Box Scraper 3 point trench filling attachment?

   / 3 point trench filling attachment? #1  

DavisHollow

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2011
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30
Tractor
Yanmar 2610D
Title says it all. I have a box blade but is there a more specialized 3pt attachment that would do a better job of filled in a trench?
 
   / 3 point trench filling attachment? #2  
   / 3 point trench filling attachment? #3  
what machine was used to make the trench?

if backhoe. then you can use bucket to pull spoils back into the trench. most likely a tractor with a backhoe also has a FEL (front end loader) with a bucket. and that can be used as well.

if a excavator (wheeled or tracted backhoe and no really a tractor) most likely has a small little back fill blade on it.

if you have a rear blade for 3pt hitch, you might be able to use that, to push dirt into trench. though be carefull you can mess up the 3pt hitch. 3pt hitch is better at moving foward and pulling stuff on 3pt hitch. vs going backwards.

if you used a trenching machine, that has like a chain saw blade on it, but made for dirt. a old manual hand tools of a hoe or metal rake and flat head shovel work.

i am a tad un easy trying to run a tractor, so one front and rear tire is on one side of trench. and the other front and rear tire is on other side of an open trench. extremely high risk of a cave in of trench sides. there are potota hillers. that have 2 disc blades from a 3pt disc. and angled into a V pattern. that could bring dirt into the trench.

but the problem with anything with a trench, you need to compact the soil as you fill. if you do not compact every few inches. you end up with settling problems. that really never go away.
 
   / 3 point trench filling attachment? #4  
How about this for an idea:

Buy an old, cheap back blade that will pivot around backwards. Cut it down the center and weld it back together so it forms a 90 degree "V". Then when you go backwards the "V" will fill the trench from both sides. No chance of cave-in.

Afterwards, run the rear tires over the trench to pack the filler and do the fill one more time with the "V".

It would be even easier if adapted to a FEL quick hitch so it could run up front.

Just thinking (typing) out loud.
 
   / 3 point trench filling attachment? #5  
How about this for an idea:

Buy an old, cheap back blade that will pivot around backwards. Cut it down the center and weld it back together so it forms a 90 degree "V". Then when you go backwards the "V" will fill the trench from both sides. No chance of cave-in.


This would be a great idea as you could raise your blade to push in smaller amounts of dirt for tamping if needed. If you didn't need to tamp push it all in. This would be easier to control and a lot less manuvering to fill your trench. I've seen cheapo back fill blades for $150 or less on craiglist but I don't recall seeing an implement made for just your purpose.

Hope you come up with something you need. I never have enough backfilling to do so haven't give it much thought, still do it the round about way; pushing it with loader, pulling it with loader or straight blade on my tractor.
 
   / 3 point trench filling attachment? #6  
What is listed above might work but it is a "one trick pony". You can fill in a huge trench quickly with a box blade or a grader blade. Finish it off with a drag or back dragging with the loader bucket.
 
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   / 3 point trench filling attachment? #7  
what machine was used to make the trench?

if backhoe. then you can use bucket to pull spoils back into the trench. most likely a tractor with a backhoe also has a FEL (front end loader) with a bucket. and that can be used as well.

if a excavator (wheeled or tracted backhoe and no really a tractor) most likely has a small little back fill blade on it.

There is a good example of both a backhoe & excavator back filling trenches on another thread:

Back Hoe -vs- Excavator... Which do you prefer?

As boggen says, the key thing is to compact the trench well - if it hasn't got to be left absolutely level, I also normally leave a filled trench sitting approx 2" proud of the surface, to allow for future settlement. Normally after a few months (and some rain) it has then levelled itself off.
 
   / 3 point trench filling attachment? #8  
going with gwdixon, of thinking out loud...

speaking of box blades to rear blade cut in half and welded back together to form a V.

i rarely see them. but taking a generic rear blade. and then making a couple holes at the very end, with some re-enforcement. so you could bolt on a couple side wings. to turn the rear blade into a make shift box blade.

having a wide rear blade (wider than what one would normally have for a given size tractor by a couple feet maybe more), and offsetting it. with a side wings to turn it into a box blade. would be awesome. you could quickly angle rear blade, and have a wing errr V kinda thing. to pull dirt into the trench.

*looks confused* i do not remember seeing a rear blade that can be off set in ages.... most are just triangle for 3pt hitch, straight down and back to rear blade.

i remember seeing some rear blades that went to swinging draw bar, or replaced swinging draw bar. and then used the draw bar that goes between lower lift arms to adjust offset... and then a linkage up to top link.
 
   / 3 point trench filling attachment? #9  
3-pt blade offset & angled!
 

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   / 3 point trench filling attachment?
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Thanks, to answer a few questions, I'll be digging with a trencher (riding probably). Will be laying several hundred feet (maybe 500-700 before I'm all done) so I don't care to use a shovel. I have a 31hp tractor with box blade, but I don't think that will work well. I have a front end loader but that's a bunch of starting and stopping, the box blade would work better.

I like the idea of ...
"Buy an old, cheap back blade that will pivot around backwards. Cut it down the center and weld it back together so it forms a 90 degree "V". Then when you go backwards the "V" will fill the trench from both sides. No chance of cave-in."
That's probably what I need to do.
 
 
 
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