Stump bucket to dig footer.

[Raised on a Deere]

I need to build two porchç—´ and a garage. Detached Garage 36x30, porch 20x22, second porch 8x16.

Footer trenches only need to be 18 to 24 deep because there will be backfill enough to get the footer below frost line of 24


I could call a excavator guy and get them all done for a reasonable cost but project just becomes unmanageable that way. This is a diy project that needs to play along with one project at a time dodging heavy rains and concrete availability. I will lay four bock high foundation walls on the footers.


I have done quiet a bit of digging with the 6’ bucket and tractor can move a lot of dirt in a days time. Exposed my sons basement wall for new drain tile and then back filled. Convinced a lot of people that you can grab the bull by the horns and change things.

But digging a straight and level footer trench I am sure is a whole nother animal. What think ye? I don’t have a stump bucket but the cost of $400 works for me because I will have other uses for it.

Is it going to make a complete mess in the clay, can you trim one edge of the trench to get the width. I have already concluded I will have to form the footers. So maybe I just wallow out a ditch, form and pour. But sometimes the “been there done that wisdom” is what one needs before deciding.

 

[RNeumann]

I think you will be time and money ahead if you rent a little excavator. Not that it can’t be done with the bucket it’s just not a very good tool for that- especially on a CUT.

 

[Raised on a Deere]

I think you will be time and money ahead if you rent a little excavator. Not that it can稚 be done with the bucket it痴 just not a very good tool for that- especially on a CUT.

Time - I have, retired and all that, I mostly go with the money. But the money has to be pretty good for me to want to work through a bastard process. For sur the CUT is going to be awkward getting the four sides and corners. But I don稚 even know if you could dig a suitable 30 trench to pour in a 40acre flat field.

Looks like it would do a decent job digging a hole to plant root ball tree, or create a short drainage ditch. Maybe I should have posted 展hat have you done with your root bucket?

 

[RNeumann]

My fear is you would spend the money on the bucket, dig trenches that look like they were dug with hand grenades and spend more on concrete because of the way it was dug.
Those diggers would work a lot better on a skid steer that has far more curl power/capacity.
If it’s clay, and you have the time, an electric jack hammer will do way more, way faster than you think. Plus everyone needs one of those!!!! Haha

 

[Raised on a Deere]

My fear is you would spend the money on the bucket, dig trenches that look like they were dug with hand grenades and spend more on concrete because of the way it was dug.
Those diggers would work a lot better on a skid steer that has far more curl power/capacity.
If it’s clay, and you have the time, an electric jack hammer will do way more, way faster than you think. Plus everyone needs one of those!!!! Haha

I am afraid you are right about the stump bucket curl relationship on the CUT. I have always been impressed with the curl on my unit but the stump bucket it quite a bit longer.

I can’t imagine a jack hammer doing anything in the waxy tough clay in my neighborhood or were you being cute��

 

[4570Man]

I’ve tried that on skid steer and I managed to do a pretty good job but after about 10’ the trench collapsed due to the machine straddling it. Either hire it done or rent a machine.

 

[mark02tj]

Could you pull a subsoiler through the areas for the footers a few times and then use the stump bucket to dig it out?

There was a guy on the Deere forum that I frequent that used an "Artillian Front Hoe" (similar to a stump bucket" to dig a French Drain system around his barn. Was super clean! It can be done - with time and practice.