Leveling an area for an AG pool.

[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.