Ford 555B Tractor-Loader-Backhoe Operator's Manual
This is the Operator's Manual for the Ford 555B Tractor-Loader-Backhoe, covering the complete controls, operation, and maintenance procedures for both loader and backhoe functions across 114 pages. This is the factory document Ford issued to 555B owners and is available as an instant digital download.
About the Ford 555B
The Ford 555B was produced from approximately 1983 to 1986, succeeding the 555 and preceding the 555C in Ford's industrial TLB lineup. It was powered by a 4-cylinder Ford diesel engine and used a synchromesh shuttle transmission with forward/reverse shuttle control — the shuttle being the feature that set TLB-spec 555Bs apart from field tractor configurations, allowing rapid direction changes during loader cycles without clutching. The machine was equipped with a front loader with a quick-detach bucket and a rear-mounted swing backhoe with independent stabilizer legs. The 555B was widely used in municipal utilities, landscaping, residential construction, and farm drainage work, and was considered a direct competitor to the Case 580 Super series and the John Deere 310 in the compact TLB class. Many 555Bs remain in commercial and farm service today, and the hydraulic system, stabilizer cylinders, and swing circuit are the most common service areas on machines with high hours.
What This Manual Covers
This 114-page manual covers the 555B as an integrated machine — loader and backhoe functions are documented together as they were designed to operate, including combined attachment and counterweight procedures. Key sections include:
- Safety Precautions — Ford's original safety requirements for TLB operation, including stabilizer deployment, overhead obstruction clearance, and trench work
- Controls & Instruments — brake and rear axle controls; transmission controls; front drive axle; loader controls; backhoe controls
- Operation — break-in procedures; engine starting; transmission operation; towing and transporting; weighting limitations; loader operation; backhoe operation; loader and backhoe attachments; backhoe and counterweight removal and installation
- Lubrication & Maintenance — lubrication and maintenance chart; fuels and lubricants specifications; fuel and lubricant service procedures; general maintenance; hydraulic hoses and tubing inspection; storing the Ford 555B
- Specifications — factory-specification dimensions, capacities, and settings for loader and backhoe functions
- Safety Decals — original safety decal content and placement reference
- Pre-Delivery & 50-Hour Service — factory checklist for initial delivery inspection and break-in service
Why This Manual Matters
- Shuttle transmission operation and service: The synchromesh shuttle is the heart of TLB productivity on the 555B, and the factory-specified operating procedures and fluid requirements documented here are essential for operators and mechanics who may have only field-tractor experience
- Hydraulic hose and tubing inspection: The maintenance section documents Ford's inspection criteria for the 555B's hydraulic circuit — critical on a machine where backhoe and loader hoses are subject to constant flexing and abrasion that tractor-only hydraulic systems don't experience
- Backhoe counterweight removal and installation: Properly removing and reinstalling the backhoe and its counterweight is documented with the correct torque and sequence specifications — a procedure frequently done incorrectly without factory guidance
- Weighting limitations: The 555B's front/rear weight distribution with loader bucket loaded and backhoe deployed is documented — knowing the actual Ford-specified limits matters for safe operation on grades and soft ground
- Storing the 555B correctly: Long-term storage procedures for a machine with both loader and backhoe hydraulic circuits are covered — stabilizer cylinder retraction, bucket positioning, and fluid protection are all specified
- Original factory content: This is the manual Ford issued to 555B owners, carrying manual code SE 4436 685
Manual Code: SE 4436 685