This versatile earthmoving machine is a staple on residential and commercial building sites because it performs both excavation and material handling. The rear assembly consists of a boom, stick, and bucket used for digging trenches or footings, while the front loader moves spoil, gravel, or pipe. Operators deploy hydraulic outriggers to stabilize the machine when using the digging arm.
Tell the backhoe operator to scrape off the topsoil and stage it behind the trailer so we can use it for final grading.
Also heard as
- backhoe loader
- TLB
- tractor-loader-backhoe
Do not mix it up with
- Trackhoe: A backhoe has wheels and a front loader bucket, while a trackhoe (excavator) runs on continuous tracks and only has a digging arm.
Related terms
Earthmoving
The process of excavating, transporting, and grading soil and rock to prepare a construction site.
Heavy equipment
Large, heavy-duty vehicles and machines used for earthmoving, lifting, and major construction tasks.
Heavy machinery
Large industrial vehicles and equipment used to perform major construction and earthmoving tasks.
Trackhoe
An excavator mounted on continuous crawler tracks rather than wheels.