A backhoe is a type of excavating or earthmoving equipment that is also known as rear actor, extractor or back actor. It has a bucket-shaped scooping tool attached at the end of consisting of a digging bucket on the end of an artificial arm. They are mostly used in constructing roads or large buildings.

This system is attached to a vehicle which enables the machinery to shift from place to place as required. It almost mimics the human hand by digging, lifting and dumping material.

A backhoe consists of three parts that could be considered to be similar to a human arm: 1. The Boom. It is attached to the tractor and is like the upper arm. 2. The Stick. On one end it is attached to the vehicle and is like the forearm 3. The Bucket. The other end of the stick is attached to a hand shaped bucket.

There is also another attachment to the tractor that is called the loader. The backhoe does the digging, lifting and dumping work and the loader shifts the dug material to a different place. So basically, the backhoe gets to things underground and the loader moves things around above groud.

The tractor helps in shifting the entire system as required. This forms the whole earthmoving equipment used for construction jobs.

The driver of the vehicle is actually the operator and has three responsibilities - to move the vehicle, to make the backhoe work and the loader to shift the material.

There is a control panel on the dashboard of the tractor with the help of which he is able to operate all the three things. The operator has to be smart enough to control the backhoe and tractor movements. The loader does not require much application.

As the operator parks the tractor at the required place two leg-like support comes out and gets fixed at the sides of the tractor for extra strength and stabilizing. Now the system is ready to work. The operator chooses buttons on the dashboard to use the arm to pull out to the required point of digging. Then the operator uses another lever attached to the hand-like bucket to touch the earth from where the material is to be lifted. There is again another lever which is for the digging action. This lever will force the bucket to dig into the earth. This will fill the bucket with the material. The material is then lifted with the same levers to a dumping truck or is dumped somewhere nearby.

There are a number of manufacturers of backhoes. The major players in backhoe manufacturing are hitachi, JCB, John Deere, Case, KPX, Massey Ferguson, Caterpillar equipments, etc.

Like the skid-steer loaders, compact wheel loaders and trenchers, there is also a type of backhoe called the compact backhoes. Such backhoes use light attachments and are efficient in digging and faster loading. They can dig 6-8 feet depths easily and weigh lesser than 5000 pounds. These backhoes are very user-friendly requiring minimal time to be detached from the tractor.

Apart from being versatile, a compact backhoe is also a heavy-duty earth-moving machine. And even though a compact backhoe may be small in size, it can be used in very challenging applications.

A backhoe loader is a piece of heavy construction equipment which actually marries two separate devices: a backhoe and a loader. Many contracting companies use backhoe loaders because they are powerful, efficient, fairly compact, and easier to maintain than two separate devices. Some consumers may be familiar with the sight of a backhoe loader, since the machines are frequently used for roadwork and major construction projects. Several companies dominate the market for backhoe loaders, including Case Equipment, Volvo Equipment, Caterpillar Equipment, and John Deere Equipment.

The core of a backhoe loader is a tractor base. The tractor has wide, rugged wheels and a strong engine, allowing it to muscle its way over a variety of terrain. The tractor also has a cab or covered area for the operator, allowing him or her to work through inclement weather. Inside the cab, two separate sets of controls are used to manipulate the elements of the backhoe loader.

The backhoe portion of the equipment is actually located on the rear end. A backhoe is a type of excavator at the end of a long arm. When the operator manipulates the controls, the backhoe can be used to dig high volumes of material very quickly. Other tools can be attached to this flexible arm, such as tools used to break up concrete. While the backhoe is in use, the backhoe loader is parked and anchored with stabilizer legs, which pull the wheels off the ground and stop the backhoe loader from moving.

The loader section of the equipment is a giant scoop. It can be filled with material for transport elsewhere, or it can be used to smooth and plow roadways. Since transport of materials is often required after their excavation, the backhoe loader conveniently bundles both tasks into one machine. Specialized training is required before someone can run a backhoe loader safely, and a supervisor on site usually ensures that the equipment is being used safely and appropriately.

In the 1940s and 1950s, Case was one of the first companies to realize the potential applications for a backhoe loader, A construction boom after the Second World War led to a rising demand for construction equipment which could do jobs quickly and efficiently. Case backhoes started to come with a loader option as well, and other companies picked up the trend. In many cases, a backhoe loader is the only piece of heavy equipment owned by a small construction company, since it has many uses, especially if different attachments can be used on the backhoe arm.