Moving #4 stone with a subcompact

[Rockbadchild]

Your machine with its loader is only ment to reclaim materials light in weight it is not designed to
what you are trying to do.

Pushing the stone from the side of the pile in six inch slices to make a long windrow is the only
way to do this if you do not want to rent a tracked skid loader like a Toro Dingo.

A couple of square flat shovels with fiber glass handles, a small dump trailer for garden tractors,
good friends, beer and pizza is the only real way to fill the bucket filled by having the bucket fully
retracted and pushed against the pile.

Renting a toro dingo with a bucket will be faster.

i digress but anyhow, for me it dosent matter what the fibreglass handle is attach on I can’t handle it ( lol no pun intended) I can’t deal with the flex I much rather a wood handle every time.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I have a much bigger tractor but did load and haul a whole truck load of 2inch minus that sat there for a long time it was very compacted. It was challenging at the beginning to get a full buckets but after a while it loose up and it wasn’t bad … it’s all in the technique and it dose take a bit to master … I also agree with MossRoad reasoning but it would only be the case for the first two inch or so then you are back to the full cutting edge contact and just like if it wasn’t there altho that two inch and the irregularity could make a difference and probably dose.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

This is the second time I've moved 12 ton of 3/4" gravel. First was with a 24hp with standard bucket. Could not break surface tension and get a bucket load. Now, 29 hp with the EA toothbar, so much easier. Moving compacted dirt as well...

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

FWIW...... trying slowing down your fwd motion and increase the use of your curl function. Curl/lift/shave into your pile.

This is good technique which is easier on a loaders driveline and less ground damage which uses more of your lift power than your weight/fwd momentum. Helps ensure fuller buckets as well.

Cheers

 

[dodge man]

I don’t think a tooth bar will help much. I had a BX 2350 for 10 years and I could fill the bucket with gravel. Do you have filled tires and/or ballast on the back? I had Rimguard in my tires and a 500 pound ballast box on the back.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

So, you don't have a toothbr, but don't THINK it would help? I have one, it helps with the breaking of surface tension, which is one issue...

 

[MossRoad]

I have a much bigger tractor but did load and haul a whole truck load of 2inch minus that sat there for a long time it was very compacted. It was challenging at the beginning to get a full buckets but after a while it loose up and it wasn’t bad … it’s all in the technique and it dose take a bit to master … I also agree with MossRoad reasoning but it would only be the case for the first two inch or so then you are back to the full cutting edge contact and just like if it wasn’t there altho that two inch and the irregularity could make a difference and probably dose.

Once your break that lock the material has, the teeth lift it and cut through it like a wedge using the material to break itself apart. I've got two buckets. One is 48" straight edge. The other is 42" with teeth. I sharpened the teeth with a grinder. It's really impressive the difference. Once you're into the pile a few inches, the curl and lift coupled with forward motion pretty much self-loads the bucket. No need to go in more than a few inches with a small tractor/loader.

 

[MossRoad]

Here's an old picture of my machine and attachments. You can see the two buckets to the left. At first, the teeth didn't help much. They are blunt. Then someone suggested I sharpen them with a grinder. I did. Night and day difference.

I can't push that wide bucket into sod. It'll lift the tractor instead. I can push the toothed bucket into sod, and by rocking the curl/dump lever, I can pry right down, through, and under the sod and take out bucketfuls at a time.

Teeth make a huge difference. Cheap upgrade, too. Money well spent.

 

[4570Man]

I have a tooth and straight bucket on my skid steer. Teeth absolutely make a big difference for cutting dirt. But I don’t think you would experience much difference for scooping loose material like gravel.

 

[MossRoad]

I have a tooth and straight bucket on my skid steer. Teeth absolutely make a big difference for cutting dirt. But I don’t think you would experience much difference for scooping loose material like gravel.

With a smaller machine it makes a big difference with something like #4 crushed limestone like the OP has. It's crushed to 1" to 2.5" irregular pieces that tend to lock together easier. Gravel is smooth and rounded and easy to scoop.