Backhoes are one of the most versatile machines in use when it comes to construction. They excel at digging trenches, particularly in tight areas where an excavator may not fit easily. Backhoes are also good at carrying stuff around a construction site. They help move dirt, often being called on to dig a trench then dump the excess dirt into dump trucks. There is one other job that backhoes (and excavators) do that most people don’t consider.

Digging a trench is a real skill. The trench starts at point A and ends at Point B. It also has to be a certain depth. That’s all in a days work for a backhoe – it’s what they were created for. However, what happens once the workers have finished working in the trench? Naturally, the trench has to be backfilled – anyone got a shovel? I don’t fancy doing it by hand – do you?

Now the backhoe has a scoop at the front that could do a great job of backfilling that trench. There is one problem, however. The workers have laid gas pipeline in a trench that is five feet deep. Do you want dirt and rock falling five feet to crash into sensitive gas (or sewerage) pipelines? Gas, of course, is under pressure so it will soon make its way through any weakness. Guess it is a job for a manual shovel.

Actually, the backhoe is well suited to fulfilling this role as well. It can use its bucket to life dirt and lower it into the trench and, for a machine, gently empty its contents into the trench. Having dirt and rock drop a couple of inches causes far less damage than having it drop 3, 4 or 5 feet. Not only that, experienced operators can manipulate the bucket so that it sprinkles the dirt back into the trench. It’s actually an interesting experience watching a backhoe operator carefully backfilling a trench. Of course, once the pipes have been covered sufficiently, you can use the front scoop to just push the dirt in.

Training to become a backhoe operator gives you the opportunity to learn a diverse range of skills. Backhoes, because of their versatility, get a lot of the interesting jobs on a construction site – and they are reasonably well paid as well.

Becoming a backhoe operator is not that difficult although the skill levels are slightly more diverse than, say, an excavator operator or a loader operator. The reason of course is that a backhoe incorporates the skills required for both of those machines. You may wonder if there are any special skills or attributes needed to be a successful backhoe operator.

All heavy equipment operators need a basic set of skills and attributes. Like all workplaces, reliability is a key factor as is attention to detail. Being able to follow orders is important, but more importantly, you need to be able to stick to a plan.

Being physically fit is important along with general good health. Having good eyesight helps although being able to estimate distances and depths is an important attribute. Hand-eye coordination is also an important skill.

If you can tick each of those areas off then you are a step away from becoming a backhoe operator. The missing step of course is to undertake backhoe operator training. Heavy equipment is a field of employment that can be suitable for people of most ages and genders. Whether you’re twenty or forty; male or female; there is no discrimination when it comes to heavy equipment operator training – this includes backhoes.

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools offer heavy equipment training in ten locations around the country. If you’re considering a career as a backhoe operator, or in heavy equipment in general, then give us a call to determine what training options are available for you. It’s a call you’ll never regret making.

If you have read earlier posts you will know that I take a real interest in any heavy equipment that I see when traveling around. Today I was fascinated watching a backhoe move large concrete slabs into place. The whole process is a regular part of the job and only took an hour or so to complete – but it was still fascinating.

A backhoe is not a huge machine yet, for its size it can pack a punch. If I have a criticism of what I saw today it would be that the operator did more than the machine was really capable off. The concrete slab obviously weighed more than the recommended lifting capacity of the backhoe – the back wheels kept lifting of the ground as it tried to carry the slab. No problems – they simply loaded the bucket with rocks to act as a counterweight. Not a safe practice but a novel approach to the problem.

Carrying the slab was not a safe practice, however, the real interest to me came once the slab was close to being in place. Using the bucket, the operator was able to carefully nudge that concrete slab into place. It was like watching a child nudge a block against other blocks – a little nudge on the left, a nudge on the right, a final nudge at the back to slot it home. When I say nudges, they were very gentle nudges.

They put three of these large slabs into place – why they didn’t pour them in place I don’t know but I guess they had their reasons. That operator had probably had a few years experience yet a good backhoe operator training program would have produced similar results. Operating a backhoe is not as difficult as some people imagine – especially if you’re trained by a seasoned professional.

Backhoes and excavators have very similar actions when it comes to digging out trenches. In fact, a backhoe is really an excavator that has been cut down in size and had a scoop added to the front. There are other design differences, of course, but the action of each is very similar. If that is the case, why would you choose a backhoe over an excavator, or vice-versa?

I said there were differences, and there are. Size is one difference that can be an important consideration. Backhoes are generally articulated through the middle which means they can be maneuvered in places that an excavator can’t get into.

There are other important differences. One of these is the fact that backhoes are multi-purpose built. The scoop or shovel at the front gives the backhoe the added bonus of being used as a front-end loader. If you need a trench dug and the material that has been taken out of the trench removed altogether, the backhoe is the best machine for the job. It can dig the trench then use the scoop to lift the piles of dirt/rock into a truck.

Excavators can do the same task using their digging bucket, however, this means the truck must spend the day alongside the excavator. These days, no-one can afford to have equipment just sitting around – that truck could be off doing other work. Bring in the backhoe, it can dig the trench then come back later and remove the waste in one work session.

Backhoes are one of the more interesting machines in the heavy equipment lineup. Requiring skills in excavation and loading, training across a broad cross-section of equipment is necessary. When seeking a heavy equipment training program, make sure it offers training on a variety of machines.

When it comes to heavy equipment and the construction industry, sometimes size is a problem, not a benefit – that’s where backhoes step up and complete the job. Backhoes can perform the same duties as most excavators. Of course, being somewhat smaller, they do take a little longer to complete a task, but when space is limited at least they can complete the task.

Backhoes and excavators are similar machinery when it comes to the tasks they can perform. Many of the attachments are similar as well. Although they can perform the same duties, these machines look nothing like each other.

Excavators generally run on tracks whilst backhoes run on wheels. Excavators have a large cab and engine room where backhoes are more like a tractor when it comes to the cab and engine room. Excavators and backhoes both use booms and buckets, the big difference being the size of bucket. Backhoes differ from excavators in that they also have a front-end loader style scoop at the front of the machine.

With those differences noted, the final straw is in their look and maneuverability. Backhoes tend to be long and narrow. Excavators tend to be in the short and squat category. It is the squat issue that makes their life harder when working in tight spaces. Backhoes can drive into smaller areas and still operate effectively.

Backhoes can be fun to operate. They are certainly one of the easier machines to learn to operate. Backhoe training as part of a general heavy equipment training program is the norm these days since it provides new operators with a wide variety of skills. If you think backhoes are toys when it comes to heavy equipment, think again. They are an essential part of any construction team.

Bulldozer operators and backhoe operators are the two units of heavy equipment most likely to work on their own. They do form integral parts of teams but you will often find a backhoe out on a site doing the preparation work alone. One such job is the digging of foundations for a new building. Let’s spend a day with a backhoe operator as they dig those foundations.

A backhoe operator typically starts the day quite early. They arrive at the construction yard where they collect their work orders for that day. After an inspection of the backhoe they load it onto a truck and often drive it themselves to the site. Once on the site the backhoe is unloaded from the truck, the scene of battle surveyed, the blue prints checked then it’s on with the job.

As the name suggests, a backhoe is a piece of heavy equipment that has a hoe (the bucket) that is operated by dragging the bucket through the earth towards itself. In other words, it drags it back, it doesn’t push forward like a bulldozer of loader. As the backhoe edges forward, it is leaving a trench behind itself.

An experienced backhoe operator can dig a standard house foundation in less than a day. Once the foundations have been dug, it is time to pack up and return to the construction yard. After unloading the backhoe, the operator generally reports back to the manager on the work performed. They may even preview the following day’s work, particularly if special attachments are required.

A backhoe operator’s day finishes with another walk around inspection – this is to check for any damage the machine may have received during the day. Backhoe operators often work long hours when required and may work six day weeks. If you are looking for a heavy equipment career that provides some independence then training to become a backhoe operator could be your best option.

If a backhoe is not quite to your liking then I suggest you check out our “spend a day with” series. The series covers mobile crane operation, bulldozers, motor graders and excavators.

The backhoe has often been seen as a thrown together cross between a fully fledged excavator and a full size front-end loader. There is probably a little truth in it as well since the backhoe can do some of the work of an excavator using one end of the machine, and do some of the work of a front end loader using the other half.

Looking a little like a scorpion, backhoes have their place in construction, particularly when the jobs require the services of a smaller machine. Over the years new technology has made big inroads into the capabilities of excavators, road graders and to a lesser extent, bulldozers and front-end loaders. The backhoe hasn’t been forgotten with new attachments coming out all the time.

One attachment that came out several years ago really changed some of the capabilities of backhoes. There are times when a sidewalk needs to be torn up and the best machine for the job was the backhoe. However, there were times when the only way to complete the job involved damaging the areas either side of the sidewalk. A new tool called a Rototilt was introduced that completely changed the way a backhoe tackled the job. Now, a backhoe can dig up a sidewalk and cause little or no damage to surrounding areas.

This is just one attachment, there are hundreds of others. What has it meant to the backhoe? It is no longer a cross between an excavator and a front-end loader, it is a legitimate machine in its own right. Whilst the combined skills of an excavator operator and front-end loader operator are ideal, the backhoe now demands skills specific to the machine. If you are looking for a career in heavy equipment that is challenging and involves a lot of variety, consider undertaking backhoe training – it’s a career that continues to evolve and challenge operators – you will never find yourself becoming bored.

One of the most versatile members of the heavy equipment family are backhoes and they really do earn their keep when it comes to housing projects. The reason for backhoes being so popular is because they are able to perform all the work required – the ultimate multi-task machine.

Backhoes are able to perform a lot of the work of a bulldozer, clearing the land ready for construction. Whilst they may not have the power of a bulldozer, they still pack plenty of grunt and their scoop at the front not only cuts into the surface like bulldozer, it can also carry the dirt the same as a front end loader. There are two units of heavy equipment taken out of the picture.

Once the ground has been cleared, the backhoe can act like an excavator and dig trenches for foundations and for services that require underground pipelines. There is a third unit of heavy equipment covered.

If the ground is particularly hard, there are numerous attachments that can be added to help break it up – a task that would take half a dozen men a couple of days to do using pick-axes or by using explosives.

Backhoes are versatile enough to do all of those task and more. They are also one of the few pieces of heavy equipment that maneuver around a house whilst under construction and clean up all the debris and left over construction material.

Training to operate backhoes is done as part of an overall heavy equipment training program. This is a great way to learn how to operate a backhoe since you also gain skills on bulldozers, excavators and front end loaders. You gain the skills and the understanding of these machines, which ultimately helps in your role as a backhoe operator. It also provides you with alternative career options when required.

Backhoes have one major advantage over most other heavy equipment. After they have finished digging a hole, they can turn around and use their scoop to clean up the mess they have made. Bulldozers can move mountains, but they still need a loader to load the unwanted material onto trucks.

Excavators can at least dig a hole and deposit the material straight into a truck. However, it can be a slow process considering how much a bucket holds compared to a scoop. For the backhoe, it can dig a trench as long as necessary, help to lower the pipes, for example, into that trench then use the scoop to back fill the trench before loading the leftover material straight into a truck. The complete all-in-one package.

Many operators shun backhoes considering them to be the babies of the heavy equipment fleet. They are often smaller in size than some of the other machines in use, however, don’t be fooled. There are some decent sized backhoes around as well. In fact, the skills required to operate a backhoe encompass several machines.

To operate a backhoe effectively, you require the skills of an excavator operator together with those of a loader operator. It also helps to have a little knowledge of crane operations as well. Of course, this all depends on what attachments have been added.

If you are looking at a career as either an excavator or loader operator then you may want to consider combining both skills to become a backhoe operator. You can still operate an excavator or loader whilst having the backup skills for the backhoe. For most training institutions, backhoe operator training is undertaken as part of a broader heavy equipment training program. It makes sense these days to multi-skill – you will always be employable then.

I noticed a house that suffered severe fire damage several months ago being demolished by a pair of backhoes the other day. They certainly made short work of the job. Within two days the house was gone, totally gone.

What strikes me as amazing sometimes is just how versatile a backhoe can be. Sure, over the years the number of attachments available for a backhoe has grown considerably. To actually see them at work, and the speed with which an experienced operator can switch attachments is equally impressive.

Obviously the two old timers operating their machines had a lot of experience between them. They knew exactly what to do, when to do it, and more importantly, where to start. That would most likely have got me to begin with. Working as a team, they slowly took that house apart and as they went, it was all loaded onto trucks and carted away.

Experience and knowledge is something that is developed over time. I called these two old timers simply because they were. They looked to be pushing 55, perhaps 60, but in reality, age is irrelevant. I have also seen operators in their mid twenties with the skills to match these two. It isn’t how long you have been operating a backhoe that matters, it’s what you learn each and every day that matters.

This learning starts of course with backhoe training from a quality training company. Once you have that solid base of knowledge behind you, you are ready to work in the real world. You can then build your experience and skills on a daily basis. Who knows, one day it might be you I see pulling down an old building – I must say, it did look like fun.