I have a pond that I have been digging so I have water for the gardens. I started last year and before I finished we had a very big rain and filled it, so I have been tring to go around the edge with my FEL. Anyway it does not work that good so I thought I would rent a Backhoe to finish the Job, my ? is, How will a Backhoe work with wet Glay.
Backhoe Backhoe ?
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art
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I'd be renting an excavator rather then the backhoe.
The main reason would be the digging power and reach as well as being able to put the dirt you are digging out on the other side of the excavator out of the way for non-stop digging.
Get one with a wider bucket, that will allow the clay an easier release from the bucket.
The main reason would be the digging power and reach as well as being able to put the dirt you are digging out on the other side of the excavator out of the way for non-stop digging.
Get one with a wider bucket, that will allow the clay an easier release from the bucket.
rScotty
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I think a hoe will work fine. Agree on the wide bucket. Sticky clay can be a problem. I wonder of coating the bucket walls with some sort of candle wax would help? Anyone ever tried that?
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TripleR
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It might help to know how big of a "pond" you are digging as to determine "reach" needed so you would know if a backhoe will be sufficient.
We have also tried to use a FEL on two of our bigger ponds, five and eight acres and more often than not wound up with a stuck tractor. An excavator will work better in many cases as it will not sink down in soft soil like a backhoe will, but we have successfully used a backhoe in ponds. We had good results with the clay by putting the bucket in the water and dragging it back out while digging so the water helped releasing the soil.
If you are working on a smaller pond and just want to make it bigger, we used a FEL and dug around the edge of the pond then used the backhoe to reach out and break the dam to the main pond; also did it that way for a boat house. Good luck.
We have also tried to use a FEL on two of our bigger ponds, five and eight acres and more often than not wound up with a stuck tractor. An excavator will work better in many cases as it will not sink down in soft soil like a backhoe will, but we have successfully used a backhoe in ponds. We had good results with the clay by putting the bucket in the water and dragging it back out while digging so the water helped releasing the soil.
If you are working on a smaller pond and just want to make it bigger, we used a FEL and dug around the edge of the pond then used the backhoe to reach out and break the dam to the main pond; also did it that way for a boat house. Good luck.
Thanks alot, I think I can get a excavator for the same $ as a Backhoe so I will go that way. The pond is about 50' by 100' and I just need to go around the edge and dig out the mud which I have pushed in when I was working with the FEL. I was worried that the mud might plug up the bucket but it sounds like it should work OK. I will take some pic when I am done and post them for you, I may have to get the kids to help with that.
TripleR
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Thanks alot, I think I can get a excavator for the same $ as a Backhoe so I will go that way. The pond is about 50' by 100' and I just need to go around the edge and dig out the mud which I have pushed in when I was working with the FEL. I was worried that the mud might plug up the bucket but it sounds like it should work OK. I will take some pic when I am done and post them for you, I may have to get the kids to help with that.
Well, if you are like most of the rest of us, once you get on that excavator, your pond is going to wind up considerably larger than 50'x100' and deeper too. Then you will have a job for your FEL leveling it all out; it never ends which is not necessarily a bad thing. Good luck on your project.
rScotty
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That's a big pond. My pond is about 30x100' and I contracted for a big trackhoe to come and dig it out deeper. That was a good move; the M59 just didn't have the reach. The trackhoe removed eight dump truck loads of dirt and muck in about an two hours. It would have taken me much longer on the M59.
rScotty