Do-It-Yourself Plans: Backhoes, Loaders & More

Micro Hoe Build Plans

Extend the capabilities of your tractor with a backhoe attachment

SOME might consider paying a large amount of money to a dealer ’easy.’ Yet, building your own backhoe and saving cash, is not that hard.

You might say, however, that dealers offer warranties for maintenance and repairs. You’d be right. Even so, when you’ve built your own, when you’ve been through every detail, you don’t really need assurances from someone else. You essentially become your own guarantee. Instead of calling a service center and asking about available appointments, you are more than ready to take care of any issue right away.

Even if you don’t want to do the work yourself, you can always arrange for someone else to do it for you. Equipped with our experience and detailed information, Micro Hoe Build Plans offer you control of your project’s budget and schedule, all for less than a pair of new work boots.

Here in this video Paul uses a backhoe that he modified, capable of digging about 7.5 feet deep.

Micro Hoe Build Plans include:
  • Complete build instructions
  • Schematics for hydraulics
  • 3D line-drawings
  • A materials list for all steel, hydraulics and hardware
  • A list of online suppliers

Micro Hoe Build Plans guide you through each step of the build

Plans include complete build instructions, schematics for hydraulics, and a materials list, which itemizes steel, hydraulics, and other hardware that you’ll need for your project. You’ll also receive a list of online suppliers that you can use when shopping for materials, or comparing prices.

Backhoes made from our plans can be attached to most garden and compact tractors. The basic design is a 350-pound unit that can dig down to a depth of 5.5 feet, ideal for smaller garden tractors. Additional instructions are provided that explain how to modify the design and build a larger backhoe with extended reach.

You are free to customize. Many already have.

A picture of P.F. Engineering's Micro Hoe Build Plans

Here are some specs:

Imperial Metric
Overall weight 350 pounds 159 kg
Digging depth 5 1/2 feet 1676 mm
Reach 8 feet 2438 mm
Hydraulic stabilizer spread 7 1/2 feet 2286 mm
Boom swing 170 degrees 170 degrees
Bucket width 10 inches 254 mm
Built-in oil reservoir
Spin on oil strainer element
Proportioned hydraulics for simultaneous cylinder
movements without a pressure drop
Estimated cost to build: $1700 (Before COVID*)

* Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, prices for steel vary considerably from one place to another place.

More Plans

What Next?

  • Head over to our picture gallery where we have 1063 images of our customers’ machines on display. Use the search box at the top of that page to locate a particular make or model tractor that you are interested in seeing with a loader or backhoe attachment.

  • View Videos

    On our videos page, see customers operating their DIY loaders, backhoes and log splitters — all built using our plans.

  • Order Plans

    Go to our orders page and find out how to order one or more of our products, such as plans for a front-end loader or a backhoe. There are ordering links for shipping plans within the U.S. and internationally.

  • Contact Us

    Perhaps you have questions about hydraulics, a particular tractor application, or something else. Ask the original designer and builder about your project before you purchase plans. Feel free to contact Paul by email at , or call the office at 413-256-4960. You can also call Paul’s cell at 413-835-5801.

  • Read More

    The FAQ page contains some of the most commonly asked questions we hear about building loaders and backhoes. Your question may be answered there, if not please feel free to contact us by email or phone.

Questions? Contact Paul at , or call the office at 413-256-4960. You can also reach Paul on his cell at 413-835-5801.