Grading Rear blade for moving manure

[DanielTerence]

A neighbor asked me to clean off his heavy use pad after a winters worth of feeding his cattle. The pad is about 12 feet wide and probably 40 feet long. I agreed to do this with my L2800 and FEL. After working for about 2 hours, I've cleared about 25% of the pad. It's tuff going because of all the hay mixed in with the manure - it's like trying to scoop up a large straw carpet.

When I get done with the rough stuff, I'm thinking about buying a rear blade for the final scraping - plus I can use for snow.


Anyway, do you think a rear blade would work once I get down to the final 4 - 5 inches? Any better ways to do this.

This also make be realize what more hp might do. When I try to plow even a bucket full or so, I just spin wheels and listen to the HST whine.

 

[aczlan]

After working for about 2 hours, I've cleared about 25% of the pad. It's tuff going because of all the hay mixed in with the manure - it's like trying to scoop up a large straw carpet.

some on here would reccommend a toothbar on your FEL to allow it to grab better, if you are going to do this more than once I personally would go with a manure fork like the one on this page, when trying to move manure (by hand) it is much easier with a fork instead of a shovel.
another thing that might help is getting down to bare concrete in one spot and enlarging that spot, you will still have the problem of getting the hay to stay in the bucket.

When I get done with the rough stuff, I'm thinking about buying a rear blade for the final scraping - plus I can use for snow
Anyway, do you think a rear blade would work once I get down to the final 4 - 5 inches? Any better ways to do this.
This also make be realize what more hp might do. When I try to plow even a bucket full or so, I just spin wheels and listen to the HST whine.

a rear blade will make things easier if it can dig in, it also has the advantage of being angleable, my FIL's B7500 HST sits and spins pushing snow with the bucket after the snow builds up, however it will pull an angled 72" back blade without much fuss.


HTH

Aaron Z

 

[teg]

"..spin wheels.." No problem with HP, you don't have tractions. If the engine stalls... that's HP (or too high of a gear). Filled rear tires... put something heavy on the 3PH, mower or blade or carryall with rocks (rear weight=traction). It's slick as... well, you know what. Are you using 4 wheel drive?

 

[charlz]

A lot of the dairy's around here appear to scrape down every day. Many use half a tractor tire as sort of a box blade. I think they have found it much easier to do it before it gets packed and matted. Most also already have huge loaders that can probably make short work of most anything A manure fork like aczlan suggested would probably work much better than a bucket or a bolt on set on the bucket.

As for a rear blade, I think it would work great if it is mostly loose stuff. If it is still a mat it probably wouldn't work so well as it would not bite in.

 

[Dascro]

This brings back memories from my younger days!

I can confirm from first hand experience that you need a manure fork on a loader to handle the type material you described if you are going to be doing this type work regularly. Also, as mentioned earlier, clean a small workable area down to bare concrete and work out of that space always working from concrete.

A rear blade would work only if there is not much build up of straw/hay and manure. Otherwise, it will want to "ride" up on the material.

Lastly, A skidsteer with a manure fork is the best tool for this job.

Good luck.

Dave