Moving a dirt pile efficiently. Learn me something.

[big bubba]

ok so shuttle shift. is this a gear model then? & if so high/low range on those gears? i'd do the fel work in various low range gears, & transport/spread in higher range. apologize if this is obvious. had to to the same to move earth leveling a large pond dam...sure glad i had the hi/low & hyd shuttle. best

 

[Sysop]

I had 550 lbs of topsoil delivered, and tried various ways of distributing it with the skid loader, tractor, etc. The fastest and easiest (on the machines and operator) way i found was to use only the box blade. These were lower piles (a few feet) though.

550lbs typo? That's just a few bags, not real sure that's worth firing a tractor up for...

Beyond that I have to agree with the box blade. My 6' BB is about the same size as my 6' bucket, but I can get the BB loaded to the point it is piled above the top of the BB and pulling a pile that is clear up against the rear tires and drag it where it is needed with no problem. That's more than double what will fit in the FEL bucket (probably dragging around 5000# conservatively)... I also like following different paths to the destination so I'm dropping off bits of dirt in any low spots.

Piles of any size really don't bother me for boxblading it out. I'll push the FEL a few inches down through a 20' tall pile ramping a path over it, dragging the boxblade along to collect it.

Sucks OP had a driveway in the way, BB would have saved a lot of trips...

 

[Wagtail]

Thanks for this thread. I'm staring at a neighbour's dirt pile (top soil from preparing for a concrete slab) that he's given permission to use.

I've got a 4in1 bucket and it would've taken a while before I 'twigged' to the drag-down-then-scoop method.

Ta.

 

[countrybumpkin]

ok so shuttle shift. is this a gear model then? & if so high/low range on those gears? i'd do the fel work in various low range gears, & transport/spread in higher range. apologize if this is obvious. had to to the same to move earth leveling a large pond dam...sure glad i had the hi/low & hyd shuttle. best

Here is a basic video that briefly describes the trans types.

http://youtu.be/xzdqA6NlXO0

 

[DJ54]

On that particular pile, and at that particular time, I would work the left and right sides next, that are sticking out. Work them in, until you are past the center cut, about as much as you are in the center, compared to the outsides in the picture. Then go back to the center. If you leave points about 2/3 the width of the bucket, you'll actually have more breakout/loading force, only cutting 2/3 of the bucket width, but yet end up with a bucket full of dirt.

Just work across the face of the pile, and leave a space about 2/3 the width of the bucket, then come back and pick that point up. As you work into the pile, the face will get wider. Just keep making the narrower points, and working them off, back & forth. It will load easier, and be easier on your tractor.

 

[TripleR]

I hauled two full dump truck loads of rock yesterday, half mile round trip. Got a full bucket, dropped it on the pile to back drag then it was ready for another fairly easy dig on my return. Every few trips, I had to square it off or change angle.

I've used the technique described by DJ54 on dirt. The size, shape and type of material as well as size/type of machine may well dictate different approaches.

 

[flusher]

Lugging the engine severely and then declutching while it's lugging is risky. Diesel engine rotation can be reversed, the engine runs backwards, oil pressure drops, water pump rotation direction is reversed and then bad things can happen before you are able to turn off the engine. Check out this recent TBN thread for more info

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/safety/326144-agco-gt-75a-tractor-engine.html

Also, if the pile of stuff you're scooping with the FEL is resting on a concrete surface, you need to be in 2WD. When you push the bucket into the pile and the forward motion stops, all the driven wheels have to be able to slip. Not so much a problem for the big rear wheels. However, if you're in 4WD drive, there's a good chance that the front wheels won't be able to slip and you can mess up the 4WD system (shafts, axles, transfer box, etc).

Good luck.

 

[Deere Dude]

I've been around tractors for 40 years I guess, but this one is the first one with a FEL. I've had some days off and I am moving a pile of topsoil for my church and spreading it out with a box blade (at which I have a lot of experience). For the most part I've just been driving straight into the pile RPMs up and start raising and curling the bucket to get a good load. The tractor is a 45 horse Kioti with the shuttle shift, so I have to clutch from forward to reverse. I guess my question is about lugging the engine down momentarily until I break free with the load. This seems almost inevitable unless I turn a 12 hour job into a 30 hour job. Does it hurt anything to do this? I've been driving into the pile in 4wd and in first or second gear in mid range. One thing I've tried is shaving the edges off the pile which creates a lot of loose stuff that is easy to scoop, but that just seems like extra work and time. What is your general methodology, gearing, speed, rpm etc?

View attachment 423570

I'm envious. I had a berm by my house that was about that size of your picture on the end and maybe 12' tall. The berm was at least 200 foot long, few stones just packed topsoil, and I needed the dirt to fill in some lowland to make lawn. I used a medium sized skid steer for a couple days to do some transporting of dirt immediately around the house, then a couple years later when I started again I used my new JD hydro compact tractor. Near the end of the pile I was wishing it was a lot bigger because I was really getting into the groove. Enjoy it. I wish I had another berm to move.

 

[4570Man]

I usually have the backhoe on for counter weight. I use the backhoe to break up the pile, then I scoop it with the loader using your method.