I dug me a pond --

[40Kchicks]

It looks to me that you caught on to the use of that equipment very quickly. My experience has been the same. They are pretty easy to use.

I have a JD 450H which is far from useless but definitely not the right tool for pond digging. It is perfect for fine grading and spreading rock for a road. We had a D8 size dozer out last year to convert about 10 acres of field to poultry barn pads and roads. I was amazed at how much dirt that U blade could move. That size of dozer would have also worked good for you. I attached a picture.

I admire your willingness to try new things. Now you know you have one more skill.

 

[WayneB]

Just wondering what kind of permits you needed and how difficult were they to get. Putting a pond in around here is not too easy to do. There are lots of local and state approvals / permits plus all of the liabilities down stream from the pond.

We have a natural 35 acre pond in back of our place so after going through the process of wanting to build a fire pond and running into so many obstacles I just finally gave up on the idea and made a nice walking / riding / snowmobile path to the big pond.

 

[Unregistered2013]

hey all --

thank you for your comments on this --

-- i love a dozer, but agree, it is quite specific on the work it can perform --

-- for grading, etc., a dozer is perfect -- it's almost good therapy using one --

and as for permits, i skipped that stage, and the town bit me afterwards --

-- :|

-- all they wanted was a professional opinion that the pond wouldn't disrupt waterflow on the lots around it -- basically, that it didn't affect water inlets and outlets on the neighboring lot --

-- my dad is a PE, so he and i got a level from united rentals, shot us some elevations,a nd he wrote a letter that all will be fine --

that's where we're at now -- I CAN'T WAIT FOR SPRING, to see how much she filled up --

-- and again, had i not found a spring, i would have been toast --



eric

 

[BTDT]

My brother and some of his drinking friends ran a Chevy pickup off in a hole like that one night rabbit hunting. He said they were driving along in about 5' high Johnson grass and bloodweed when all of a sudden splash. They had run off in an old gravel pit. Might need to make sure your posted signs are up and in good order.

What are your plans for the place now? BTW, that will be a real nice pond when it fills the rest of the way up. How deep do you expect it to be? Good job. How was your learning curve on using the hoe?

 

[GarthH]

Enjoyed your project got many laughs - my wife said I couldn't have the same type of fun.

How long did the project take - how much time on the cat and on the backhoe.

What did you do with the dirt - Maybe that is your next posting - you built yourself a mountain.

Anyway nice project - it looks great.

Garth

 

[Unregistered2013]

My brother and some of his drinking friends ran a Chevy pickup off in a hole like that one night rabbit hunting. He said they were driving along in about 5' high Johnson grass and bloodweed when all of a sudden splash. They had run off in an old gravel pit. Might need to make sure your posted signs are up and in good order.

What are your plans for the place now? BTW, that will be a real nice pond when it fills the rest of the way up. How deep do you expect it to be? Good job. How was your learning curve on using the hoe?

it's in the back of 3 lots, both sides undeveloped, the back undeleloped too -- really heavily wooded, but i agree to put plenty of signs up --

-- next is to rent the front-loader and move the clay up near my neighbors' houses, to block the bitches out --

the JCB was a trip -- i showed up, and it was on my lot, with a key and a contract -- that's all -- learning curve was 1-2 hours -- was very, very effective --

 

[Unregistered2013]

Enjoyed your project got many laughs - my wife said I couldn't have the same type of fun.

How long did the project take - how much time on the cat and on the backhoe.

What did you do with the dirt - Maybe that is your next posting - you built yourself a mountain.

Anyway nice project - it looks great.

Garth

the dozer work took the most time -- was pretty small, and was clearing a lot full of trees and roots -- had to tilt the angle to furrow the entire lot, overheating the hydraulics ever 20 mins -- :|

the dozer was 5 days (50 hours) and the JCB was 20 hours -- dug a 200' drainage ditch, too, which i'll fill in come summer --

-- i'll follow-up with the front-loader work --

eric