Moving Dirt

[RedDog]

First of all, Merry Christmas to all!!

I am clearing an area for my pole barn. This is on top of a hill that I am cutting down and moving all that dirt to the front side of the house where there is a steep hill.

I had some good pictures of the trees that I uprooted, but the disc had a failure.

In this picture you can see a portion of the pile of dirt that I have built up, plus you can somewhat see my stainless steel exhaust pipe .

I wanted my friend to come out with his dozer, but you know how friends are when you want something.

The hill in the front is scarey to try and mow sideways. A little to much lean for me. If I get all this dirt to it, it will be very manageable.

RedDog <font color=orange>Kioti DK65 </font color=orange>

 

[RedDog]

Another shot of the small pile of dirt.

RedDog

 

[RedDog]

Front shot, where all the dirt will be going.

RedDog

 

[TWINKLE_TOES]

Nice Pipe Does it have a rain flapper?

Watch out the Safety Police are everywhere. (Folded ROPS)

 

[RedDog]

This is from the top of hill looking down. Front side of house.

RedDog

 

[RedDog]

Last picture, for now. The foreman overseeing the project /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.


I will retake the pictures of the uprooted trees.

RedDog

 

[RedDog]

TT,

No rain flap, ( I do not like them).

90% of the time, I have my ROPS down. To tall for tree branches, and more important, I think I would forget to take it down to put it in the garage. That is the reason I took the factory exhaust pipe off,, { to tall}. The stainless steel one looks much better!! /w3tcompact/icons/clever.gif. I think it even added 5HP,, /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif.

RedDog

 

[Thomas]

Great pics.
Just think of all the lost seat time if your friend did the dozing,but than again thats lot of ground your planing on moving. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Indeed the boss keeping a very watchful /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif upon you. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Kodiak]

Well I'm impressed, those are some big buckets of dirt. You seem to be handling them with no problem. And with no extra weight hanging off th rear. That DK65 really has some grunt to it.

 

[RedDog]

Kodiak,

I am amazed at what this tractor will do!! I think a lot of it has to do with its weight. I am guessing the tractor weighs around 8500lbs, rear tires are loaded.

After talking to others about the night and day difference with a tooth bar on the bucket,, I ordered one. Although I have never had a problem of tearing up the soil with my (normal) bucket.

I have most of the dirt pile up front now, but have not taken any pictures. /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif

I need a lot more /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

RedDog

 

[Kodiak]

I have been using CUT's for landscaping and small excavation work for a lot of years and have seldom found anyplace where I needed a toothbar. In fact it would hinder me more than help as I back drag material all the time.

Thats a beautiful house that you have to.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

<font color=blue>"I have been using CUT's for landscaping and small excavation work for a lot of years and have seldom found anyplace where I needed a toothbar"</font color=blue>

I'm here in NE Indiana and, while the topsoil will grow about anything, it doesn't take much effort to find the clay beneath it. Without a toothbar, my FEL was just that-a loader and not much more. Now, I can actually use it to landscape a bit. Of course, some more HP would make a difference, too.

The best analogy I ever heard for working with vs. without a toothbar was this. Take some modeling clay or something similar and form it into a tight ball and hold it snugly on a table. Now take a spoon and force the edge in with your other hand. Now try the same thing with a fork and see how much less effort (HP) is needed.

As soon as I first read that I ordered my toothbar. I haven't regretted it since, either. I just took it off today so I could use it to move some snow. Once the snow goes the toothbar goes right back on.

 

[RedDog]

Kodiak,

<font color=purple> Thats a beautiful house that you have to. </font color=purple>
Thank you, /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

I would still think you could "back drag" with a toothbar. /w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif

RedDog

 

[RedDog]

Gary,

<font color=purple> The best analogy I ever heard for working with vs. without a toothbar was this. Take some modeling clay or something similar and form it into a tight ball and hold it snugly on a table. Now take a spoon and force the edge in with your other hand. Now try the same thing with a fork and see how much less effort (HP) is needed </font color=purple>

Good analogy

RedDog

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Hi,

<font color=blue>I would still think you could "back drag" with a toothbar.</font color=blue>

You can, but the result is not a smooth as it would be without the teeth on the front of the bucket.

I have had good luck back dragging using the rear of the bucket, keeping the toothbar pointed upward slightly.

Sometimes I first back drag using the teeth to sort of level things out a bit, before dragging with the back of the bucket to smooth things out better.

For me the toothbar is one of my most appreciated "attachments." It makes the bottom lip of the bucket a lot stronger too...if you are going to push a dead/small tree down, for example. Also, the teeth can be used to hang a chain on for lifting something...if you don't have bucket hooks.

I /w3tcompact/icons/love.gif my tooth bar!

Came off real easy for winter too...figured teeth not needed for snow...

Bill in Pgh, PA

 

[Richard]

<font color=blue>if you are going to push a dead/small tree down, for example. Also, the teeth can be used to hang a chain on for lifting something...if you don't have bucket hooks.</font color=blue>

I don't have a toothbar, I have individual teeth that bolt on the bucket using 2 bolts per tooth. I periodically take the teeth off or put them back on, depending on what I'm doing...

If I'm moving dirt and am on latter stages of it, I'll take teeth off so that I can backdrag. Backdragging with the edge of bucket is only way I can get it relatively smooth. I tried it with the teeth on and it looked like I was getting ready to plant beans in the furrows that the teeth left behind. I've tried with the heel of the bucket and that leaves a bit to be desired. (what really leaves a bit desired is operator expertise /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif )

As far as tree pushing, I love having the teeth ON the bucket to help prevent the bucket sliding on the tree (side to side) as I push. The teeth will help act as a "corner", or box in the tree so that the primary force is the tree going forward, and not let the bucket slide off

I too, think the bucket digs much easier with the teeth on, I like them to plant into ground when I'm using backhoe, I will on occasion use them to hook chain (but I have a hook). In fact, just last week, I dragged an uprooted oak tree out of woods. Tree was probably 80 feet long/tall, though only maybe 20 inches in diamater for most of length. Given slope of hill I was on (my puckerer was starting to quiver /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif) when i got to tree, I didn't trust, slope, hook, other... soooooo, I chained tree, and wrapped the chain around my bucket twice rather than "hook" it onto the bucket. This way, as I traversed back down the slope in reverse, (and maybe hit the brakes) i didn't need to worry as much about the front end rearing up on me, nor "losing my load" (no pun intended with above mention of quivering puckerer /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif ). Yes, I'll fess up, the slope was steep enough that the front wheels were a little light in the tubes and I used my steering brakes to help. Took me 3 hours from start to finish to move this tree maybe 1/4 mile and most of that was figuring out how to traverse the hill.

 

[frank_f15]

seems like u got a lot of dirt to move, but also seems like u got the tractor to do it. looks like a very nice house, but i would do things right as i would not want to have that boss angry with me./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[RedDog]

Thanks Frank /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

The dirt pile is gone, but I will scrape up more.

RedDog

 

[RedDog]

The front yard now. It is better, but still needs more, and I have plenty more to go. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

RedDog

 

[RedDog]

Another view of front yard.

RedDog