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Matching the power available to the true need is one avenue to increase fuel economy. "With fuel prices skyrocketing, people are starting to look at whether they really need a 15-ft. machine with 110 gross hp, or do they need something that is under 100 hp that still gives them the ability to do what their 15-ft. machine has done in the past," says Winkler. New Holland has responded by adding a 15-ft. backhoe that produces 95 gross hp to its lineup.

Engine horsepower is often not the best performance measure. "More often than not, just looking at the engine horsepower may not show the whole story," says Tyler. "There needs to be enough to be able to reverse out of a spoil pile, put the machine in forward and simultaneously lift the loader bucket over the sides of the truck, for example. But a machine that has more horsepower may cause you to burn more fuel than you need if you're mainly spending time trenching with the backhoe."

Other options, such as the Torque Lock recently released as an option on JCB's six-speed autoshift transmissions, also yield gains in fuel efficiency. At road speed, the torque converter is locked solidly. "That gives you two things," says Barth. "There is less variability in your travel speed. On any given trip from Point A to Point B, you are going to get there faster because you don't have the torque converter changing speed. The other thing is that it translates into fuel savings. You can throttle back and actually achieve the same travel time at a lower engine speed, which is more fuel efficient."

Pilot controls adapt to operators

"Pilot controls deliver smooth, low-effort controllability for more operator comfort and reduced fatigue levels," says Hershberger. "Nearly all applications can benefit from this. The backhoe industry is now experiencing the conversion trend that has already occurred in the excavator industry as more customers experience the benefits and value of pilot controls."

"Many applications benefit from pilot controls," agrees Tyler, "not so much from being any faster than manual controls, but more from the fact that operator fatigue is greatly reduced. As a result, the operator can work longer in a day or take fewer breaks since he or she remains comfortable while working. Lever efforts are lower and lever travels are shorter, both of which keep the operator from tiring as quickly."