Light or heavy tractor for soggy ground ????

Egon · Jan 2, 2005

The pads can be made from almost anything. Wood - rubber tires - metal mesh etc.

They are usually large enough to hold the hoe. With a tracked hoe just singe timbers may be used and placed as the machine is moved. Mostly they are a little larger so less time is wasted on placing them. For a tractor backhoe they would not work well but metal mesh rolls or pads can be rented so you have enough to get to the start of the working area.

Egon

Freds · Jan 2, 2005

( With what you wrote, I wonder if you could get into the property with a tract machine, possibly a track-hoe )

Yes. those pics were exactly what I was talking about using. Around here we just call them mini excavators, but track-hoe certainly describes the machine to a tee.

Egon, I'm curious about the pads, too. I would put a drain at the low point, so that would mean pads to get in there and more pads to move along. What do you do, move the pads along as you go like tossing rocks to cross a creek?

A friend mentioned yesterday just using a ditch witch to dig drainage in my case. He said they pretty much pull themselves along when they dig, so wet ground isn't a factor. I never saw one in use, so I can't say firsthand.

shoppintractors · Jan 2, 2005

I'm interested in hearing more about your idea of pads. 

Go Here

In the product search engine type:

"Traction Mat"

Wooden traction mat should come up. Item #463901

Now type in the search engine:

"Landing Mat"

An aluminum (#251401) and a steel mat (#251301) should display.

Don

Soundguy · Jan 2, 2005

You have gotten good advice.

Specifically, a heavy tractor is good for traction, as long as it can find some solid footing somewhere. As in a large ag tractor with tall skinny ag tires will do ok if it can find hard ground a couple feet down. Mind you.. this digs ruts so deep that you won't need the backhoe to do trenching for drainage.. just drive to and from the low spots! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

A lighter tractor with turfs and 4wd may walk across the surface a tad better. Backhoe won't care as much about the turf tires due to the way it digs. FEL performance may be impacted with lower traction tires though.

Soundguy

Egon · Jan 2, 2005

With the tracked hoe two sets of pads will work but three are better. Just keep placing them in the direction you want to go and drive forward. Turn around and pick up the rear one and place in front.

Some years back someone on this site [ thinking down under ] showed a trail made from bolting old tires together.

Egon