Digging with loader?

[SPIKER]

Last fall I bought a brush hog, 2 bottom ferggie plow (14" I think with cutters) and a 6' back blade for 300 bucks used.) all working good cond. I want to try out the plow just to see if it will work behind my 284, (I don't quite think so but the added cutters & moldboards should roll the furrow over I'm hoping as I know I wont be able to get the needed ground speed to run/turn it effectively). Guy was using it behind a small 4 cyc gas ford so MAYBE I can get just enough HP and will first try it in the garden if it ever drys out in time...

I've used my box blade to make a LOT of water drainage around the barn and to level/flatten the creek bottom for easier gravel removal. & in/out ramps into creek. I've got some photos on PHOTOBUCKET and will add thumbnails here if you want to see how much drainage I've cut around my barn. (first off most of my property sets on a HUGE hill and has maybe 250 acres of drainage from the top of the hill down (I'm near the crest) the fall is probably 1/5 to 1/120 depending on the areas. the barn sets on a fall rate of ~ 1'/30' (had to dig level with ground on top corner of barn and fill ~24" on bottom corner 50' run but corner to corner is 75')

last fall I dug out some 20' on the high side and moved dirt around to the low side in an attempt to level the barn, and provide drainage around the barn, the barn when built I removed some 12~16" of top soil/clay and moved it UP HILL and built a BERM that runs some 400~500 feet up, out and around the barn on the high side to prevent runoff from coming that way.

this year was building "up close" to the barn for run off and slope away from the barn in all directions. slope away is ~1'/20' and encircles the 2 high sides of the barn with 2 terraces built UPHILL of the barn for landscaping and additional water diversion around the barn. (note that I have live springs that seem to pop up where ever they want... I took a 3 sec video of one down by the creek today running ~2" deep by 6" wide full on flow.) there is one spring that has popped up 3 or 4 years in a row just uphill of the barn. I didn't know it was there and built barn shortly after buying property... put the berm there originally hoping to stop this. anyhow I got off track and will have to shut up or I'll keep going, I'll post a few shots from photobucket of the work though...

detailed info from high side of barn with text added


new construction from low side note door build up needed


berm started around barn 75' to 200' away by 400~`+ feet long ~1+' high


looking up toward high side of barn


looking towards where 1/2 of the water flows out down & away


Standing on high side of berm looking down where other half of water flows out away


Highest corner area has 2 berms/dam/diversions between barn & where I'm stanging


looking UPHILL from lowest point (have to find away to get rid of the water at the point where pic was taken and where I was standing holds ~1' of water.



Mark M

 

[Kratos]

Wow, that is very impressive what can be done. I had an excavator guy out here today looking at my property and making recommendations. He came highly recommended by a couple of people I know.

My land is still heavily treed with some clearings I have made. My wife likes the trees, but it seems like wasted land that I am paying taxes on. Anyway, he said that to clear about 5 acres of trees, pull the stumps, bury what he can, burn the rest, and dig a small pond would cost 15-20 k. He said that his estimate is that I have 15-20k worth of timber to sell. So, best case scenario, I can have all of the work with the pond and drainage ditch dug for a wash for the trees. Worst case scenario, it will cost me 5k when I am done.

If I win over the wife and get it done, I will then plant grass seed and brush hog and box blade and fence when he is done and have the pasture with pond that I want. It might be the best way to go to have an excavator do the rough, heavy lifting and I do the fine tuning with my tractor.

 

[Soundguy]

The box blade is cheap.. the scoop is expensive IMHO..

Soundguy

The 5 ft. box blade that my local dealer said he would sell me for $400 is by JBar and he also has a scoop by the same company for $395.

 

[Brad_Blazer]

I have a Howse 30" dirt scoop that is well made. I like the tube frame construction. It lists for $230 at Northern,
Howse Dirt Scoop — 3-Point, Category 1-2, 30in. Length, Model# ES30 |Category 1 Attachments | Northern Tool + Equipment
You can contact Howse to find a local dealer.
FAQ
Their tilt angle scraper blade also looks like a good deal. the steeper you angle the scraper and the slower you go the deeper it will cut. Here is a nice thread on scraper blades:
CHINESE TRACTOR OWNERS CLUB FORUM - Tilt, Angle, Scraper Blade

Around here I have red clay and few rocks. The moisture content of the soil makes a huge difference in terms of ease of digging. You want it as wet as you can stand for traction. Moist but not too muddy.

 

[mendodave]

Digging up old thread!
I used my BX23 loader to quickly clean out old ditches, so the ground was soft, it was a filled in ditch, and it was soaking wet. I used the weight of the tractor to dig down, then rotated the bucket while slowly pushing. 4' of ditch cleaned out, baddaboom. did about 50' of ditch before rain got too bad. this was a real help, the water was all coming down my driveway.
so, it does work, but I would not use it in dry undisturbed ground.