Digging a pond with backhoe... Need advice

[Dargo]

I think the track loader or skid steer will be a waste of time and money.

I no longer have my Cat 955, but I do have a 2007 Takeuchi TL150 with a 3/4 yard bucket on it. It's a beast for some things but would be the wrong tool for the OP. He needs to find an old dump truck like you have. I still wish I wouldn't have sold my '63 Chevy dump truck. It only had a 327ci engine in it, but it would back up hills to dump it's load where the larger diesel dumps would run out of power with a full load trying to back up the hills.

 

[20 20]

I'll take it.

I'm in the middle of dredging my large pond out, if you were closer I'd have PLENTY of blue clay and dirt for you

I have to agree, for what the OP is discribing a dump would be the best bet. I wonder if maybe a dump trailer might even be an option? As far as water in the pond goes, a pump would be WELL worth using to keep it as dry as possible. Moving dry/damp dirt is a big enough issue but moving slop could stop you dead in your tracks.

 

[scoutcub]

If you're going to be doing this for awhile (seems so) then you might consider buying your own dump, and reselling down the road. I'd do a cost comparison on buying vs renting. I just excavated several hundred yards of dirt for a new garage, and to rent my concrete sub's 5 yard dump was $50/hr. I recently bought a 1 ton dump for 7K, and have used it quite a bit already on that project with more to follow. I would have liked to get the bigger dump, but wanted the 4WD on the 1 ton to get around some slopes. You can buy the older 5 yard gasser dumps for around 4-5K.
As for moving the dirt, I'd recommend the biggest excavator you can afford to rent!
Good luck!

 

[Pops15]

I've got a dump trailer. It's great for some things but its way too slow for moving that much dirt. Find an old dump truck. If you're just moving the dirt to another location on your own property you should be able to find a beater truck...or two real cheap. Here in IL the state auctions off their dump/plow trucks several times a year. Some of them go pretty cheap. They're usually tandems.

If you can keep the hole dry enough you can speed up the digging by using the loader instead of the hoe for digging. The trick is to use the weight of the machine to help dig....think digging down on a slope rather than digging level skinning off the top.
A track hoe would be much faster. Watch the equipment auctions. Equipment is going cheap these days.
A dragline would be even better than a track hoe if your pond is very big.

 

[futuresweets10]

When I dug my 3/4 acre pond, I used my New Holland 2wd 555E to do all the work. I found that if I dug low areas and left a higher area in the pond for driving on, those higher areas dried out for me. I would back in along my roads, dig out into the low areas and pile the dirt on the road. Then when I had about ten yards, give or take, I would drive out and come back in front ways to get a load with the bucket and back out with it.

This worked fairly quickly at digging and removing the dirt, but with winter coming, I became panicked about the rains coming and started just dumping the dirt around the outside of hte pond. This really helped speed things up, and allowed me to keep digging until the rains shut me down. Fortunately I was done and just getting out as much extra as I could.

I spent a full year hauling off that dirt a little at a time. Not having it in there meant that I was in no rush to get it done.

I now have a 5 yard F600 dump truck. It's so much faster at moving dirt. I dig with the backhoe and load right into the bed. The real trick is to park the truck on dry ground.

I think the track loader or skid steer will be a waste of time and money. Tracks are better at getting aroudn in the mud, but not great. Nothing is great at dealing with mud and sometimes you just trade one problem for another that is a lot worse.

How big is this pond right now? How big will it be? How deep? What type of soil and who are you going to get water into it?

Eddie

I noticed alot of people telling me to rent an excavator... Thats not an option. You guys have talked me out of a track loader though. The doesnt have much done yet. Basically a small parimeter is done and ive started the insides of that part. I would say its going to be about 1/4 to 1/2 an acre when done. Im shooting for 7-10ft deep depending on the area. The soil is alot of clay, but I am far from a soil expert. A few times a year the area where the pond is going floods pretty bad, so I dont think filling it will be a problem.

 

[Pops15]

That's allot of material to move. You'll be forever using a backhoe. Get the right equipment (track hoe or dragline and a couple of dump trucks) or you'll become discouraged over the lack of progress.
I've seen track hoes that still have a little life in them sell as for as little as $3500 at auction. I saw a dragline that needed some work (don't know how much) advertised for $5000 awhile back.
Eddie did an excellent write up about his pond. You should read it before you proceed.

 

[futuresweets10]

That's allot of material to move. You'll be forever using a backhoe. Get the right equipment (track hoe or dragline and a couple of dump trucks) or you'll become discouraged over the lack of progress.
I've seen track hoes that still have a little life in them sell as for as little as $3500 at auction. I saw a dragline that needed some work (don't know how much) advertised for $5000 awhile back.
Eddie did an excellent write up about his pond. You should read it before you proceed.

If it takes me a year to dig it thats fine with me.....

 

[EddieWalker]

Basically a small parimeter is done and ive started the insides of that part. I would say its going to be about 1/4 to 1/2 an acre when done. Im shooting for 7-10ft deep depending on the area.

Pictures would sure help, but if I understand correctly, you dug the perimiter and now you are trying to dig out the middle?

If it was me, and I was digging a pond with my backhoe, and I'm thinking about doing just that, I would either start at one end and work my way across, or start in the middle and work my way out. Either way, I would dig with the backhoe and load it into my dumptruck. I wouldn't even consider doing it any other way.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[jenkinsph]

I agree with Eddie, I would start in the middle digging as deep as I could go and work my way out, keeping the higher undisturbed ground to drive on. Watch out for cave ins too.

 

[DUSTMAKER]

If the digging is going well with your hoe and you have help maybe find a good deal on used or rent a large tracked dumper since the ground is soft. That is the type of terrain those machines are made for. You could dig material while dumper is dumping and lode when it gets back.