Attachment for cleaning up loose trash/debris?

   / Attachment for cleaning up loose trash/debris? #1  

TheGoose

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Apr 18, 2009
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994
Location
SE Texas
Just curious whether anyone makes an attachement that will scoop up dirt/debris and then separate the trash from the dirt.

We recently acquired a property that has a large amount of broken glass, trash, and just general debris everywhere. The property had an old house that had to be demo'd as well as an old trailerhouse. They had been dumping trash out back for quite awhile and I'm sure that other people dumped there as well.

We are going to be hauling in quite a bit of dirt for our build (we are building a barn) but experience tells me that the broken glass etc. will still find it's way up over time.

I'm not looking to buy an attachment but I was wondering whether or not one was made that I could either rent or hire out?

We have been picking up as much as possible by hand but there is still much work to be done and it's almost impossible to clear out the small pieces of glass and other debris.

Any information would be appreciated if you've ran into a similar situation.
 
   / Attachment for cleaning up loose trash/debris? #2  
A rock bucket might work for larger pieces but hand is prob. the only thing for the small ones.
 
   / Attachment for cleaning up loose trash/debris? #3  
I think what you want is called a screen. Used in quarrys to sift sand from rocks. I think someone here made one. A large stand with grates at an angle. The larger rocks/stuff go off the edge, smaller stuff goes through.

Also lookup trommel.
 
   / Attachment for cleaning up loose trash/debris? #4  
We bought a lake lot last summer from a guy that was a long time hoarder. He hauled out most of the metal and semi-cleaned up anything of value....but still left a mess for us.

After picking up everything we could by hand.....we raked the ground and used magnets to pick up nails, screws, hardware and small pieces of metal. We also picked up lots of broken glass with a few trips over the land. The site was about an acre and we spent considerable hours to clean it up for a new home.
 
   / Attachment for cleaning up loose trash/debris? #5  
The screen is a good idea and you might be able to fashion one yourself from materials found at a hard ware store. Having had a house torn down and participated in a few cleanups myself I have been better off time and expense wise to run my front end loader over the area going down deep enough to get all the trash. You could first use a landscape rake to drag over the area to pile the trash up and then scoop up with a FEL.
 
   / Attachment for cleaning up loose trash/debris? #6  
You might have good luck with a Harley rake windrowing the debris and rocks on the surface. Then scoop up the bebris with a shovel and bucket.
 
   / Attachment for cleaning up loose trash/debris?
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Did somebody say "Trommel"? !!
[ goldrushtodd.png
 

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   / Attachment for cleaning up loose trash/debris?
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Thanks for all the suggestions. We are using a combo of a landscape rake, front bucket, and box blade to at least pile all the trash in one area. Still having a hard time getting all the glass. My fear is that it will continue to surface for years and years.
 
   / Attachment for cleaning up loose trash/debris? #9  
I think you are doing all that can be done. Screens fine enough to get the slivers of glass would have to be vibratory to separate all the glass. Use the Landscape rake to windrow it then pick up all that dirt and bury it below the freeze zone(18" deep should do it) which should be pretty shallow in SE Texas. Let the rake dig down a bit and gather it all up. You may still have some hand picking to do.
 
   / Attachment for cleaning up loose trash/debris? #10  
A Trommel would be ideal however they are expensive to buy. A company makes them just down the road from me and you're looking at about $100,000. Now that is a big commercial variety. They can be rented but I have know Idea what they'd cost to rent.
 
 
 
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