Why Cat is Giving Side Shift Backhoes a Second Chance in North America

[@hamptonequipment5853]

If you pulled up with a center post backhoe on a uk construction site, they would laugh at you at send you away.

[@johnmooney4549]

Bring it on! Sure would love to see them here in California. Currently John Deere has a couple out there Jcb has some and Terex isnt in the picture anymore. I have two JCB 3CXs and used to run CAT centermount backhoes and John Deere machines. Cat and Deere were awesome units. Glad to see CAT paying attention to what allot of us are thinking.

[@jamespeck4895]

Teresa is still here, they're just being sold as mecalacs, design hasn't changed much

[@jocoffee6302]

Haven't seen a side-shift for 15-20 years here in the Pacific Northwest USA. The railroads used them. Have worked several jobs that would have gone faster an much easier.

[@scottmcquarrie7295]

I like the idea of a side shift frame for a Backhoe, very useful and great for visibility. But they would be much better off with standard fold down outriggers. Side shift outriggers really limit unnecessarily the stability of the machine.

[@jamespeck4895]

Straight down outriggers push harder because no lever disadvantage. Fold down on a side shift would be insanely wide. If space isn't a concern I'd do a center pivot all day due to simpler design and higher arm rigidity. Case folds nicely despite center pivot

[@scottmcquarrie7295]

@@jamespeck4895 I've never been in a position where the swing down outriggers didn't have enough down pressure. And I don't see why swing out outriggers would be any wider with a side shift frame. I would say no wider than they are with a center mount.

[@jamespeck4895]

@scottmcquarrie7295 because the frame has to be wide so the backhoe can slide back and forth and then the legs are going to fold out beyond that. Unless you are thinking of some scissor arrangement where the legs stay in the footprint of the slide frame

[@scottmcquarrie7295]

@@jamespeck4895 , yes configure the slide frame just behind the outriggers and keep the slide rails the same width. Engineering wise, it sounds quite doable and reasonable. I'm running a side shift today actually. First time ever.

[@jamespeck4895]

@scottmcquarrie7295 I think some old UK market case backhoes might have had scissor leg sideshifts and I think they weren't well liked. It would move the hoe more rearward and make for poor roading. I think you might like the Hydrema backhoes as those have fold down legs that don't even need to be put down for most jobs and also have a side shift type device that gives the hoe 270 degree rotation.

[@johanneslaxell6641]

Your problem has been that you don't have RotoTilt and therefore the possibility manipulate the bucket. And you don't get the idea of an articulating joint in the middle. You thought that skidsteers are the ultimate machine but you are getting on the wheel loader team slowly. Same here: you will get on the Lännen/Huddig/Hydrema team even if it takes some time. The JCB 4CX is not bad, but waaay behind Lännen/Huddig/Hydrema...

[@joeziahbabb]

Mine is for sale in Missouri - love it but its too big for my family members to use so I need something else!

[@dmonsef]

Side-shift backhoes for any type of road construction beats out center pivot backhoes, any day. Side lift stabilizers force the backhoe to take up too much width space on a multi-lane road. When the very majority of the world are using side-shift backhoes, while the US has rejected them, doesn't that say something about US stubbornness to adopt what the rest of the world has been using? This kind of reminds me how the US has mph speed limits and the rest of the world use kph.

[@deany53]

3cx is king

[@ChaminRajitha]

Side shift bechoe loader is best ❤🚜

[@nanikhotseng6702]

Bring to South Africa 🇿🇦