ZM388 / ZM388H Backhoe Loaders
Front bucket loads the truck, rear arm digs the trench — one driver does both · 7.8 t & 10 t loader-plus-backhoe machines
A backhoe loader earns its keep by replacing two machines: a 1.0 m³ loader bucket up front, a 0.3 m³ digging bucket on the rear arm, one seat in between. We build two frames in Jining. The ZM388 weighs 7,760 kg and digs to 4,085 mm — a compact backhoe that still loads trucks at 2,760 mm. The ZM388H steps up to 10,050 kg, a 1.2 m³ front bucket and 86 kN of traction for harder ground. Both photographed here in our yard, in yellow, white and black builds. Spec figures below come straight off the factory parameter sheet.
Models & technical data
| Specification | ZM388 | ZM388H |
|---|---|---|
| Operating weight | 7,760 kg | 10,050 kg |
| Overall size (L×W×H) | 6,050×2,465×3,752 mm | 6,450×2,530×3,120 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,280 mm | 2,335 mm |
| Wheel tread | 1,785 mm | 2,050 mm |
| Ground clearance | 300 mm | 450 mm |
| Loader bucket capacity | 1.0 m³ | 1.2 m³ |
| Loader breakout force | 47 kN | 47 kN |
| Loader lift capacity | 2,500 kg | 2,500 kg |
| Loader dump height | 2,760 mm | 3,050 mm |
| Loader dump reach | 900 mm | 870 mm |
| Loader digging depth | 52 mm | 52 mm |
| Backhoe bucket capacity | 0.3 m³ | 0.3 m³ |
| Backhoe bucket digging force | 50 kN | 50 kN |
| Backhoe swing arc | 180° | 180° |
| Backhoe loading height | 3,795 mm | 4,050 mm |
| Backhoe max digging depth | 4,085 mm | 3,820 mm |
| Max traction force | 60 kN | 86 kN |
| Engine | Yuchai 4-cyl turbo diesel, 76 kW | Yuchai YC4A turbo diesel, 83 kW |
Figures below are read off the factory parameter table photographed with these machines. The engine shown is the representative configuration; the exact make and rating, plus drivetrain and tire options, are confirmed per order on the datasheet sent with your quote.
Key features
- 1.0 m³ (ZM388) or 1.2 m³ (ZM388H) front bucket with 47 kN breakout force
- Rear 0.3 m³ bucket digs to 4,085 mm on the ZM388, with 50 kN of bucket force
- 180° rear arm swing — trench along a wall without repositioning the machine
- 2,500 kg loader lift; dump height 2,760 mm (ZM388) / 3,050 mm (ZM388H)
- Max traction 60 kN on the ZM388, 86 kN on the heavier ZM388H
- 450 mm ground clearance on the ZM388H for rutted and unpaved sites
- Loader-end options include 6-in-1 bucket, forks, grapple, snow blade and sweeper
Where it works
One seat, two working ends
The arithmetic is simple. A wheel loader that only loads sits idle while the trench is dug; a digging machine sits idle while the truck is loaded. A backhoe loader does both from one seat — shovel the spoil heap with the 1.0 m³ front bucket, spin the seat around, open the trench with the rear arm. On a small crew that is one machine, one operator and one shipment instead of two.
The rear arm swings through a 180° arc, so the machine can park parallel to a wall or fence line and still place the bucket where the trench needs to go. With 50 kN of bucket digging force and 4,085 mm of reach below grade on the ZM388, it handles water lines, footings and septic work — the everyday depth range most utility drawings actually call for.
ZM388 or ZM388H — pick by ground, not by habit
The ZM388 is the lighter frame: 7,760 kg, a 1.0 m³ front bucket and 60 kN of traction. It digs deeper than its big brother — 4,085 mm against 3,820 mm — because the heavier machine trades some arm reach for lift height. For trenching-led work on firm ground, the ZM388 is usually the right call.
The ZM388H answers a different question: what happens when the site is soft, rutted or just plain rough. At 10,050 kg with 86 kN of traction and 450 mm of ground clearance — 150 mm more than the standard frame — it keeps moving where a lighter machine starts scraping its belly. Its 1.2 m³ bucket and 3,050 mm dump height also load high-sided trucks more comfortably.
Breakout force, loader lift and the rear bucket are identical on both: 47 kN, 2,500 kg and 0.3 m³. You are not paying for a stronger loader when you choose the H — you are paying for footing, clearance and dump height. Tell us what your site looks like in the wet season and we will tell you which frame we would put on it.
Where this machine sits between mini backhoe and big iron
Buyers searching for a mini backhoe or small backhoe are often picturing a machine for tight residential lots; buyers pricing 9-to-11-ton name-brand machines are picturing highway jobs. The ZM388 sits deliberately between the two — full-size dig depth and a genuine truck-loading front end, in a package and at a price closer to the compact backhoe class.
One distinction worth a sentence: a tractor loader backhoe is a farm tractor with a loader and digging kit bolted on, fine for chores but limited by the tractor chassis underneath. The ZM388 is purpose-built around its two working ends — the frame, axles and hydraulics were designed for digging and loading first, not adapted to it afterward.
Attachments, colors and how the deal works
The loader end accepts a 6-in-1 bucket, pallet forks, log fork, grapple, mixing bucket, snow blade, sweeper and soft clamp. The rear arm takes a quick hitch, breaker hammer, auger, ripper, thumb bucket and digging buckets in several widths. A backhoe machine that drills post holes on Monday and clears snow in January spreads its cost across the whole year.
Machines photographed on this page left our yard in standard yellow, white-and-red and all-black builds — none of them renders. Paint and decals follow your order at no drama: dealers get their house color, rental fleets get a livery that matches the rest of the line, and the photos we send before shipment show your machine, not a stock image.
If you have been comparing every backhoe loader for sale across the usual platforms, the honest summary is: we are the factory, new machines only, and the quote is itemized — base machine, attachments, freight to your port — within 24 hours. No mystery line items, and the parameter sheet for your exact build ships with the machine.
Common questions
How much does a backhoe loader cost from your factory?
It depends on the frame and the build. The ZM388 costs less than the 10 t ZM388H; attachments, cab trim and paint move the number from there. We quote an itemized backhoe loader price — machine, options, freight to your port — within 24 hours, so you can compare line by line instead of guessing at a bundled figure.
Is the ZM388 a mini backhoe or a full-size machine?
Neither, strictly. At 7,760 kg it is heavier than the mini backhoe class but lighter and cheaper than 9–11 t flagship machines. You get full-size numbers where they matter — 4,085 mm dig depth, 1.0 m³ front bucket — in a compact backhoe footprint of 6,050 mm length. For most utility and small-works contractors, that middle slot is the practical buy.
What is the difference between this and a tractor loader backhoe?
A tractor loader backhoe starts life as a farm tractor and gains a loader and digging arm as add-ons, so the chassis sets the limits. The ZM388 is built the other way around: frame, axles and hydraulics engineered specifically for loading and digging. The result is 47 kN of loader breakout and 50 kN of bucket digging force that a converted tractor rarely matches.
Do you have new backhoe loaders for sale, or used machines?
New only, built to order in Jining, Shandong. Every backhoe machine is assembled, function-tested and photographed before it ships, and the factory parameter sheet travels with it. If you have been browsing used listings to save money, ask us for the new-machine quote first — without dealer margin in between, the gap is smaller than most buyers expect.
How deep can this backhoe loader dig, and can it work beside a wall?
The ZM388 digs to 4,085 mm below grade; the ZM388H reaches 3,820 mm. The rear arm swings through 180°, so the machine can sit parallel to a wall, fence or roadway and still drop the bucket on the trench line. Loading height at the rear is 3,795 mm and 4,050 mm respectively — enough to discharge spoil straight into a standard dump truck.
Which engine is fitted, and can I choose the configuration?
Engine make and rating are confirmed on the order sheet rather than printed here — supply arrangements vary by destination market, and we would rather send you the current datasheet than publish a spec that changes. Tires, cab equipment, attachments and paint are all selected at order time, and the quote lists each choice separately.
Request pricing for the ZM388 / ZM388H Backhoe Loaders
Send your target model, quantity and destination port. Our export team replies within one business day with a quote, lead time and shipping details.
- Phone / WhatsApp: +86 183 5478 8611
- Email: [email protected]
- Jining, Shandong, China