The engines are perhaps the most vital component in any loader/backhoe machine. The engines fitted into Ford's 555-model loader/backhoe are diesel-powered engines, also manufactured by Ford. These three-cylinder engines offer a displacement of 201 cubic inches. They can produce around 62 horsepower output. The Ford 755 loader/backhoe features a much bigger, more powerful engine, with a 268-cubic-inch piston displacement. This engine is a four-cylinder, turbocharged unit. It runs on diesel fuel and offers 102 horsepower.
Most loader/backhoe manufacturers offer extensive lines of loader/backhoes designed to different dimensions. The Ford 555 loader/backhoes feature an 80-inch wheelbase, while the 755 model was designed with an 89-inch wheelbase. The 555 is 276 inches long, 81 inches wide; the 755 is 307 inches long and 86.4 inches wide.
The standard bucket offered on the Ford 555 loader has a 1.0-cubic-yard capacity. It is 84 inches wide, has a 105-inch dump clearance and a 27-inch dump reach. The hydraulics linked into the loader system can raise the loader bucket to its maximum height in 4.7 seconds. Bucket dump time is 1.6 seconds and lowering time is 2.6 seconds. The bucket on the 755 has a 1.5-cubic-yard capacity. It is 86.4 inches wide, has a dump clearance of 103 inches and a 44-inch dump reach. This bucket rises to its maximum height in 5.6 seconds, completely dumps its load in 1.8 seconds and lowers in 3.6 seconds.
The Ford 555 can be fitted with one of two backhoes: the regular 15-foot backhoe as well as the 15-foot extendable backhoe. Both can be fitted with buckets offering a width of 12, 18, 24 or 36 inches. The regular backhoe offers a 185-inch digging depth. The extendable backhoe attachment can dig to a depth of 232 inches.