3PH scoop for silt?

[Boondox]

The runoff from my upper meadow runs down the side of our dirt road, picking up a significant amount of sediment in heavy rain, then passes under the road via an 18" culvert before emptying in a neighbor's level field. Because the field is level, all the sediment is dropped right there at the discharge end of the culvert. If I don't remove the sand and silt, the culvert plugs up and the road washes out.

The neighbor allows me to remove the sediment, but insists that the drainage channel meander across her field like a man-made natural brook of some sort. This makes it really difficult to use the FEL, as I don't have enough straight sections to fill the bucket. Right now I'm using the backhoe, but since the sides of the channel are both high and wide, I have to use the hoe as some sort of giant scoop, pulling the sand toward the tractor, moving forward five feet and doing it all again. The channel is about 100 feet long, so this takes a while.

I got to thinking that if I could rig some sort of scoop on the 3PH, I could simply back into the channel and remove one scoop at a time. Imagine a 55 gallon steel drum on the rear of my tractor and you get the idea.

Anybody made one of these or have a better idea?

Pete

 

[TCowner]

I have a similar problem but in my case it is the silt coming from the neighbor onto my property. It works out though. I get about ten yards of new soil each year.

I thought about getting one of those U blades or undercutters or whatever they are called these days. They are often times used on skidsteer loaders but should work if your loader takes the universal attachments. It probably won't dig as well as the attachment is out in front much further than the skid steer but I think would work better than the three point one.

I had a three point scoop on my older farm tractor a few years ago. It worked OK but dumping it was not the most convenient.

 

[SteveM]

Seems like a $250 KK scoop would work. The rope trip dump is a bit of a pain, but you get the hang of it after a while. I have used mine to clean out a drainage ditch, sounds much like your scenario.

 

[Henro]

How far down do you have to go?

I have a KK dirt scoop from TSC and I am glad I bought it...but I have not used it like you want too. I really don't know how low it might dig, but the limitation would be how far your 3PH would drop...

 

[Zoomie]

I also have a King Kutter rear mount scoop and it has served me well, but as Henro posted, there is a limit on how low it will go.

 

[Boondox]

Henro et al: Thanks for the replies. It doesn't actually have to go very deep if I stay on top of things...maybe six inches or so. Are you able to make repeated passes to form a channel? There are no rocks in the sediment at all, just sand.

Anybody have a pic of one of those things?

Pete

 

[MicroPilot]

 

[Cliff_Johns]

Note in the picture that it can be attached in either direction so you can scoop going forward or in reverse.

Cliff

 

[Zoomie]

You can also control how agressively it digs by adjusting the length of your top-link to level or tilt the bottom of the scoop.

6 inches shouldn't be a problem... and my scoop is 30" wide.

 

[Taylortractornut]

a few years ago I hade to clean out a ditch for a lady that was s shaped in her field. I could straddle it with dads 3000 Yanmar but didnt have the cash for the scoop. I took a 55 gallon drum and made a frame around the sides and back and attached a set of lift pins to the sides and top. I mounded an electric hydraulic pump and ram to replace the toplink. Id straddle the ditch and set the barrel down it would fill up and I d ldrive to the spot I had to cross. then push a button and dump it out. I did have to shorten the bucket a barrel a little and cut a few holes in it to let the water out. On another part we that was deeper and wider I used my Ford backhoe and made a bucket out out another drum with the side cut out and heavier side plates It worked good plus tacking out a five fooed section at a time.