I knowmy tractor is not a bull dozer but . . .

[TripleR]

Sombody needs to invent a poor man's muck machine. I have thought about rigging up some kind of anchor point on each side of the muck pond where a winch type rig could be rigged to drag a bucket back and forth across the muck. Haven't seen any 100 HP winches laying around lately have you?

Actually my dad used to raise them, Missouri Mules pulling a dirt slip or scoop; think I'll stick with an excavator, those mules sure were disagreeable.

 

[ovrszd]

Actually my dad used to raise them, Missouri Mules pulling a dirt slip or scoop; think I'll stick with an excavator, those mules sure were disagreeable.

Heheheheh.... I grew up with those stories as well Larry. They were funny to me,,,, not to Dad though...

 

[TripleR]

Richard, I hate horses, mules, donkeys, even My Little Pony..., I have been bitten, kicked, stomped, thrown, chased up a tree, cornered in a grain trailer and generally terrorized by those darned things in my early years. Dad got out of the business when I was small, but not before I was emotionally scarred for life.:laughing:

 

[Oaktree]

For that type of work a rototiller works great .
I till the soil loose and it easily scoops right out with the loader and is very fine/nice to work with.

That's what I did a few years ago when I excavated to put in a new driveway. A little slow, but got the job done. Budget didn't allow for a new implement so ya use what ya got!

 

[DK35vince]

That's what I did a few years ago when I excavated to put in a new driveway. A little slow, but got the job done. Budget didn't allow for a new implement so ya use what ya got!

I dug out my driveway, parking area using the tiller to loosen things up also.

 

[Jc2white]

What about using a middle buster to loosen the soil before using the FEL?

 

[dave1949]

What about using a middle buster to loosen the soil before using the FEL?

I don't think that would work in heavy, wet clay--which is what I assume is in the pond hole. It seems like it would peel up some dirt on each side of the shovel but not loosen it in a wide enough band for the FEL bucket to get into it very well.

The worst scenario is a good rain when the digging is only partially done. As mentioned, cut a drain, or maybe use a gas or PTO powered pump to get rid of the water, or it will never dry enough for a wheeled tractor to work it if it is clay.

 

[PILOON]

A good tooth bar and you will think you have an excavator. Full buckets every time. Makes any tractor into a whole new tool.
A bit of angle and you have a 'power rake', tears out all roots and vegetation with ease. Stones no longer deflect your bucket.
Only downside is that you cannot backdrag a smooth finish nor scrape sand from a paved surface unless you remove the toothbar.
Get a good one. Not a 'strap on thingy' but one that mounts with 2 bolts to the bucket sides.

 

[k0ua]

Richard, I hate horses, mules, donkeys, even My Little Pony..., I have been bitten, kicked, stomped, thrown, chased up a tree, cornered in a grain trailer and generally terrorized by those darned things in my early years. Dad got out of the business when I was small, but not before I was emotionally scarred for life.:laughing:

My Dad of course grew up using horses and mules to work with, and had plenty of stories that sounded like yours. He was quite happy to get a tractor as soon as they could afford one. A horse kicked him one time and he spent a summer in bed and nearly died. He did not care for them much. We had all kind of livestock on the farm when I grew up, but no horses or mules. With that said, I have a vivid memory when I was about 13 my Dad and brother and I were building a barn for an older gentleman. He came down to the site and asked if we could help round up some cattle that had gotten out. Dad said just let me have your horse and I will get them. He took the gentleman's horse and proceed to quickly round them up and get them back in the proper field. I was surprised how well he could still ride a horse and I don't think he had been on one in a lot of years. Certainly not since I was alive.

 

[MHarryE]

Ah for the good old days. We used to sell dynamite at our implement dealership. Instructions came with the dynamite as to charge for hole size. Worked well in muck because you didn't worry about getting equipment stuck. Then along comes Timothy McVay and now we can't even get proper ammonium nitrate fertilizer - we have to use non-explosive urea.