Front end loader/dirt moving tips ?

[lennyzx11]

I am using my Kubota L3301 to dig into a wooded clay bank below my house bucket by bucket and bring it up to where I am filling in an area under my deck for parking.
The trip is about 300 ft one way up a 15 degree slope.

Rather than bucket by bucket, should I just stack up a pile of loose dirt then bring it up a scoop at a time or even load it on a trailer or my old flat bed pickup but that means unloading it at the other end also.

This is virgin dirt so I have to work at it to get a scoop full for the trip each time.

I'm thinking of getting a subsoiler to break it up or a toothed bar also.
The box blade doesn't raise high enough to get into it with the scarifiers.

I am going to put the grapple back on and see if it'll loosen up a load a little easier also.

You guys that move a lot of dirt, any tips are appreciated!

 

[davesl708]

Tooth bars may be your best bet for cutting into the clay.
It would be more efficient to break up a large pile then transport. A dump trailer would be a big time saver if you have access to one.

 

[newbury]

Have you calculated how many yards/buckefuls/trips it will take?

I'm facing a similar quandary. I'm going to have an excavation in Virginia of about 200 yards and one option will be making about 700 trips with my B7610 to move it all. Another option is to bring back my M4700 from Mississippi and make 1/3 the trips.

Clay may be a MAJOR pain because it may stick to the bucket.

 

[fried1765]

Have you calculated how many yards/buckefuls/trips it will take?

I'm facing a similar quandary. I'm going to have an excavation in Virginia of about 200 yards and one option will be making about 700 trips with my B7610 to move it all. Another option is to bring back my M4700 from Mississippi and make 1/3 the trips.

Clay may be a MAJOR pain because it may stick to the bucket.

2nd option: RENT a MUCH bigger machine for a day, or 2, ...... or HIRE someone with a MUCH bigger machine for a day, or 2.

 

[silvertramp]

Are the vertical deck supports pressure treated?

 

[Leejohn]

You better watch useing a dump trailer on that hill. You are doing it about the safest way, but you still have to be on your toes all the time.

 

[bigtiller]

A tooth-bar is a must-have tool for this project. It will go sooo much faster and easier with one. And after you get the bucket heaping full, you will see the need for an 800+ lb. ballast box to ease the pressure off the front end and to stabilize the tractor on that hill to the house.

 

[powerscol]

First I would get my lower retaining wall in, or are you going to slope beyond your lower posts. If you are you need to protect them someway if they are not pressure treated. Even if that are I would get some PVC pipe, split it and wrap the posts.

Now as to your question, I would work the bank and prepare a larger stockpile pile, then get into the transport mode and move from that stockpile. I also would be leveling and compacting as I go. Do you have something to compact with? If not go in 2 to 4" lifts and use the tractor tires if you can both ways. Hope this helps

 

[Egon]

First I would get my lower retaining wall in, or are you going to slope beyond your lower posts. If you are you need to protect them someway if they are not pressure treated. Even if that are I would get some PVC pipe, split it and wrap the posts.

Now as to your question, I would work the bank and prepare a larger stockpile pile, then get into the transport mode and move from that stockpile. I also would be leveling and compacting as I go. Do you have something to compact with? If not go in 2 to 4" lifts and use the tractor tires if you can both ways. Hope this helps

e

As per.
Think about the support posts before you do anything else.

 

[lennyzx11]

Thanks for all the advice!

The posts are pressure treated. But that is a great idea given for protecting them with PVC. That will be done.
I have built the retaining wall up one level at a time and compacted up till that level is is even. Then lay more large rocks that are tilted back against the slope slightly. I am up about 18 inches now and those rocks are all a minimum of 2-3 ft x 12-14" deep. I have backed up over each layer about 6 inches deep to compact it.
I don't have access to a dump trailer so that's out and dumping it will be problematic on that side slope.
I will look into a tooth bar. I want one anyway!
I have free stacked the first three layers but I think I will start cementing in the rest of the layers. This fill is only for that lower half under the deck as I don't have access to the upper half next to the house because of the one tree I don't want to cut.
I don't want to rent anything larger so I'll just plug along at it.

To those of you that gave me the earlier tips of backing down, widening rear wheels and carrying a box blade thank you! Those things have made this from a terrifying ordeal to an enjoyable task. I just take things slow and steady.

 

[TripleR]

All good advice and of course some things may make one way a bit better than another. If it is not a vertical bank and I can drive on it, I use something to break it up, I'm using the scarifiers on my HD box scraper now, but have used a plow, tiller, etc. If the soil is moist and compacted, I sometimes spread it out or stack it to let it dry. I can the carry more with less weight and it compacts better.

Yes, it is slow bucket by bucket, but on that slope, that's how I'd do it.

I have my tires wide set, fluid in tires in addition to wheel weights and plenty of weight on my 3PH.

 

[/pine]

Last year I did almost the exact same thing as the OP...I dug out a half basement under a cabin...the supports were concrete block pilings...

I had the exact same issue with the hill and not being able to use the scarifiers...fortunately for me I could use my backhoe to loosen the earth but there was no room to swing the boom so I had to just loosen a pile and pull it up against the machine...then back the hoe out and use the box blade to move the piles out...

I agree a tooth bar makes a world of difference...

 

[Ed of all trades]

I would just haul it in the bucket. Unloading a truck would be to much work and hiring someone or renting a bigger tractor would cost to much. I like seat time, why not just enjoy? Ed

 

[Sprinklerman]

Get a nice set of head phones ,your favorite music and enjoj playing with the machine . You may want to put some filter cloth behind the wall if you are just stacking the stone

 

[Egon]

Any thoughts on side pressure on the support posts ?

 

[4570Man]

Definitely get a tooth bar. If I was on flat ground I would use my Chevy 3500 dump truck. The truck is pretty top heavy, so probably wouldn't use it on the hill. Also my truck is a 2x4 so it probably couldn't back up that hill. Unloading dirt from a non dumping device is way too much trouble. I would just use the tractor if I didn't have a dump truck. I have a backhoe which I would use to break the dirt.

 

[/pine]

If just a toothbar does the job OK and or with a subsoiler etc...for loosening enough to remove with the FEL...and if there is a place to stock pile a few loader buckets where it could be accessed with a 3ph rear scoop pan...it would add some capacity and help balance the load for the 300' haul...

I see 3ph scoops all the time for anywhere from $100 -$150...on CL...

 

[Leejohn]

If you are going high on the down hill side don't forget some tie backs.

 

[lennyzx11]

Any thoughts on side pressure on the support posts ?

That I definitely planned for and is a good point. I placed BIG rock behind each one with clearance and then stacked up and around them. I'm so glad I did after learning the tip of putting some PVC around them. It'll be an easy redo.

 

[lennyzx11]

If just a toothbar does the job OK and or with a subsoiler etc...for loosening enough to remove with the FEL...and if there is a place to stock pile a few loader buckets where it could be accessed with a 3ph rear scoop pan...it would add some capacity and help balance the load for the 300' haul...

I see 3ph scoops all the time for anywhere from $100 -$150...on CL...

That's a great idea. I had been toying with the idea of trying to be able to use a scoop to carry also.