Backhoe digging a pond with kubota bx
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millstreaminn
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A backhoe, time and BEER. What could possibly go wrong! 
Seriously, you can do almost anything with a small machine that a big machine will do, only takes longer. I've dug a few ponds with a Kubota 3650 and a Bradco 9MD2 hoe. Takes awhile, LOTS of dirt needs moved to build a pond. Good luck!
Seriously, you can do almost anything with a small machine that a big machine will do, only takes longer. I've dug a few ponds with a Kubota 3650 and a Bradco 9MD2 hoe. Takes awhile, LOTS of dirt needs moved to build a pond. Good luck!
Gary Fowler
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You could dig a pond with shovel and wheel barrow given time and energy, no reason a BX couldn't do it. Hopefully you will have a month or two without rain as it may take that long to dig with a BX. Just as filling in a hole takes more dirt than you thought, digging a hole takes a lot more removal than most people realize. You can calculate the cubic feet or cubic yards of soil needed to be removed by just multiplying L x W x D then how long it takes you to move a cubic yard of material. Assuming you will use most of the dirt in a levee for the pond, travel distance will be minimal but still need to figure it in.
AHNC
Gold Member
I removed a lot of dirt/gravel from my driveway and rebuilt it with my 2660. It took quite a long time, but it did the job. It was kinda like emptying Lake Tahoe with a tablespoon, but again, it got it done. I've also been really impressed with my 6mo old to me BX23. It's small but it does what I need it to. If you have the time and a lot of diesel, you can do it. If your pond is large, I get a pro to do the rough-in and do the trimming with the BX.
Smithrr
Member
I have a BX25 that I remove soil from the shallow end of my pond during droughts. Where I see the problem is you may not have the endless time to get it done. Once you start digging and creating a dish in the area for the pond, once it rains it starts filling up and then the little tractor gets stuck. The amount of diesel you would spend may pay for a dozer to do the bulk.
Baby Grand
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The transcontinental railroad was built with shovels, wheel barrows, dynamite and lots of cheap labor. I made a 16' x 8' pool 18" deep in a few hours with a fairly light back blade. Keep your expectations in line with your equipment and you might be pleasantly surprised. What Gary says about using the spoils efficiently is very true. Careful planning of how you will cut & fill can shave many hours off of a project and give it a very natural appearance.
We're I am going to build it is in the start of a Valley right next to a small pond that is already there so I will only have to build up one side. My plan is to get all the trees cleared out and then get all the top soil off then start digging to make the bank and when that is done spread the top soil back out over the bank and hopefully I won't have to buy any clay
samofsweden
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Well dont forget that the soil you dig up will expand so you will have alot more to remove than you think. Same thing if you need to fill an already existing hole...
Only you can decide what its worth time wise compare to all other things we all need to do.
If you had asked me 5 years ago, yes I would done it with my BX, today... I rent a 360 in that size suitable for the pond size.
Good luck with your pond!
(off course it all depend on your ponds size..)
Ken45101
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Years ago, I dug a little "pondlet" with an M4700 with a scoop and a box blade. It was a fun project and I needed the dirt to build up the trail. But it was only ten feet wide, 30' long and 5' deep.
Around here, the SWCD people tell me that half the surface area should be at least 8' deep. That's a lot of dirt to be moved.
We had a decent sized (100') pond built at that location. The contractor used a big excavator and two earthmovers to carry the dirt and spread it. The day they finished, ground water started seeping in the bottom. I think we had a foot or so by the next morning.
Around here, the SWCD people tell me that half the surface area should be at least 8' deep. That's a lot of dirt to be moved.
We had a decent sized (100') pond built at that location. The contractor used a big excavator and two earthmovers to carry the dirt and spread it. The day they finished, ground water started seeping in the bottom. I think we had a foot or so by the next morning.
LD1
Epic Contributor
How big are we talking??
I have a ~1/3 acre pond, and then I have a little 10' x 20' goldfish pond.
I did the goldfish pond with just the FEL on my L3400. The bigger pond was hired done. between 3000 and 3500 YARDS of dirt was more than I even wanted to attempt with my Full sized Ford 5500. I calculated I could move (dig, then move piles) an optimistic 50 yds per hour. Still, that would be ~70 hours of work.
Well worth paying someone 3500 for that job. It took them 2.5 days with 2 people, A komatsu PC120 ex, a Cat E70B Ex, and a Komatsu D31ex dozer.
If you are really good, with a BX, I would say by the time you dig, and then move piles, you would be doing good to get 20 yards per hour dug and moved. So for a pond my size, it would take you almost 200 hours. Thats 20 days straight working sun up til sun down.
Figure your size. I'd say anything that is going to take you more than 3 or 4 days to finish, hire it out. If you get rained on half way through the job, it will likely cost you more in the long run
I have a ~1/3 acre pond, and then I have a little 10' x 20' goldfish pond.
I did the goldfish pond with just the FEL on my L3400. The bigger pond was hired done. between 3000 and 3500 YARDS of dirt was more than I even wanted to attempt with my Full sized Ford 5500. I calculated I could move (dig, then move piles) an optimistic 50 yds per hour. Still, that would be ~70 hours of work.
Well worth paying someone 3500 for that job. It took them 2.5 days with 2 people, A komatsu PC120 ex, a Cat E70B Ex, and a Komatsu D31ex dozer.
If you are really good, with a BX, I would say by the time you dig, and then move piles, you would be doing good to get 20 yards per hour dug and moved. So for a pond my size, it would take you almost 200 hours. Thats 20 days straight working sun up til sun down.
Figure your size. I'd say anything that is going to take you more than 3 or 4 days to finish, hire it out. If you get rained on half way through the job, it will likely cost you more in the long run
