Grading Best way to regrade hill to reduce slope?

[Atchuuu]

Sounds like part of your project involves you having something to do with your new tractor. So hiring it out probably doesn't appeal to you as the best solution.

You can always try a small section and see if it is too time consuming then reevaluate.

I cut back about 450' of drainage ditch in front of my property that was too steep to drive right next too. Used a FEL with a tooth bar. It wasn't too bad and is much safer to mow now. But I didn't have to move a lot of dirt.

Good luck and congrats on your new tractor.

 

[K5lwq]

Thanks for the replies! The pic showing the grading on the steep slope made me feel better - mine isn't nearly that steep. I took some pics that better show the profile of the yard. The work will be done with a Kioti CK2610.

A toothbar was recommended to me by the dealer too for this, so I'll get one after I take delivery.

I have shaped a lot of ground over the years and I really have to think about what I am doing. Moving the dirt is only a small part of the issue. You have to look beyond where you are working. From your pictures I could not tell you if anything can or should be done. I always ask myself 3 questions before starting the work. Where is the water coming from? Where is it going? And how fast is it getting there? You can create issues for yourself and your neighbors pretty quick without thinking the project through.

Going off of what I can see, I do not think I would do much of anything. Enjoy the tractor though!!

 

[atsah]

Thinking dozer time...

That's the tool for this job no doubt..

 

[MESSMAKER]

Have you thought about buying a few truckloads of topsoil. It would make the job with a small machine easier.

 

[SManZ350]

Sounds like part of your project involves you having something to do with your new tractor. So hiring it out probably doesn't appeal to you as the best solution.

You can always try a small section and see if it is too time consuming then reevaluate.

I cut back about 450' of drainage ditch in front of my property that was too steep to drive right next too. Used a FEL with a tooth bar. It wasn't too bad and is much safer to mow now. But I didn't have to move a lot of dirt.

Good luck and congrats on your new tractor.

You're absolutely right! I don't mind renting equipment but I always try to do work myself unless I'm way in over my head. I like the idea of doing a little bit first. I think that flattening the upper section won't be too hard and I can start there. If I need to cut back the slope with a tracked skid steer there are a few places around me that I can rent from.

Storm water management is what I do at work so I'm ok with getting the drainage right. Not sure if you can see in the pics but there is a covered patio at the back of the house. We would like to extend the patio out to where the swale is eventually. I'll be able to direct drainage from the hill above by cutting a ditch/dike and send it towards the low side of the house. The swale doesn't carry a whole lot of water as it is but a 12" HDPE storm pipe would carry it through.

That's all for a bit later. I won't be able to reshape the slope if the pipe and flat area at the bottom are in so that will come first.

 

[4570Man]

I’d probably recommend renting a mini excavator with the biggest bucket they’ll give you and knock out the most of it and finish grade with the tractor. While it it would probably do it using a tractor FEL as a digger isn’t what it’s made for. With a 5 ton mini and a 36” bucket it wouldn’t take over a few hours to move most of the dirt.

 

[Egon]

Ah heck; give it a try. Nothing lost. Might surprise yourself!

 

[atsah]

Depends on how hard that ground is and if there are rocks under it. I dug a grade with a SCUT before that was soft with very few rocks and it did okay but it's not made for it.. If I was to cut that grade I would use a small dozer with a blade..

 

[johncanfield]

I壇 probably recommend renting a mini excavator with the biggest bucket they値l give you and knock out the most of it and finish grade with the tractor. While it it would probably do it using a tractor FEL as a digger isn稚 what it痴 made for. With a 5 ton mini and a 36 bucket it wouldn稚 take over a few hours to move most of the dirt.

That would be my first choice as well but one problem with an excavator is the learning curve if you rent (and never operated one before.) It took me about 20 hours of seat time to be fairly productive with my ~5 ton Bobcat, at 10 hours I was coordinated enough to move dirt albeit slowly and having to think through every hand movement.

For those not familiar with operating an excavator (or backhoe for that matter) you have two joysticks. For the control pattern I use, the left joystick will raise the boom and stick by pushing or pulling, and moving left and right will swing the entire cab 360*. Thumb switch will swing the boom/jib while the cab remains stationary.

Right joystick - left-right is bucket curl, forward-backward is stick up and stick down, thumb switch opens or closes the hydraulic thumb. There's a separate lever to raise and lower the blade. Some blades are six-way but I didn't order that option.

To move the machine you can use hand levers or use your feet, I almost always use my feet so I can keep my hands on the joysticks. Since I'm an old fart, I've discovered if I haven't operated my excavator for a couple of weeks, it takes me a few minutes to get my hands and feet going in the right direction.

 

[3Ts]

Also keep in mind that the construction track hoes and back hoes operate differently than the ag type back hoes. Typically, the construction type can have multiple motions happen at the same time. The ag type typically have just one motion at a time. It is because of the type of hydraulic valves that are used, the construction type are a lot more expensive to make.