help! backhoe stuck like noah's arc!

[Rick]

Problem: I have a 1988 Cat 426 4x4 backhoe (extendahoe) which happens to be on the top of a mountain (well, largeish hill) because part of my road has collapsed. It is beyond the scope of anything practical to repair the collapse, and anyway I wish to sell the land. I would like to get the backhoe off the mountain, but I am not sure how to get around this collapsed area. The road was steep before the collapse (25% grade) and I was probably stupid to drive the backhoe up there anyway, but oh well. The part of the road that collapsed was the switchback, so there might be some possibility of coming down the slope from the upper road above the switchback to the lower road below the switchback. This slop is probably 30 to 40% grade though. Any ideas at all? Rent a hydraulic winch to attach to the boom? (it is plumbed for attachments). Hire a helicopter? I see them carrying several large trees at a time when they are doing selective logging, but no idea if they can lift a 16,000 lb backhoe, or how expensive that would be.

[Matt Barrow]

A helicopter of that size (Skycrane) would probably be $10,000 at least.

That assumes one is nearby.

The winch might work if the distance it needs to be lowered isn't too great.

[DanG]

Are there any trees or substantial attachments above the hoe? Perhaps a pulley with an off road type wrecker, oil field truck, logger, house mover (someone with a big cabled Tulsa winch) could provide the restraint. Having the bucket and riggers down should keep it fairly stable. I assume you have to roll farther down hill than the reach of the boom.

I used to think you couldn't stick a backhoe (young and dumb). After forty years I've done it twice now, still haven't turned one over though.

[Robert Allison]

Go find a GOOD backhoe operator. Give him the keys and tell him where you want it. It would probably be better for your blood pressure if you don't watch.

[v8z]

I agree with Robert - find a really experienced operator, and get his opinion if he thiinks the machine can be driven / manuevered down the slope. I've seen guys crab and claw their way out of some really nasty situations and I've gotten my old Ford 4500 unstuck not a few times using the hoe as a claw....

[Rudy]

I had rented a mini excavator (metal tracked) and had to do some work down at the bottom a silimar slope with no access from below. It was steep but flat in the cross-hill aspect. I lined it up carefully and started over the edge..once I was at the 'tipping (down) point" I extended the arm back up the hill behind me and picked up a LARGE boulder I had placed there for use as a counter weight. I extended the 13' arm & boulder back flat near the ground behind me and using the counterweight theory, drove slowly down the hill thru the pine trees. It worked like a charm..both ways. Just stay on the " fall line"

Good luck