Dirt Scoop/boom pole? (aka 3 pt bucket, slip scoop...)

   / Dirt Scoop/boom pole? (aka 3 pt bucket, slip scoop...) #1  

lake rat

New member
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Jul 2, 2009
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Hi All, (What a Great Forum.)

I'd like the skinny on dirt buckets & boom poles.

I have an older, but solid Kubota B7100D 4x4 (16.5/12 hp) with 5' scraper blade, 4' brush hog & 4' finish mower. All came as a package.

While a FEL would be nice, I'm havin' trouble justifying the $3K, give or take (can't seem to find a used one, reasonable.) Looks like I could scoop and transport material w/ the dirt scoop and and lift stuff w/ a boom. I don't mind taking small bites to get the job done with less than ideal solutions where the cost is 1/10 for the scoop and boom as compared to the FEL, but I don't want to throw $ down the rat hole either.

Let me have it, boys. Whaddya think? Am I fooling myself? Thanks for any/all feedback. I appreciate your time.

Lake Rat
mid MO lake country on my time
greater KC, KS to support my

"From 5 a.m. to 'bout noon I play farmer, After that my favorite attachments are a boat w/ boobs aboard and beer cooler."
 
   / Dirt Scoop/boom pole? (aka 3 pt bucket, slip scoop...) #2  
I bought one and even have a FEL. I don't use it a lot but when I do I run the heck out of it. I doubt I'll ever get rid of it atleast not until it just rots away. I did weld some bracing onto it so I could carry rocks and push into hard clay. Bottom line is it will work.
 
   / Dirt Scoop/boom pole? (aka 3 pt bucket, slip scoop...) #3  
First I like your daily schedule

About the slip scoop boom pole you can do it but it would be like showing up at the lake with a johnboat and tiller motor not very enticing to the ladies.


Steve
 
   / Dirt Scoop/boom pole? (aka 3 pt bucket, slip scoop...) #4  
If you do not have a FEL a boom pole is a necessity, I use mine all the time.

As for the dirt scoop, I use mine a lot, have dug two shallow ponds and thousands of feet of drainage ditches. I break up the sod with a middle buster and with the bucket-facing forward; I can fill the bucket up with out stopping. However, I have no rocks or clay so digging is easy here.

There are some tricks to using a dirt scoop, but with practice, you can do a lot with it.

I also have a box blade that can do some FEL type work.

I had planed on getting an FEL some day, but I do not really need one, I get the job done with that I have.
 
   / Dirt Scoop/boom pole? (aka 3 pt bucket, slip scoop...)
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Gents - Thanks for the quick lesson(s). I'm off the fence, will get a scoop and boom asap. 1 more line of Q's (for the moment;)

Do I need to get a 24" scoop or can my little Kubota (B7100 4x4) handle a 30"?
front weights?

"3gun" (since you mentioned "tricks"), "20 20" or whoever else knows: Any quick tips on scoop bucket ops/set up...do's and don'ts? Or, are there instructions/videos already out there on the web?

Lake Rat
mid MO lake country on my time
otherwise greater KC - to support my bad habits
Kubota B7100D
KK 5' blade,
kk 4' rotary mower (brush hog)
Kubota finish mower

"From 5 a.m. to 'bout noon I play farmer, After that my favorite attachments are a boat w/ boobs aboard and a beer cooler."
 
   / Dirt Scoop/boom pole? (aka 3 pt bucket, slip scoop...) #6  
lake rat,

I have one of those scoops,

If you lived close enough, I would sell it real cheap. I have had it about 20 yrs, and used it once.
 
   / Dirt Scoop/boom pole? (aka 3 pt bucket, slip scoop...) #7  
I do not have a FEL but I sure do use the scoop I have. Guess it depends on what type of stuff you do with your tractor. For me I cut grass in fairly tight quarters and a FEL would be a problem. Of course I would love to have one, but the scoop is my poor man's FEL
 
   / Dirt Scoop/boom pole? (aka 3 pt bucket, slip scoop...) #8  
I have the 30 inch king kutter, it just barely clears the back tires of my L3400 with the pins pointing in, you may need to get the 24 inch, but I do have wide tires (R4s).

If the soil conditions are right I can pile so much dirt in it, it lifts the front wheels off the ground, front weights are on my list of needed stuff.

Dirt scoop tips;

To scoop dirt out of a pile, bucket edge pointing back, adjust top link level, back in low 1, into pile lifting the bucket at the same time.

To dig, bucket edge-facing front, adjust top link so cutting edge is angled down, forward in low 3 or 4, lower bucket wile moving, if it starts to slowdown adjust it up and down a bit until bucket is full.

To dump, stop, pulling lightly on latch rope lower bucket when the edge hits the ground the latch will trip, immediately lift bucket all the way as you drive forward, let go of rope.

If digging a pond, leave a gentile slope so you can drive out with out the scoop hitting the ground.

Digging ditches is easy, if you break the sod with a middle buster first.
 
   / Dirt Scoop/boom pole? (aka 3 pt bucket, slip scoop...) #9  
I bought a lightly used 30" king cutter yesterday. I put it to work moving a large pile 10-20 cu yards of sawdust/dirt from beside where my barn used to be before it burned down. This thing is great. I moved a lot of material without breaking a sweat. I discovered that I had some rather large rocks...200-300 lb that the previous owner had placed next to the barn. This thing is the cats meaow for moving rocks, just back under them and dump them wher you want them. This is probably the best $100 I have ever spent. There is very little to go wrong. No hydraulics or electronics, just a trip rope that I might have to replace every 20 years or so...
 
   / Dirt Scoop/boom pole? (aka 3 pt bucket, slip scoop...) #10  
Used a 30" dirt scoop and my grandfather's 8n to haul sand back up a hill to repair the county road after torrential rains washed it out a couple years ago. Then made some nice looking drainage ditches with it before I got my own tractor.

Don't pay retail for one. Not to far from here there is an auctioneer who has a large spring and fall consignment auction every year. There is always 1 or 2 dirt scoops there that bring $30-$75. Craigslist is another place to look for one.
 
 
 
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