Digging Shale: Ripper (frost tooth) or rock teeth?

[Verticaltrx]

I would try the frost tooth on the backhoe. A breaker will not work because it is too soft as noted, it will just punch holes. Also your best bet is to do it when it is wet out. When dry, shale becomes much harder. We have a post driver with a pilot auger that will drill through light rock. In the dry summer I have hit shale that took almost half an hour of drilling to make a 5" by 42" deep pilot hole. The farm we used to live at had horrible shale and fencing and trenching were a constant nightmare, glad we don't have to deal with it anymore.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

What about a kamatsu dozer with one of those big a ss rock hooks on the back?

Well I'm trying to use my available equipment first. I may have to break down and rent a machine. I do have access to an older John deere 450B track loader. It does not have rippers on it though.

I'm thinking the tiger rock teeth on the backhoe is going to be my first and best bet. (money wise) I can sit on top of the bank and pull the shale up towards my machine and should dig pretty easily that way. If that doesn't do it, it sort of throws the little mini hoe out the window since they have comparable breakout forces.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Maybe I misunderstood you, but I thought you said that the back hoe wouldn't dig it out. I have dug out shale here with my little B26 but it is rough on the backhoe but it does break up into small pieces. I just have regular teeth on mine but it digs slowly till it hits hard spots. It is hard enough to break with a pavement breaker also. I would think that if you have teeth on your bucket it would break it up if it is the same thing I have. A pavement breaker would make it so much easier though by busting it up first.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Maybe I misunderstood you, but I thought you said that the back hoe wouldn't dig it out. I have dug out shale here with my little B26 but it is rough on the backhoe but it does break up into small pieces. I just have regular teeth on mine but it digs slowly till it hits hard spots. It is hard enough to break with a pavement breaker also. I would think that if you have teeth on your bucket it would break it up if it is the same thing I have. A pavement breaker would make it so much easier though by busting it up first.

Gary,

I tried putting in a water line that is below the grade of what I am planning on excavating. Granted I'm moving up the hill so I may or may not encounter the same conditions. If I put better teeth on the bucket it should increase my digging force considerably. If that wasn't worth the effort, I was planning on building a frost tooth (ripper) and having at it.