Funny Shenkman, you'd really like it now with the operational backhoe!
Sorry- no pics on this computer.
Just busy with a bunch of things and this fall was a massive effort to get a new heat system for the house being an outdoor wood burner an eliminating the oil furnace and that horrible winter expense. I had to pull the big rear winch off of the Mog to mount the HT-11A factory backhoe but wanted to keep the heavy frame mounting plates for the winch. I mounted the unit about 4" rearward and made up all new mounting pins...something like 40mm for the main upper pins then extended the lower frame truss rear links the same for that mount. I got lucky with a 1-3/4" six spline to 1-3/8" six spline adapter on eBay about a year ago and was able to use that with a 1-3/8" six to 1-3/4" six adapter sleave to basically extend my rear PTO for the pump drive. Also had to source some big quick connectors on ebay. Hydraulic shop wanted $232 for one part, eBay was $30 total with free shipping and $5 cancer donation.
The backhoe works well and is all power, wow. Take too big a bite and you get dragged to it.
Furnace was another issue bacause I'm not a plumber or electrician so going from two zone, two pump heating to two zone five circulator pump heating to correct a poor previous install took a learning curve. Also wiring the pumps, zone controllers, t-stats, furnace, etc was good to do as well. Radiant heat with 1200' pex with 300' per pump, then the upstairs (different set up) on one big grundfos, then the furnace with a big grundfos. Five zone distribution manifold worked out and it's nice to be sitting here typing in bare feet with 71* on the T-stat and 82* hardwood floor temp.
Oh, and honestly-- the deal with PTO and pump combo from Old Mechanic and having some people defend the garbage that was sent to me really pissed me off. They defend it, then acknowledge they wouldn't send it, then defend it again and blame me?! -That's friendly. The pump is completely junk, maybe worth a core to someone for the housing and the PTO needs new bearings and a double gear replaced. $400+ and no refund or anything when I had other options available, then told "all sales final" and "...you can afford a little freshening..."?!?! It was nice to see some people with common sense post up, but still getting ripped off with virtually no recourse is pretty awesome. I dinged his seller rating, big deal- he rolled with $400 for scrap. Takes away that "Cheers" type feeling.
