Front-End Loader Digging techniques with FEL

[sailorman]

B2320, 48 " bucket, no tooth bar. I would be digging in fairly soft top soil ( no rocks ) with clay under it at about 6 " no deeper than a light drainage ditch maybe 8 ". Is this possible and what would be a good method ? How deep can a person dig with a FEL ?

 

[tommu56]

B2320, 48 " bucket, no tooth bar. I would be digging in fairly soft top soil ( no rocks ) with clay under it at about 6 " no deeper than a light drainage ditch maybe 8 ". Is this possible and what would be a good method ? How deep can a person dig with a FEL ?

Ive dug over 4' deep but you have to drive in to the ditch at one end that is one wide ditch unless you need it that big.

A tooth bar will help speed up any dig from my experience.
A middle buster would help too.

tom

 

[Diamondpilot]

I would look at something other than a FEL for digging. Its a loader not a digger. I have dug with mine but its not easy. I have since use my 2 bottom plow taking 1 bottom off and can now dig a ditch 100' long in 2 minutes or so. No comparison.

Chris

 

[sixgun]

How about using a rear blade? I haven't tried, but I wonder if I have enough angle adjustment in the lower arms to gouge out a 12" deep trough. I'm going to be building a coop in the spring and I'll need to bury some animal fencing below grade in some boney gravel a bit to keep out predators.

 

[sailorman]

Ive dug over 4' deep but you have to drive in to the ditch at one end that is one wide ditch unless you need it that big.

A tooth bar will help speed up any dig from my experience.
A middle buster would help too.

tom

actually I was thinking about diggin' from the side of ditch like parallel to ditch

 

[sailorman]

I would look at something other than a FEL for digging. Its a loader not a digger. I have dug with mine but its not easy. I have since use my 2 bottom plow taking 1 bottom off and can now dig a ditch 100' long in 2 minutes or so. No comparison.

Chris

Yep, I 'm just tryin' to get away with usin' one of the 2 implements I own the other bein' a bush hog.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Yep, I 'm just tryin' to get away with usin' one of the 2 implements I own the other bein' a bush hog.

Give it a try. If not one of the cheapest most useful implements you can own is a middle buster. You can get them at TSC for around $125. Or even borrow something. May I ask what you are trying to do????

Chris

 

[sailorman]

Give it a try. If not one of the cheapest most useful implements you can own is a middle buster. You can get them at TSC for around $125. Or even borrow something. May I ask what you are trying to do????

Chris

Tasks to start. Need to cut some light drainage ditches along side my road drive, some additional ditches for better drainage of property, clean out some existing ditches, and maybe some cuts across road for culverts where I think they might help. Big project is I gotta cut a narrow opening through the levee of my oxidation pond to run sewer line from septic to pond. Levee is about 4 ' high. Sure wish I could have afforded backhoe.

 

[oldnslo]

Sure wish I could have afforded backhoe.

Mexican backhoe is a number 2 shovel

 

[ragkar]

Another member suggests wiggling the cutting edge of the fel while driving forwards. That is, move the joystick forward and backwards just a little bit. Do not try ramming the dirt. That will cause damage to the bucket and ram cylinders.