Celebrating the FEL

[ecoslik]

In the last 48 hours, we've had significant rain here in Texas.

Since moving onto the property 2+ years ago, this amount of rain usually means 50-60 wheelbarrel loads full of muck each of which are then dumped 800 feet away.

We have a horse barn with the outside part of 4 stalls on an uphill side. The dripline of the roof is where the flat grade of the barn and its shed sides meet the slope. The horses rut the outside area of each of these stalls, and since the area is mostly dirt and a third of each stall is the beginning of this slope and open to the sky, the combo of the exposure and the runoff from the slope means the drip line (even with rain gutters) of the barn is a trench of muck that cuts through these 4 stalls.

As much work as it has been, after significant rainfall, I like to clear the trench (50-60 wheelbarrel loads and 3 hours of back aching work) and use the adze end of a pick to carve a good channel for positive drainage away from the barn. Getting on this as soon as the rain stops usually means the flying pests don't have a chance to multiply.

BUT ... now that we are the proud owners of a quality tractor/FEL/implements ... today, I did none of that. :thumbsup:

I grappled one load of muck for each stall, switched from the grapple to the bucket, and starting on the uphill side matched the angle of the slope with the bucket just skimming the ground, and the momentum of the tractor on the slope allowed the cutting edge of the bucket to enter the ground at the centerline of the trench creating a perfect channel for positive drainage ... nothing too high impact ... soft and water saturated ground.

From start to finish including warming up the engine, switching from the grapple to bucket, and washing the mud off the tractor/FEL when done ... the entire process took 15 minutes.

I love this equipment and the power of hydraulics.

It's late in the day; the work is done, and my body isn't racked from standing over a ditch with a pitch fork and then pick.

 

[Transit]

Didn't your wrist get tired at all from working the FEL joystick?

 

[BigD23]

Good job, and you didn't wear out your drinkin arm!

Don

 

[bikerdib]

Yep', every time I buy a new tool then use it I think back on all the man hours I used to put in doing something by manual labor. I kick myself often for not getting the back saver sooner. Sometimes we don't get the tools because they are out of our reach financially and that's understandable; but sometimes its just cause of stupidity...:laughing:

 

[DiezNutz]

From start to finish including warming up the engine, switching from the grapple to bucket, and washing the mud off the tractor/FEL when done ... the entire process took 15 minutes.

I love this equipment and the power of hydraulics.

It's late in the day; the work is done, and my body isn't racked from standing over a ditch with a pitch fork and then pick.

One of many great returns on your investment, I'm sure. :thumbsup:

Yep', every time I buy a new tool then use it I think back on all the man hours I used to put in doing something by manual labor. I kick myself often for not getting the back saver sooner. Sometimes we don't get the tools because they are out of our reach financially and that's understandable; but sometimes its just cause of stupidity...:laughing:

Man, that's the truth.
I bought a nice used "jumping jack" rammer locally, because once I figured up everything I wanted to do with it, it made more sense than renting.
Then felt like a moron for a few summers ago all the time & energy I wasted manually compacting a 150', 4' deep trench with a 10" hand tamper. :mur: Well at least it was exercise...

 

[ecoslik]

Wether it was just being a brute and not obtaining the better tool (stupid), or ignorant of the proper tool, or othertimes financially constrained.

You said it well!!

Hmmm, jumping jack. ... So the 1000' of trenches for upgraded water, electrical, and telco could have been made easier than all the manual labor that I put into it (trencher and shovels only; all backfill and compaction was done with a shovel and boot stomping).

New resolution ... I will work smarter, rent equipment when I need to, and buy when I can justify. :confused2:

 

[DiezNutz]

Hmmm, jumping jack. ... So the 1000' of trenches for upgraded water, electrical, and telco could have been made easier than all the manual labor that I put into it (trencher and shovels only; all backfill and compaction was done with a shovel and boot stomping).

Well... yes.
I did at least have the FEL for backfilling, and probably wouldn't have cared to compact it at all, except it was alongside/under a future driveway and I didn't want settling problems later. All run in PVC, for the same reason.

 

[Dr. Bob]

Ecoslik:
I had the same issue with my barn (also four stalls) and the 40x60 paddock just outside their doors. Here's what I did and it would have been impossible without my B7800.
1) Removed the top 10" of topsoil with bucket fitted with toothbar.
2) Dug trench just outside the barn and put in perforated pipe for drainage.
2) Put down landscape fabric.
4. Put 6" of 3/4 stone on top of the fabric (50 ton).
5) Put 4" of stone dust on top of that (50 ton).

Cost me about 1500 bucks in materials.

The is no longer any "mud season" in that paddock!

 

[newbury]

I
From start to finish including warming up the engine, switching from the grapple to bucket, and washing the mud off the tractor/FEL when done ... the entire process took 15 minutes.

Sorry to hear that, fifteen minutes isn't very satisfying. If you try you should be able to stretch it out to an hour of seat time.

Sometimes you need to just drive around to make sure all the equipment gets warmed up. You can always practice.

 

[ecoslik]

The condolences are appreciated. If it had been the weekend, I might have been devasted, but instead I was on time for work. :laughing: