis to help you gauge the health of your machine. Below, we'll take a more in-depth look at the parts of a backhoe. Contact one of our Cat dealers for Cat parts and equipment today!

PARTS OF A BACKHOE

Front Loader On a backhoe, the front loader is the front of the Cat machine. The loader part consists of a big bucket that is useful for many jobs, from moving dirt on location, shoveling large amounts of snow, and picking up all sorts of loose material, such as gravel, mulch, and more, and moving it to and fro. You can also use the front loader like a plow to smooth out surfaces. You can think of it like a massive dust pan if you will. The operator sits in the cab. Tractor The tractor part of the backhoe is what you see in the middle. It consists of the engine, the tires, and the cab where the operator sits and controls the Cat machine. The cab can be fully enclosed or have an open covered structure to protect the operator. These Cat machines are meant to easily plow over rough terrain and go where you need it to go in order to get the job done. The main job of the tractor component of the backhoe is to move the other two parts, the loader and the backhoe, from place to place. Backhoe The backhoe part of your backhoe is on the back of the Cat machine. This part of the backhoe is what many people use the most because it has so many applications. The backhoe part consists of a bucket, a boom (the bent part attached to the Cat machine), and a stick or dipper that holds the bucket. It moves very much like your arm does. It is a digger monster, able to dig up hard earth and then move it to where you need to go (oftentimes, you'll see these guys moving dirt into a big pile for later transport or loading materials into a nearby truck). The boom is bent to allow maximum flexibility while digging and to provide space for the bucket when fully contracted. It can be raised or lowered and swung from left to right. To use the backhoe, the operator parks the tractor and then swivels the cab around. The backhoe can be used to dig ditches and holes. The beauty of the pairing of the front loader with the backhoe is that you can dig a trench with the backhoe and then use the loader to fill it back up all with one piece of machinery quickly and easily. Stabilizer Legs Many Cat machines have stabilizer legs, including the backhoe. These legs sit just behind the rear wheels and are absolutely necessary when the backhoe is digging. Their job is to take the weight of the backhoe as it is digging so that the rest of the backhoe stays stable and doesn't wobble with every dig. It also prevents undue wear and tear on the wheels and tires. They also help to ensure the backhoe machine does not slip in wet dirt and end up sliding into a hole or ditch, potentially causing damage to the Cat machine and harming the operator. The stabilizer legs on backhoes have two different types of pieces that sit on the ground, commonly known as "shoes." The grouser shoe is for use on dirt, while the rubber-padded shoe is for use on more solid ground, like asphalt or concrete.

The Versatility of the Backhoe

Backhoes are extremely popular heavy equipment machinery because of its versatility. They are used by landscapers to dig up trees and replant them elsewhere. They can move all types of landscaping materials, from boulders and rocks to topsoil and dirt. They can be used to create backyard ponds or water features. They can dig up ground for a swimming pool. They can dig trenches for an irrigation system. They are extremely popular with utility companies who constantly are digging up trenches to install power lines, cable lines, internet cables, and more then filling them back up. Backhoes can be used in small demolition jobs, such as home remodeling projects, transportation of building materials, and in paving roads. You can invest in Cat attachments for your Caterpillar backhoe as well, which expands the capabilities of a backhoe loader. You can use it to grind stumps for example or as an auger. Backhoes are relatively small pieces of machinery, especially when compared to their bigger Cat counterparts such as huge front loaders and mining machinery. This allows them to easily fit into tight spaces, such as in-between houses, and backhoes are easy to transport via a truck and trailer. Backhoes rely on hydraulics for its power system. The chair on the tractor is simply rotated to the desired part to be used. Now, the cab comes with air conditioning, radios, a comfortable ergonomic chair, and more, making backhoes even more fun to operate. In sum, backhoes have so many uses that many companies invest in them.

CHOOSE WAGNER USED EQUIPMENT TODAY

Our mission here at Wagner Used Equipment Co is to keep you moving. When your Cat machines are operating optimally, you are performing your jobs and making money, as well as improving your community. We aim to support you in any way we can by not only offering the best used heavy equipment for sale, but also by offering high-quality service when you need it, replacement Cat parts, and technology to help you perform your jobs faster. We offer our Wagner Parts Exchange program where you can bring us your used Cat parts, and we'll exchange them for other refurbished parts, making for faster turnaround times and making it more convenient for you. The goal is to help you reduce the downtime of your fleet. Wagner offers power generation equipment so you can continue to do your work even after the sun goes down and so you can have power out on remote job locations. We offer work tools and Cat attachments so that your heavy equipment can do even more jobs for you. We also offer heavy equipment rentals, which are great for when you need a piece of machinery for a one-off project that you don't want to purchase. Wagner Equipment Co has Cat dealers all across Colorado, New Mexico, and west Texas that offer used heavy equipment, including backhoes. We've been helping our customers since 1976 with the best Caterpillar equipment. We abide by our values of teamwork, excellence, accountability, safety, integrity, and communication. We pride ourselves on our customer service, ensuring all of your needs are met and your questions answered. Caterpillar offers great financing on its heavy equipment, so you can have the machinery you need today to get the job done, which will then pay for the equipment. We also offer Heavy Equipment Management where Cat uses technology and services to improve your job site efficiency. We gather information on your heavy equipment, such as fuel burn and utilization, in order to find new ways to reduce your costs and improve safety. Wagner Used Equipment can't wait to serve you. Call us, or stop by one of our Cat dealers to get started today!