TBall Diamond Renovation

[MossRoad]

This is the TBall diamond at my kids' little league. It hasn't been touched four about 4 years. Pretty pathetic. This is supposed to be the introduction to our ball park and it turns parents off right away. One of the other fathers and I have kids that are going to start TBall next spring, so we're putting our backs and my Power Trac PT425 to the test by renovating the diamond this fall.

 

[Kodiak]

Way to go David:

Its my beleif that our fair country would be in much better shape if all of us were to go back to the volunteer form of comunity development basics.

 

[MossRoad]

We first laid out the lines with strings and spray paint, then I used my <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/forumfiles/54-179976-slicer1.jpg>$10.00 slicer</A> to cut in the lines. At home I can cut a full 10 inches in one pass. Here at the park I was lucky to get 2 inches down per pass. The ground was rock hard and required three passes per line, but it worked great. I was even able to cut an 8 foot radius circle around home plate (see attached). As you can see by the picture, the ground way breaking out like concrete chunks.

 

[pajoube]

MossRoad,
From your picture you have your work cut out for the both of you. After reading your posts for the past year there is now doubt that this will turn into a first class TBall diamond. Also a little more seat time on the PT will be injoyable.
PJ

 

[MossRoad]

Next, I tried to use the 5 cubic foot bucket with teeth to dig up the sod where the infield meets the outfield. I could hardly scratch it. The teeth would dig in and then the tractor would bog down to the point of almost stalling. The wheels never spun so traction wasn't an issue. The ground was just too tough. So, I was making zero progress and decided to try the bigger 10 cubic foot bucket with a straight edge. Surprisingly, it worked great for getting under the hard sod. I could get a full 4 foot bite under the sod and advance about a foot, back up 6 inches and advance a foot and so on until the bucket was full. I followed the line around the infield that I cut with the slicer and it did a great job of seperating the infield from the outfield on an arc.

Trivia...Did you know that the radius of the arc on the infield is not taken from home plate, but from the center of the pitcher's mound?

 

[MossRoad]

Day 1 we spent about an hour laying out the lines and about an hour making this pile of waste /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif. Not bad for a start.

 

[MossRoad]

Day 2 I spent about about a half an hour with a shovel slicing big weeds and about a half an hour dragging a piece of chain link fence with 6 concrete blocks on it around and around. I go back on Sunday to remove the big dirt pile and scrape up the rest of the sod.

 

[bryce]

Moss, is that grass you are digging up attached to dirt , or sand? I want to get a P-T422, but I want to be sure it digs in clay. Robert

 

[RobS]

Nice pics and a great project Dave! I'll have to cruise by on my way to work and check out your handiwork /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[MossRoad]

It is a combination of dirt and moon dust(granulated limestone). I is insanely hard. It hasn't rained here very much at all this summer. A few times I could get under a piece of sod and when I tried to lift it the rear end would come off the ground! That's how hard the roots are. I had to tip the bucket backwards and drive in reverse to tear it out.

I would want to test one out on my soil type before purchasing one just so you have no doubts. My soil at my house and property are both sand. No problems there.

I see by your profile that you are in Virginia. It might be worth the trip to Power Trac or see if they have a contact for an owner in your area that would be willing to show it off.