Need to move lots and lots of dirt - shortcuts?

[JASTN70D]

Have you considered a large box scraper ?

An 8 footer can move allot of dirt in a short time. Its a replacement idea to the Pan approach but your left with one of the best tools you can have for your Tractor. They re much easier to come by than a Pan an can be rented at allot of rental yards

 

[ducati996]

If he had more dirt to move, or he had a long ways to move it, than I'd agree with you, but for only a hundred yards and he's only moving it less than a football field, it's not much of an advantage.

I have a dump truck and I'm as lazy as they come, so any time I can do it easier, I will. If this was my project, I'd just use the front loader and not even deal with the dump truck.

Eddie

ah heck What do I know, last weekend I had to move more than that permantly off the yard and dump it. I do less than that all the time. My dump truck saves time, effort, and expensive each and everytime.
Renting a truck just like mine runs about $75-$100 plus miles per day. Getting the job done in a fraction of the calculated amount of time and trips (from MossRoads calculations) totally offsets the expense of renting a truck.
Just my take on things

Duc

 

[rdln]

HSBM, I had to go back to the original post to make sure I read 100yds when it really said 1000yds!!!!! That was not the case he has a 100yards to move 250 feet not 2500' he has kubota 5130.

Why are we still talking about this.

can you say 4 hour job?

 

[have_blue]

If you have a 3/4 ton or bigger truck then rent a dump trailer and have the wife driving the truck dumping the loads...it gives you a break every few minutes and the wife gets to listen to the radio in a warm or cool cab.

I have moved dirt with the tractor and with a dump trailer the same distances and using the dump trailer wins in time every time.

If your gonna do it by tractor only I suggest working a hour here and there to break up the monotiny.

I agree. 300' seemingly turns into a mile on a small tractor. A little tractor with a 1/2 yard bucket can load an amazing amount of dirt in a day. But for hauling over any distance, they flat don't get it done.

 

[patrick_g]

When building my new house I had a 4 ft bucket trackhoe feeding two 10 wheel dump trucks and at other times moved dirt with my FEL. I have been tossed on the same horns of a dilema as you. One question is what is the highest barricade you can lift your FEL over and dump? A 10 wheel dump with more or less standard side boards is right at the limit of my lift capability and slows down the operation.

Putting the dirt on a trailer and unloading it will take nearly as much or more time as traversing with the bucket of dirt. Getting the dirt off the trailer is not easy and will be a big bottleneck in your progress. A dump trailer would be a good way to go.

I have analyzed many situations on my place that resemble your task and I keep coming up with a dump trailer or dump accessory to put on my 12,000 lb gross weight trailer as the answer. A smaller dump truck with lower sides would be OK if it were a one shot deal but I see too many repetitions to suggest rental, I need to own the bugger. I was going to buy an older (lower sides) dump truck from a neighbor but decided I didn't need 6 more tires to replace and another engine and tranny to mind.

My answer is a dump trailer or dump accessory for my existing trailer.

Pat

 

[have_blue]

I was going to buy an older (lower sides) dump truck from a neighbor but decided I didn't need 6 more tires to replace and another engine and tranny to mind.
Pat

That may be what we call "rice trucks" around here. (probably grain trucks elsewhere) They remove the high side boards and make dumping flatbed trucks from them. They are excellent for loading dirt from small tractors and hauling it around your property. I would love to have an old clunker just to drive on my land. It wouldn't need a license plate, insurance, radio, or A/C... just a running engine and a bed that dumps. Only caveat here is to not overload it! A fellow kept overloading one in my pond, and the ram broke loose from the rear axle. Man that was ugly.

 

[Renze]

I drove an IHC loadmaster, i think a 4600 ?? back in 2003 when i visited my uncle in Canada. I wasnt quite aware of it being a grain box, so i loaded it full of rocks, to use as a foundation for my aunts patio (2 months of holiday are boring so i decided to do something, something my uncle didnt have time for to do himself)
It drove 6 inch ruts in the lawn, and the clutch smelled kinda funny. Rolling down the hill with no brakes is an experience on itself.. The petrol V8, in my opinion, lacked the torque needed to drive through fields.

At home here in Holand, we use a 3 side tipper mounted on a 40 year old Bedford truck chassis, the cab, front axle and engine removed and the front end of the chassis beams bent into a V tongue. It will hold about 5 or 6 yards of dirt and it's about maintenance free, no brakes that may have sticked while sitting under the trees, no worries about a dead battery, just hook it on and go.

I assume that you can find a dirt cheap dump truck with rotten cab and seized engine, which can be converted into a dumptrailer real easy. For me, i dont want to miss one anymore.

 

[MrJimi]

If some of you will notice? 5030tinkerer hasn't been on since he posted this. Maybe he's moving dirt. Best to you 5030tinkerer and get R done
Jim

 

[Doc_Bob]

At home here in Holand, we use a 3 side tipper mounted on a 40 year old Bedford truck chassis, the cab, front axle and engine removed and the front end of the chassis beams bent into a V tongue. It will hold about 5 or 6 yards of dirt and it's about maintenance free, no brakes that may have sticked while sitting under the trees, no worries about a dead battery, just hook it on and go.

.

Post some pictures if you have the time.
Bob

 

[Renze]

DocBob, the tipper isnt at home right now, my brother has it in a nearby town at a jobsite, where he is reclaiming an overgrown garden of an old farmhouse. So far, he harvested 3 tippers of firewood.