Best plan of attack

[CajunRider]

The recent two hurricanes (Rita & Ike) eroded huge chunks of the pad around my house. I recently bought 50 truck load (16 yd3 each) and they are piled up on my pad in individual piles next to one another. I received an estimate for $1000 for spreading it and I don't have the money. I'm planning to do the leveling with my tractor. I have a 45 hp tractor with FEL and box blade. What's the best way to attack this? My tractor has a heavy clutch and I got a bum left knee. I prefer a method with lesser amount of clutch work.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Recoveryhill]

I'm trying to picture doing the job you suggest without a slew of back and forth and cannot. Time to call in the brother-in-law?

 

[bcp]

I once had to spread a huge pile, using a road grader. I just kept taking a bite out of the side with the blade. I could have circled but didn't need to. I don't know your land and pile arrangement, so this may not work. A road grader can't pick up and carry a load like a bucket does, so it is a bit like doing it with your back blade.

You can get some offset of the box blade to the side using your lower arm stabilizers--one long, the other short. Put it in a gear that will do it all, even if slow. Side swipe the pile, drag, dump, circle back and do it again.

If you can knock down the piles to the point you can drive over them, it would work even better. Drag material from the top downward.

Bruce

 

[oldnslo]

BCP's idea is a very good idea. I just would not recommend trying to take small bites with corner of your FEL. It would potentially twist the FEL frame and that is not good.

Another option: Push the tops of the piles down with the FEL and then drive over them dragging them down to where you want them with the rear box blade.

Both methods are based on you having room to turn around. If you are trying to fill in holes you may have to push the dirt into the holes and then back away.

 

[CajunRider]

I can do the back and forth just not way too much of it. I think I'll approach each pile using the FEL to knock the top down. When I just get past the top I'll drop the FEL and drag the dirt down backward until I can get it to a slope that I can drive over. Then I'll drive over and drag it down with the rear box blade. I'll do this until the whole 50 piles level out to a flat area then I can just drive around with the box blade and level everything.

 

[CajunRider]

Well I knocked down 15 piles last night and got them leveled to a point where I could drive over them. I had to be really careful though. Tip over is a real possibility and I had to watch where my wheels were at all times. My left knee is killing me but I think a couple more evening and I should get it to where I can drive around on top and drag the dirt where I want with the box blade. Right now it's all FEL work. I had the bucket pointed down and used it like a dozer blade. When I go over the pile and drag the dirt down, I have learned to control well enough to spread the dirt where I want.

 

[RaydaKub]

I had the bucket pointed down and used it like a dozer blade.

FEL's were not made to be used like that. Be careful so that you don't bend the curl cylinder(s) or something like that. Even a 45 degree angle would help move the load to the pins instead of the cylinder(s).

 

[kneedeep]

I got a bad knee and understand your pain. get a good knee brace, take some meds and ice it real good at night so it won't be so sore in the AM

Good Luck

 

[CajunRider]

FEL's were not made to be used like that. Be careful so that you don't bend the curl cylinder(s) or something like that. Even a 45 degree angle would help move the load to the pins instead of the cylinder(s).

I only used it like that to knock down the tops of the piles. That didn't seem to stress the FEL much so I think it's OK. When I go backward, I'm only taking of about a 4" layer and dragging the dirt back didn't cause much issue either. So far half of piles are leveled. Soon I'll be able to drive right up and use my box blade to move the dirt where I want.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I had a lot of crushed shale delivered in piles like that when I build my shop and did basically same as you. I ran the tractor up as high as I could then used the FEL to back drag off the top of the pile. I tilted the FEL down all the way to drag back as much as possible and maybe I am lucky but I have done this a lot of times with loose material and never hurt the FEL cylinders. I think bent cylinders happen when you do that and are really hauling *** in reverse and hit an immovable object. Like you said, once you get the tops of the piles leveled off a bit, then you can drag them down with the box blade. Just have to be carefull coming off the top so as not to get a sideways tilt. BTDT and it can get pretty scary and downright dangerous.