Quick Spade Review?

SuperCobra · Jul 29, 2008

Searching the forums for "Quick Spade" I see numerous recent/active threads with various opinions on it but no comments yet from someone who has actually used one. Anyone? IslandTractor have you hooked yours up yet?

From the video it looks like exactly what I need - a poor man's backhoe for moving small evergreens, digging footings, trenches for water pipe, cable, etc (18-24" in my area). However, the video only shows it on a skid steer. How does it work on a tractor FEL? Isn't there a big difference in breakout force (is that the correct term?) between a SS and a 40hp tractor? Does the bucket version work with a toothbar? No response from my email to the company.
TIA,
Randy

SuperCobra · Jul 30, 2008

Answered my own question - in case anyone else is interested, found this buried in the forks thread:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/125784-need-set-forks-3.html

IslandTractor · Jul 30, 2008

I have hooked mine up a few times and think it is a very useful attachment for anyone with adjustable forks. I don't recall exactly what I paid for it but I think it was about $150. It would not be too hard for someone with half decent welding and metal working skills to make one up but it seems a bargain compared to most implements.

My major pros are: makes quick work of shovelling. Each Quick Spade bite is about the same as 4 or 5 manual shovel fulls and you can use the weight of the tractor rather than your foot to dig in compacted soil. Allows digging to about 4 feet without the hassle of putting the backhoe on for a small job and without the five foot wide hole you get with a standard FEL bucket. Very good for preparing to transplant small/medium size bushes as you can dig under the roots without hurting the plant as you would with a BH. Would be just as quick as a BH for trenching, maybe faster. Also works well to dig out small stumps and is much faster than moving the tractor/backhoe to do that on the stumps up to 4 or 5 inches. Also less mess than with a BH stumping.

Cons: I wouldn't like to trench with a tractor with a standard tranny as you need to move the tractor to dump a shovel full to the side. Requires a whack with a sledge hammer to get it off the forks once jammed on by digging. I have the fork version but a con for the bucket combo version is that it would only dig about 18 inches before the bucket itself touched ground. Still, if you don't have forks it would be a worthwhile addition IMO. You could always add forks later if you wanted to dig deeper. I would not attach this thing to the bucket mounted temporary forks though. It can generate quite a lot of lever force while digging and it would likely bend your bucket. (I can lift the front end of my 40hp tractor up easily while plunging and can lift the rear of the tractor when trying to pop roots).

Charlesaf3 · Jul 31, 2008

as an aside, Markham welding makes one that goes directly on the QA for around $400 or so. I've been pondering whether I have enough use to justify it - having it on the QA seems better? - easier to mount and more breakout force

IslandTractor · Jul 31, 2008

Charlesaf3 said:
as an aside, Markham welding makes one that goes directly on the QA for around $400 or so. I've been pondering whether I have enough use to justify it - having it on the QA seems better? - easier to mount and more breakout force

Not sure there would be any change in breakout force. The lever arm would be the same if the Markham is equally long. I have ?42" forks and the quickspade adds about six inches to that.

The Markham would be easier to mount but harder to store. Mounting the quickspade on forks just requires adjusting the forks to the closest position, sliding on the quickspade then hitching up the retainer chain (which is probably not necessary if you just "jam" the quickspade into the ground hard so it doesn't pull off). As noted, getting the quickspade off requires a whack with a sledge hammer (I use a small single hand type).

I'd imagine the Markham version would be more to ship as well.

Charlesaf3 · Jul 31, 2008

Markhams shipping was surprisingly low - 90 or so. I thing the scoop was 24" long by 18 wide or some such.

Do you find it to be consistently useful? I'm wondering if my backhoe and PHD between them do 80% of what I'd use the spade for....

My storage has all sorts of problems, but space is not one of them! Yes, I'm a member of the "leave tractor parts lying all over the property" school. I'm hoping to graduate to the "leave tractor attachments all in one out of the way corner, under tarps" though.

IslandTractor · Jul 31, 2008

Charlesaf3 said:
Do you find it to be consistently useful? I'm wondering if my backhoe and PHD between them do 80% of what I'd use the spade for....
quote]

I've only had the quickspade for a couple of months. However I find that I am leaving it on the forks as I use it more than I use the forks alone. I'd never attack a major digging project with it in preference to the BH but for digging up a bush or two, especially if I want to keep them healthy for transplant, it is much preferred to the BH. I suspect it would be faster than the BH at cleaning out ditches too. To dig a trench it might also be faster than a BH given the amount of time you'd spend moving the BH. As a FEL mounted tool it also is very convenient to use as you are looking right at what you are digging etc.

Again, for about $150 and UPS shipping it seems a good deal.

PS. I leave my implements laying around too but they are interspersed between the boats. Gotta hide them somewhere.

Charlesaf3 · Jul 31, 2008

Between boats is good! I fail to see how combining two of my favorite toys could be anything but picturesque.

Friends of mine don't seem to see my tractor pieces with quite the affectionate eye I do, though. I've been accused of recreating appalachia, minus a lounging hound.

I maintain the refrigerator on the porch was not my fault though!

I was thinking ditching, but one would more or less have to straddle the ditch to make that work, and since mine are on the side of a hill that would be tough. I can see the advantage for transplanting, but my basic posture vis a vis existing vegetation is more all out war..

Basically I'd love to come up with an excuse to buy one, but haven't quite managed it yet.

IslandTractor · Jul 31, 2008

Charlesaf3 said:
Basically I'd love to come up with an excuse to buy one, but haven't quite managed it yet.

Excuse me? A guy who can find an excuse to get a M59 upgrade to his B3030 cannot come up with a plausible rationale for a back saving quick spade??? The mind boggles. I think you need to sit down with a few cold ones and get your creative juices flowing again.

AchingBack · Jul 31, 2008

Hey Island Tractor, in image #9, I notice your gloves on the ground. Have you been looking for them?

It seems to me, just butting the forks would do almost as much as the quick spade. I recently purchased some forks, and have been going after the deep rooted, painfully persistant, Canada thistle. God knows how much I hate that stuff.

Even if I don't dig it all out with my new forks, it feels like sweet revenge, having struggled for years with a spading fork, and a size 8 1/2 D boot.