A backhoe loader is a tractor-type machine with a loader bucket on the front and a digging arm, the backhoe, on the rear. The operator sits in one cab with a seat that turns between the two ends. One machine can dig a trench, load the spoil into a truck, backfill and drive to the next job on its own wheels. This guide explains how a backhoe loader is built, what each end does and how the numbers on a specification sheet translate to work, using the four LICH models as examples. LICH also builds the road roller range used to finish the same sites.
The parts of a backhoe loader
- Front loader: a wide bucket on two lift arms. It scoops, carries and dumps loose material, levels ground and loads trucks.
- Rear backhoe: a boom, a dipper arm and a narrow bucket on a swing frame. It digs below ground level for trenches, footings and pits.
- Stabiliser legs: two hydraulic outriggers at the rear that lift the back wheels and hold the machine steady while the backhoe digs.
- Tractor unit: engine, transmission and axles on rubber tyres, so the machine travels on public roads between sites.
- Cab: a rotating seat with loader controls facing forward and backhoe levers or joysticks facing the rear.
What a backhoe loader is used for
The backhoe loader earns its place on jobs that keep switching tasks: digging a water or cable trench, loading the spoil, laying pipe, backfilling, then levelling the surface. Utility contractors, road maintenance crews, farms, municipalities and small building firms use it because one operator and one machine cover all those steps. On a site that only digs all day, an excavator is faster; on a site that only loads, a wheel loader carries more per cycle. The backhoe loader wins when the work mixes both and the machine has to move.
Reading a backhoe loader specification
Every LICH backhoe loader carries a 0.3 m³ backhoe bucket and lifts 2,500 kg with the loader, so the choice between them comes down to the numbers below.
| Model | Operating weight | Loader bucket | Max digging depth | Power | Gears | Top speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LC-B30 | 7,640 kg | 1.2 m³ | 4,082 mm | 75 kW | 2 F / 2 R | 22 km/h |
| LC-B388 | 8,200 kg | 1.0 m³ | 4,085 mm | 75 kW | 2 F / 2 R | 24 km/h |
| LC-B388T | 8,200 kg | 1.0 m³ | 4,085 mm | 70 kW | 4 F / 4 R | 38 km/h |
| LC-B388H | — | 1.2 m³ | 3,820 mm (standard arm) | 75 kW | 4 F / 4 R | 36 km/h |
Figures from the LICH product catalogue, read on 14 October 2026. The LC-B388H operating weight depends on the arm fitted and is stated on each quotation.
- Digging depth is the deepest trench the backhoe reaches with the standard arm: about 4.1 m on the LC-B30, LC-B388 and LC-B388T, and 3.8 m on the LC-B388H.
- Loader bucket sets how much material moves per scoop: 1.0 m³ or 1.2 m³ across the range.
- Gears and top speed matter if the machine drives between sites. Two-speed gearboxes reach 22 to 24 km/h; the four-speed LC-B388T reaches 38 km/h on a Carraro 4WD driveline and the LC-B388H 36 km/h.
- Steering: the LC-B388H steers all four wheels and can crab-steer, on equal-size 16.9-28 tyres with 450 mm ground clearance. That helps on soft, uneven or narrow sites.
Backhoe loader or separate machines?
A useful rule: count how many times a day the work changes between digging and loading, and how often the machine must move. If the answer is “many”, a backhoe loader saves a second machine, a second operator and a low-loader trip. If the job is one long trench or one big stockpile, a dedicated excavator or wheel loader finishes sooner. Our backhoe vs excavator guide and backhoe vs loader comparison go through those trade-offs with job examples.
Questions buyers ask
Is a backhoe loader the same as a backhoe?
In everyday speech, yes. “Backhoe” strictly means the digging arm, but most people use it for the whole backhoe loader.
How deep can a backhoe loader dig?
Our models reach 3,820 to 4,085 mm with the standard arm. The LC-B388H also offers an extendable arm option.
Can a backhoe loader drive on the road?
Yes. It travels on rubber tyres; the LC-B388T reaches 38 km/h and the LC-B388H 36 km/h.
What attachments does a backhoe loader take?
The LC-B388H lists an extendable backhoe arm, a 6-in-1 loader bucket and a hydraulic breaker as options.
Backhoe loader questions
How much does a backhoe loader weigh?
The LC-B30 weighs 7,640 kg, and the LC-B388 and LC-B388T weigh 8,200 kg each. The LC-B388H weight depends on the arm fitted.
What size is a backhoe loader bucket?
The loader bucket is 1.0 m³ on the LC-B388 and LC-B388T and 1.2 m³ on the LC-B30 and LC-B388H. Every model carries a 0.3 m³ backhoe bucket.
How much power does a backhoe loader have?
The LC-B30, LC-B388 and LC-B388H are rated at 75 kW at 2,200 rpm; the LC-B388T is rated at 70 kW (95 HP).
What is the difference between a backhoe loader and an excavator?
A backhoe loader digs and loads on wheels and drives itself between sites. An excavator digs faster and deeper on tracks. Our backhoe vs excavator guide compares them with job examples.
Compare the range
See all four models side by side on the backhoe loader for sale page, with photos and full specification sheets on each model page. Tell us the trench depth, the trucks you load and how far the machine travels between jobs, and we will recommend the backhoe loader that fits.
Related reading: backhoe loader specifications explained line by line, with four LICH models compared.