Navigating tight trench on side of house

mrtjrocks · Feb 7, 2018

I am brand new to tractors. I've only rented two in the past year. I am trying to fill a trench with gravel and remove the fill dirt in a tight area alongside my house. I am wondering if I should use equipment or should I do it by hand. The opening on the side of my house is 10' and the trench is right down the middle. The trench is 20" wide. The ground on the right hand side of the picture is muddy.

Botaskinner · Feb 7, 2018

With all due respect, I wouldn't try it.
I have a B2320 Kubota and it's 48" wide. Imagining myself in the seat, Running it along the fence side of the yard runs the risk of the trench collapsing and the right side of the tractor falling in towards the house.

Straddling the trench runs the risk of either side of the trench giving way.

There's no way to move sideways to move the fill dirt back into the trench unless you have a backhoe attachment..but where would the outriggers go?

Someone with track hoe experience should weigh in here, but doing this with a regular tractor isn't worth the risk.

Kind regards,
Skinner

medic0648 · Feb 7, 2018

A mini excavator could do it easily although slow if you have to crawl out moving the dirt. Wouldn't recommend it for moving the gravel into place. Are you adding a drain to help with water?

mrtjrocks · Feb 7, 2018

Skinner,

Thanks for the response. I completely understand where you are coming from. After posting this, I was thinking about using a bobcat t590 track loader to first fill in the trench with gravel and then remove the fill dirt on the left in short chunks. So fill in about a yard of gravel and remove about a yard of fill dirt and repeat. This way the trench would be filled and driving over it with the tracks would be okay. Thoughts?

mrtjrocks · Feb 7, 2018

medic0648, Yes this is going to be a french drain. It hits the back yard with two drywells.

plowhog · Feb 7, 2018

I did a similar trench-between-buildings project recently to install conduit.

I had to dig from one building toward the center, then turn around and dig from the other building to the center. I knew my tractor/backhoe would be straddling the ditch and marooned with no way to drive out when the final section was dug. I used some 4x4, 2x4, plywood, etc. to let me cross the ditch and escape. If I were doing your project I'd be tempted to straddle the ditch so you could move forward/back to transport material-- as long as plywood or other supports were on either side of the trench. I wouldn't run the tires very close to the side of the trench without such support. It might be a combo of hand work and tractor work.