Leveling an area for an AG pool.

[bloody_peasant]

I've got to level an area for a circular above ground pool (26' diam) and the only tool I've got (other than hand tools ) is a rear blade.

The area has sod on it and a gentle slope mostly in one direction. Still being a nOOb I need some good advice on how to attack this. I've yet to successfully use my rear blade, I think I don't have it set at an aggressive enough cut as it just seems to ride over the dirt and rarely bite in.

So here is my plan of attack:
1. Lengthen the top link to create a more aggressive cut, but not too much.
2. Go over the entire area to cut off mainly just the sod, if I get a little dirt that's ok.
3. Remove the cut off sod with the tried and true shovel and wheel barrel and put it in my compost pit.
4. Maybe lengthen the top link a little more to make it a little more aggressive.
5. Start trying to level it.

Now what's the best way to accomplish #5 with a rear blade? I would be happy just getting it close then I can finish it with a shovel. This is pretty hard clay by the way. Should I wet it first?

 

[randy41]

i had to do this years ago...i used a shovel and dug by hand. my pool was 18' diameter.

 

[Wood_Butcher_Dav]

I don't think your going to have much luck removing dirt with a rear blade, as you said it just ride over the top. A box blade that has rippers that could be lowered to break up the clay would be better. How about tilling the area and then use rear blade to remove dirt. The sod will need to be removed first. Will you be back filling with sand? Do you have a loader for your tractor?

Dave

 

[dirtworksequip]

If you have access to a roto tiller you can till up the area you want to remove the dirt from and the go at it with the back blade. Otherwise you will have a hard row to hoe if the soil is not loose first.

 

[bloody_peasant]

Sorry no tiller nor front loader, nor a box blade. I read a post on here where people were talking about digging ditches with a rear blade, but I won't be able to do this?

I started it last night, but I don't think I had the blade set aggressively enough as it just skipped over the top. I did wet it first. It was removing the sod though, but slowly.

I will be back filling with sand in the middle of the pool (the liner sits on the sand, but the outer wall will not).

If I were to get ahold of a tiller, I would have to be careful, I can't break it up and then fill it back in. It needs to be hard packed dirt.

I guess I'll keep trying with the blade and my trusty old shovel

 

[cyberknight]

Hi,
I did the same project a few yeays back with an 18 foot ag pool on slanted ground. I drove a pipe in the ground where I wanted the center of the pool. Then I measured out 20 foot and connected a cable from the pipe to my tiller. Then I just tilled a circle and tilled the ground all up. I found my high spot ( was about 10 inches to high) and dug it out and removed the dirt (clay and shale). The tiller worked very good for breaking up the ground so I could shovel it. I did not fill the lows just brought the highs down so I had stable ground an d level. Put up pool frame and walls, put some sand in bottom and leveled. I also made a border at the high slope to keep the dirt off the pool walls. It has been up for about 4 years now and has not changed since I put it in . Good Luck.
Glenn

 

[Paddy]

Well I think you have justified a box blade! They are cheep and very usefull. They have adjustable ripper teeth that will make your shovel work a pc of cake.

 

[Pooh_Bear]

I have this same problem coming up soon.
I want to put an AG pool in the back yard.
The yard slopes a bit away from the house.
I was thinking of adjusting one side of the blade down with the leveling box.
Then just go around the high side to knock it down.
The more I knock down the more I can bring the blade back to level.

Might even angle the cutting side of the blade forward a little
to give it a more aggressive angle of attack.

Pooh Bear

 

[Farwell]

I set my rear blade at the maximum angle and drive around in a circle that is the size you want. One of the edges of the rear blade cuts aggressively, I think that it is the outside edge but not sure, this should help cut down on shovel time quite a bit.
I also use this method to move cut brush into a pile that I can pick up with my FEL.
Farwell

 

[wilkesland]

Well, if you have brick quality clay that I've had to contend with most of my adult life, then your blade isn't going to do much. If your blade will adjust to a pretty steep tilt from the horizontal, you might want to try that, also adjust it to the sharpest angle you can horizontally. This will have the effect of the end of the blade pointing in the ground sorta like a plow. But I'm not optimistic. If you own some of North Carolina's finest clay, it doesn't even yield to a tiller all that easily. I am so glad to be rid of that stuff. I still have clay at our new location,but thankfully, not like in the eastern piedmont around Raleigh and Sanford.

Good luck!

 

[RonR]

Bloody, the other thing I'd consider doing if you can't find someone with an FEL to move the dirt, is renting a bobcat.

If you have to take 4-6" off to get all the sod, that's a lot of shoveling!

We have clay and when we had a 24' AG pool installed, they used a bobcat to clean it off. Of course, ours had a deep side also, so there was more to dig.

With a bobcat, you can see easier what you are doing. You'd be trading some bucks for a lot of shoveling.............................

Maybe 30 yrs ago, I'd have shoveled, but not now.

My two cents.
ron

 

[bloody_peasant]

Thanks guys,

Farwell, yep I've tried setting it to the max. angle and that does help, I can tear up the sod some. If your blade is angled like -/ then you turn to the left it cuts pretty good on the inside circle.

I think my blade however is still too vertical so I'm going to mess with the top link tonight and see if I can make it cut more aggressively by lengthening the top link.

wilkesland, yep I've got some of that wonderful Piedmont red clay . I find that if its wet, its not too bad, but when its dry, its like concrete. The clay is really only real bad right around the house as the builder stripped off any top soil when they built the house. My fields actually have a decent although heavy soil. Of course the pool is going next to the house in the red clay

If I don't make much progress tonight trying these things, I'll consider hiring it out. My neighbor had a guy come in and do his 14' pool with a bobcat and only charged him $40 I'd be glad to pay him $100 for that work on my 24' and that would be cheaper than renting one.

 

[dsb5610]

I recommend hiring/renting a skid steer. I was surprised how much I had to haul away. Mine was 20' diameter and around 18" deep on the high side.

dsb

 

[bloody_peasant]

I recommend hiring/renting a skid steer. I was surprised how much I had to haul away. Mine was 20' diameter and around 18" deep on the high side.

dsb

Wow nice lawn , yep I may do that, I'll see what happens tonight and make that decision. Luckily I have quite a few rough areas that need some fill dirt to level out so I have got a place for the dirt.

 

[slowrev]

LOL, yep lived north of Durham for about 5 years. Used a big pick , swung as hard as I could. It just stuck in the hardpack clay maybe 1/3 of the way and vibrated. That is some hard digging stuff ! Took me about 12 hours to till up a 25X25 garden and got 4 wheelbarrow loads of rocks out of it.

 

[bloody_peasant]

LOL, yep lived north of Durham for about 5 years. Used a big pick , swung as hard as I could. It just stuck in the hardpack clay maybe 1/3 of the way and vibrated. That is some hard digging stuff ! Took me about 12 hours to till up a 25X25 garden and got 4 wheelbarrow loads of rocks out of it.

Yep, nasty stuff, hey I'm from KY, and now live South of Chapel Hill,
I had a dog die and had to dig a grave for him last summer. That was some serious digging. However I dug my garden up (20x10) with a shovel and it wasn't that bad. The former pasture has a nice thick layer of heavy top soil.

 

[slowrev]

Yep, nasty stuff, hey I'm from KY, and now live South of Chapel Hill,
I had a dog die and had to dig a grave for him last summer. That was some serious digging. However I dug my garden up (20x10) with a shovel and it wasn't that bad. The former pasture has a nice thick layer of heavy top soil.

You were lucky on the garden
I lived up at timberlake. Yeah, Burying a dog was how I first found out about the tough digging

 

[KubotaSteve]

I put in a 28 ft. diameter pool last year. Where I put it in at the one side was 2 foot higher than the other side. Instead of cutting it all out, I removed all top soil with tiller and FEL then took clay from one side and moved it too the other side. After a good rain, I took a 1,000 pound roller going round and round and it was hard as steel. I forgot I had to dig it back out to put blocks in for posts . Had to use claw hammer, chisel and mattock to dig it back out.
I ended up using about 6 tons of sand in my pool and that was only for the bottom as I used that foam coping (which I never will again).
Without a FEL or tiller, I would have to go for the skid steer. I ended up with a whole lot more dirt than I figured I would. If you could get the tiller, it would make life a lot easier.

 

[goneandbrokeit]

Thanks guys,


I think my blade however is still too vertical so I'm going to mess with the top link tonight and see if I can make it cut more aggressively by lengthening the top link.

Not sure how this applies to a rear blade ( don't have one) but I do have a box blade. When adjusting for a more aggresive cut I shorten my top link, not lengthen it. Maybe someone with a RB could comment?

 

[bloody_peasant]

I put in a 28 ft. diameter pool last year. Where I put it in at the one side was 2 foot higher than the other side. Instead of cutting it all out, I removed all top soil with tiller and FEL then took clay from one side and moved it too the other side. After a good rain, I took a 1,000 pound roller going round and round and it was hard as steel. I forgot I had to dig it back out to put blocks in for posts . Had to use claw hammer, chisel and mattock to dig it back out.
I ended up using about 6 tons of sand in my pool and that was only for the bottom as I used that foam coping (which I never will again).
Without a FEL or tiller, I would have to go for the skid steer. I ended up with a whole lot more dirt than I figured I would. If you could get the tiller, it would make life a lot easier.

KubotaSteve, I have question on the blocks under the posts, my instructions indicate they are "optional" based on soil condition. Any idea on what types of soils they would be required or optional? My instructions say contact your dealer, which I bought this online, but I guess I could still contact them.