Mowbizz
Platinum Member
BX24 here...got a job where a guy wanted to plant a wall of arborvitae to use as a fence between him and a not so neat neighbor's backyard. He wanted a planting trench for his mature shrubs (12 arborvitaes 12' tall each). Had access to the trench from one side only (property line) and didn't know quite how to approach starting the job....I ended up starting in the middle and got one half done with just the FEL...trouble was the guy didn't want to have any "spoils" near the trench so I had to take each bucket load to his back woods (80' away) and through lots of trees...
Now my dilemma as I found out was finishing the trench with the FEL was impossible as it turns out...my entry ramp into the trench would have disappeared if I backed into the finished side and started to use the FEL to go in the other direction...would have ended up with no ramp and in a 18" trench.
Had I started from the one end of the trench which had access down into it I would have been ok...ended up finishing up the latter part of the trench with the Backhoe. Came out ok and he was happy he didn't have to shovel the trench himself...This was a scenario which was perfect for a BX sized machine as there was limited access into his back yard and well manicured lawn all around the house...a larger machine just would not have fit. I am amazed by the work this little tractor can do...I really "tested" the FEL as there were many large rocks imbedded in the soil...had to back off many times and take a different bite to get the trench dug...I was pretty proud of the one side I finished with the FEL...was nice and square, level, a perfect 4' wide (plus a couple of inches on each side for tire width) and 18 inches deep exactly...the backhoe side came out a little less neat because of the access from the side only, but ended up plenty deep and wide enough for his needs...this was a big hole for a 12" bucket
I wish I had brought my camera so I could show it off...OH yeah... took 6 hours with no breaks (except one p-break in the woods...By the way, I was quite thankful for having my BroTek skid plates underneath, as the woods had many "hazards" which could have spelled disaster for an unprotected belly...
Now my dilemma as I found out was finishing the trench with the FEL was impossible as it turns out...my entry ramp into the trench would have disappeared if I backed into the finished side and started to use the FEL to go in the other direction...would have ended up with no ramp and in a 18" trench.
Had I started from the one end of the trench which had access down into it I would have been ok...ended up finishing up the latter part of the trench with the Backhoe. Came out ok and he was happy he didn't have to shovel the trench himself...This was a scenario which was perfect for a BX sized machine as there was limited access into his back yard and well manicured lawn all around the house...a larger machine just would not have fit. I am amazed by the work this little tractor can do...I really "tested" the FEL as there were many large rocks imbedded in the soil...had to back off many times and take a different bite to get the trench dug...I was pretty proud of the one side I finished with the FEL...was nice and square, level, a perfect 4' wide (plus a couple of inches on each side for tire width) and 18 inches deep exactly...the backhoe side came out a little less neat because of the access from the side only, but ended up plenty deep and wide enough for his needs...this was a big hole for a 12" bucket
I wish I had brought my camera so I could show it off...OH yeah... took 6 hours with no breaks (except one p-break in the woods...By the way, I was quite thankful for having my BroTek skid plates underneath, as the woods had many "hazards" which could have spelled disaster for an unprotected belly...