looking at pull type dirt pans......any advice?

[EddieWalker]

...(esp. on slopes Eddie) ...

I am ordering one Mon.

Nice to hear of something that works so well and moves so much material!!! Please post some pics of it in operation and your impressions on how it holds up, ease of operation and support from the manufacturer.



JB,

One of the problems with a dump trailer is that most people pull the trailer with the same tractor that they load it with. The problem is in hooking and unhooking the tractor from the trailer every time you want to load it. If you have something to pull it, then they are a very affordable way to move material. Allot of construction companies are going to dump trailers because you don't need a CDL to pull them and they are very affordable compared to a dump truck.

Eddie

 

[have_blue]

lee, I've built several ponds and redid one. The tractor pan would not be my weapon of choice.

I have to agree.

When it comes to BIG tractors and BIG pans, they can't be beat for speed and efficiency. It's economical to use them to dig and haul the dirt 300-600ft away. If I could only have 1 tractor and 1 implement to dig a smll pond, it would be a 300hp tractor and an 8 yard pan.

However, in my experience, pans do not scale down very well. They are probably harder on a compact tractor than any implement I can imagine. They don't hold more than 2 yards of dirt, so hauling time is exceedingly long. If the soil is not perfect (is it ever?), a pan will try its best to destroy your tractor and itself. With many soil conditions, you need to run your tractor pretty fast or the pan won't scrape efficiently. Also there's a tendency to run as fast as possible to haul and deadhead back to the pond. That's when your body gets beaten to death along with the tractor.

I would love to have a pan, but as expensive as they are, I believe I would find another way. Plowing the dirt around the pond deeply, scooping and loading it on a dump truck with as large a loader as possible is hard to beat. It would go as fast as a small pan, and is much easier on your tractor and your bones. A dozer, loader, and dump truck would be even better, but I know may be out of the question.

PS: Be careful of used pans. They take a lot of abuse and wear quickly. A little slack in a pan's moving parts makes it hard to use, and extra hard on your tractor and your bones.

 

[EV59]

I have used 14 - 20 ft pans behind 400+ tractors....they do a great job...I have seen the small unit in operation...just remember it takes HP to pull them in tough soil conditions. My son recently had a 1 1/2 yd Soil Mover Brand for sale (LIKE NEW) $ 2750 Let me know if interested.

 

[ahvatsa]

Eddie there is a learning curve! Spent a couple hours with it today. Will give more info when I get the hang of it.

 

[Dickey]

Just wondering how the tractor handled the pan I have a M5700 and I'm thinking about getting one. I know where I can get a pan that holds four yards but I'm not sure my tractor would handle it.