Grading Dirt Work

[farm guy]

Hi All,

I had put a deposit down on a Branson 5220 tractor 55hp turbo with a FEL the loader is rated at 2200 pounds at the pins. My question is, I would like to use it to level and grade some land so I can erect a steel building on the land. The area is relatively flat with a slight grade. I would need it to clear away some logs and debris and level the area. Then lay down a limestone sand base for the building. Am I asking too much from this tractor to do this task?

 

[Nissan197]

I would say it depends on how much land you will be grading. When I put up my 40X50 pole barn I also had to get the ground level. I started doing it myself but quickly figured my Mahindra 3215 would take forever. I hired a local guy who had it done in a few hours with heavy machinery. When I had the limestone delivered I took care of that with my tractor. I don't think you are asking too much of the tractor, it just depends on how much time you have.

 

[the6shooter]

That will be more than enough, tractor for what you want to do with it.
You could even go down to a 30H.P. tractor. But the 55H.P. would be something you may need for future, projects. Buying more than you need, will always be my choice. for the money you would be more than 2/3rds way to the bigger unit anyway.
david

 

[farm guy]

Hi,

Thanks for the quick replies, the building is going to be 20 by 60 foot. It is only 20 wide because the land and hillside limitations. A steep drop off one one side and hillside on the other! Thanks again for the advise!

 

[IndyIan]

Hi,

Thanks for the quick replies, the building is going to be 20 by 60 foot. It is only 20 wide because the land and hillside limitations. A steep drop off one one side and hillside on the other! Thanks again for the advise!

Your place sounds like mine. A good heavy boxblade is great for dirtwork as well. You can use the rippers to loosen up the dirt and the box to move it. Depending on your soil and rocks, digging with the FEL may not be the fastest or easiest on the tractor.

 

[Timber]

I would recommend a tooth bar for the bucket but you will have no trouble at all. I have a 30 HP B7800 and you wouldn't believe what I have done with it. I also recommend a box blade to level the ground. It is about the most usfull piece of ground engagement implement you will ever buy for under a grand.

This is a project I did when I installed my inground pool, I had to level off the ground down almost 24 inches so the runoff from the house wouldn't run into the pool

Before

After

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n235/Timber_8/Untitled_0001.mp4

 

[Timber]

This is the water garden I dug with the loader, this is just a 30 HP tractor

Before

After

 

[Verticaltrx]

I would recommend a tooth bar for the bucket but you will have no trouble at all. I have a 30 HP B7800 and you wouldn't believe what I have done with it. I also recommend a box blade to level the ground. It is about the most usfull piece of ground engagement implement you will ever buy for under a grand.

x2

I've done an amazing amount of excavating with my little B3200 Kubota. I will say it isn't nearly as easy as with something larger like a skid steer or track loader, but with some fineness you can do a lot with a little tractor. Attached is a pic of an excavation I'm working on for a 40x60 shop:

 

[farm guy]

Guys,

Thanks so much for all the info! I had never thought of using a box grader, but I now see how that could really help. From all the projects you have all had done I feel confident I will be able to tackle the project I now had in front on me. Thanks again for all your help!

 

[blueriver]

Guys,

Thanks so much for all the info! I had never thought of using a box grader, but I now see how that could really help. From all the projects you have all had done I feel confident I will be able to tackle the project I now had in front on me. Thanks again for all your help!

I like to use a disc harrow on sod and disc the area to break it up then use the box blade and you can move alot of dirt ... sod on the other hand can be tough.

 

[k0ua]

What you have described sounds like easy work for that larger tractor. I have cleared a lot of ground with less than half the tractor you have. I did not have the box blade, I did it all with a loader, but I am sure the box blade would be a good attachment to have for this.

James K0UA

 

[LD1]

Yep, I agree I think you have pleanty of tractor.

I leveled the area for my 30x50 barn using my little ole L3400 kubota, which is about half the size of that branson with about 1/2 of the lift capacity.

My area had about a 6-7ft drop over the 50' direction. I took the 3' from the uphill side and added to the downhill side to create a level pad.

I will however advise that you get a toothbar or some bolt on teeth for that bucket of yours. It will make digging virgin ground MUCH easier:thumbsup:

Heres a pic of what I did in about 1/2 a day:thumbsup:

 

[wcampbell47]

Lacking a box blade with rippers I set my tiller to 2 inches cut depth and have a go at the hard dry stuff. That makes easy work for the FEL to then scoop up the loose stuff. This does not tax my 21 hp tractor. Blueriver has the same idea with a disk harrow, just a different tool.

For really level work I go for a land plane. I do a fair amount of back yard smoothing up work behind bulk head construction or prior to laying sod.

I guess it depends on the tools you have.

I'm thinking you have plenty of tractor as long as you use common sense and not brute force. I see no point in abusing a good piece of equipment.

If you have never run a tractor keep asking questions. Somebody will have an answer that fits your needs.

 

[EddieWalker]

The seceret building on a hillside is to not build on any loose dirt. It is extremly dificult to compact soil that is on a slope and expect it to last or support a structure. This is VERY expensive engineering and construction. You need to dig away the dirt to create your pad.

It's not the pad that will be all the work, it's removeing enough of the hillside to creat a drainage ditch that will keep the water from coming off of the hill and into your building that will be what gets you.

A big, wide ditch is the best thing for moving water. Idealy, you want it to move the water slowly and to be able to hold everything that is coming down the hill and off of the building.

The most common mistake is to quit too early and think it's good enough. If you don't build it for the 100 year storm, you will have massive damage and issues when it happens.

What you will see others doing is to dug an ugly, but deep ditch to catch water, or build a wall that never lasts to divert the water, or put in a french drain with the hope that it will accomplish it. I don't like french drains on the best of conditions. They don't handle very much water and they have a life of about a decade before they silt in and stop working.

Yes, that sized tractor will get the job done. The real question is will you spend the hours that it will take to do it and haul off the dirt?

Eddie

 

[farm guy]

The seceret building on a hillside is to not build on any loose dirt. It is extremly dificult to compact soil that is on a slope and expect it to last or support a structure. This is VERY expensive engineering and construction. You need to dig away the dirt to create your pad.

It's not the pad that will be all the work, it's removeing enough of the hillside to creat a drainage ditch that will keep the water from coming off of the hill and into your building that will be what gets you.

A big, wide ditch is the best thing for moving water. Idealy, you want it to move the water slowly and to be able to hold everything that is coming down the hill and off of the building.

The most common mistake is to quit too early and think it's good enough. If you don't build it for the 100 year storm, you will have massive damage and issues when it happens.

What you will see others doing is to dug an ugly, but deep ditch to catch water, or build a wall that never lasts to divert the water, or put in a french drain with the hope that it will accomplish it. I don't like french drains on the best of conditions. They don't handle very much water and they have a life of about a decade before they silt in and stop working.

Yes, that sized tractor will get the job done. The real question is will you spend the hours that it will take to do it and haul off the dirt?

Eddie

Eddie,

Thanks for all the good info! I agree with you, it is very hard to compact dirt after you dig it up. For this dig I will be just smoothing out the pad site and leveling it. Fortunately it is already quite level and I will not have to move a lot of dirt. Once I get every thing moved I had a 1/2 ton cement roller I will use on the dirt and then on the sand base.

Concerning the water run off, the hill side is mainly a ramp for a fire road going up the hill. Right now when we have heavy rain the water runs down the road and crosses the front of the pad site. When I level the area, the pad site on this end will be a bit higher and I will make sure to have a gentile grade so the water will flow around the pad.

Thanks again for the good advice!

 

[RaydaKub]

Just a thought, but if drainage is an issue, could you put a small drain line across the front of the site with an intake above the driveway, build in a funnel-shaped area so that it goes in the pipe and flows underground to the other side?

 

[farm guy]

Ray,

I do not think drainage will be an issue, rain water run off now and after the site work is done flows around the pad area and even in very heavy rain is not a great quantity to call for a convert across the front of the pad due to the vegetation on the hillside and on the old fire road area.

 

[jenkinsph]

Eddie,

Thanks for all the good info! I agree with you, it is very hard to compact dirt after you dig it up. For this dig I will be just smoothing out the pad site and leveling it. Fortunately it is already quite level and I will not have to move a lot of dirt. Once I get every thing moved I had a 1/2 ton cement roller I will use on the dirt and then on the sand base.



Thanks again for the good advice!

If you are pouring a concrete slab I would use a vibratory roller to compact the material in 4 inch lifts. I built this pad for my new shop last year and have since placed all the retaining wall block around the perimeter. A fel, landplane and vibratory roller is all it takes to shape the pad.

 

[Verticaltrx]

If you are pouring a concrete slab I would use a vibratory roller to compact the material in 4 inch lifts. I built this pad for my new shop last year and have since placed all the retaining wall block around the perimeter. A fel, landplane and vibratory roller is all it takes to shape the pad.

You can do it using just the tractor to compact it if you go in very small lifts, I generally try to do an inch at a time. Time consuming but it works. We have a few pads that are several years old done this way, no cracks or settling to speak of. Also helps to wait several months after doing the dirt work before building.

 

[jenkinsph]

You can do it using just the tractor to compact it if you go in very small lifts, I generally try to do an inch at a time. Time consuming but it works. We have a few pads that are several years old done this way, no cracks or settling to speak of. Also helps to wait several months after doing the dirt work before building.

I agree with waiting to build on it, I finished the pad about April last year and hope to build in Feb-March this year.