Sod/Top Soil Weight

[wen]

Mike,

The guys at the sand and gravel pits know, too. They really enjoy it when a guy with a 1/2 ton pickup pulls up and says he wants a yard of sand. If they are really feeling good, they will say, how about us loading 1/2 yard and see how the springs hold that up, but if they find a know it all, they will just drop 1 yard or a little more and watch the tires pooch out and the springs set on the axle.

[MChalkley]

It's never a good idea to be a know-it-all around folks with heavy machinery.

I've twice seen a smart-aleck foreman's truck or car with a two-foot deep ditch all the way around it. That always gives 'em a new perspective on reality.

A guy who works for a major engineering firm here in VA told me that the head of a department in the firm was famous for being a real jerk with contractors. To make matters worse, he drove a Cadillac and made a practice of parking where he knew it would be in the way. Well, one day, he had to report the car stolen, because when he came back to where he'd left it, it was gone. The real story is that the car is still on site, but it's in pretty deep. For some reason, the guy assumed that there might be some connection between the disappearance of his Cadillac and it being consistently parked where he'd been told not to, and was more discreet in where he parked his next vehicle, a pickup truck. [img]/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Mark

[JimBinMI]

Wen,

That is a good one! [img]/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif[/img] !

JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!

[_RaT_]

Jim, I don't know what a "scoop" is but figure it must be like a mini box scraper only narrow. I would wonder why use that instead of a box scraper since box scrapers even in the size for your tractor would presumably hold more then 9 cu ft. On top of that, I can't imagine a box scraper for a 18 hp tractor weighing more then 300lbs. Since all you need to lift is the weight of the scraper and virtually no dirt, lift capacity is a non issue. Even the BX 2200 rated at 680 lbs would easily handle a boxscraper. The issue would not be lift capacity as we all know, the issue is "pull capacity", this is where the weight of the tractor becomes huge. Tires and HP would also play an important roll. When I pull a 72" box scraper, I am always in 4WD, and often times load my loader to the hilt for extra traction on the front tires. The box scraper weighs 1200 lbs. I believe you mentioned you have turf tires, which for dirt work are OK, if you have a loader, you could fill it with dirt for added traction and front end ballast, or of course, just use the loader to move the dirt. I'm making some assumptions here I know, like you have a loader, a box scraper and that I even know what a scoop is. I checked some tractor places and scoops aren't even offered or mentioned. At any rate, it sounds like your enjoying yourself and finally getting some real time on your tractor. Don't worry about overloading your tractor. If it can lift or move it, it will. If your mowing and the RPM can't be maintained, your overloading. Rat...

[Von]

Paddock,
A scoop is a poorman's front end loader. It fits on the 3 pt. and dumps with a rope fixed to a catch. It can be mounted for going both foward and backwards.

Von

[Bird]

Paddock, you can check http://www.tractorsupply.com and look for their "bucket scoop" that weighs 180#. Don't know the price for sure now, but in my old catalog it was $199. The box scraper drags the dirt while the scoop carries it.

Bird

[JimBinMI]

Bird,

I got my rear scoop for $100, my dad found it from a guy he knew at the guy's yard sale, it had been used only a couple of times and is a King Kutter brand.

I know that they call them a poor man's front end loader, but this thing will lift more than IF I had a front end loader, since my rear 3 pt is rated at 1265 lbs.

I finished the job today, removing sod and top soil, found a really good spot full of top soil and dug is out for use too, it was about 2-3 ft. deep in an area about about 10' x 10'. The entire area that I cleared of sod and top soil is about 30' x 40'. Worked the tractor at about 1900 rpm and used low range 4x4, worked great, this tractor hasn't dissappointed me yet! [img]/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif[/img]

When I got done with that, I took off the scoop and hooked up the 3 pt mower and mowed about 2/3 of the yard and came in for a break...so here I am, on "break"! [img]/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif[/img]

JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!

[JimBinMI]

Guys,

Almost forgot, Made the wife walk out by the barn, not really that far, so I could show her all of the work I had been doing. After explaining everything and what I had to do next, her comment was "You've got way too much yard to play with!"

Women, huh!

JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!

[Bird]

It was well worth the $100, wasn't it?[img]/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Bird

[JimBinMI]

Bird,

Last summer when my dad called me up and told me that he had seen it at a sale and I asked him to go right back and buy it for me. He always gets people down on price but I told him to buy it even if he couldn't, which he usually won't do. He paid full asking price and I've never regretted it! It has definitely paid for itself several times. [img]/w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif[/img]

JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!