No Tractor, No Problem

[MasseyWV]

I don't currently own a tractor but haven't let that stop me from working towards the completion of a major earth moving project I've been meaning to do for many years.

The project consists of digging out a steep embankment around two sides of my garage for better access and drainage. As the embankment is dug out, the dirt/rock/slate is being moved to various low spots on my property. There is also a mature locust tree stump that is being removed from the embankment.

It may come as a surprise but, I'm doing it all almost entirely by using a shovel. Sure, I could rent/hire equipment or buy a tractor/backhoe to complete the work, but that would divert funds from other things I plan to purchase which will give me the greatest amount of benefit in the near future.

Digging into a mixture of hard clay and slate/shale is anything but easy but I've managed to make the task a little easier by using my tiller to loosen the soil prior to using my ATV and dump cart to move the soil.

It's hard work that takes a considerable amount of time, but so far I've moved many tons of soil and expect to complete the project in a few weeks.

 

[moored4]

GOT PICTURES ?

On second thought no pictures Please!

I don't need to see a dirt moving job that does not have a tractor involved in it! :laughing::laughing:

 

[Lostalot]

Mate,we have never been in a hurry with our goat country type place and a regular ritual year in year out is to let the weeds and leaf litter in the inaccessable ,rocky,and generally crappy areas thrive.After five or six seasons with all of the annual natural composting of these weeds etc these places have now become fertile little areas,without any machinery costs. Nature and some shovel work. Love it.Footnote* We have no control over the weed influx as two of our adjoining properties are unkept.. as for altering drop offs etc wait for the monsoons and some hand jackhammer work...let nature do the hard yards regards

 

[Gary Fowler]

You have a much stronger back than me to be doing that. I just have a few rocks to dig out and a few drainage ditches to built /maintain and I am in the market for a TLB to do that work.
The most amazing thing I have ever witnessed was in Mexico. The contractor was digging a hold for the basement elevation and foundation for a control room that was about 50 x 50 feet and did it all with shovel, pickaxes and wheel barrow. He had a big Backhoe that they parked at the top of the excavation where they would dump the dirt for him to haul away. They also had a Bobcat skidsteer that would have been perfect to set in the hole and dig out everything but the local unions wouldnt let them use the equipment so they used a bunch of laborers. They did the same when mixing some concrete to pour over an U/G electric raceway. They mixed it by hand (rock, sand cement then added water and mixed it well) then put it in the Bobcat to haul over and dump in the trench. Again, the bobcat could have thoroughly mixed it in 10 minutes but that would have deprived 4 laborers of work so the equipment sat and watched them till it was mixed then he hauled it over, dumped and was back in 5 minutes to watch the next batch. They also wouldnt use the batch plant mix for this, only for large pours.

 

[BeezFun]

Use some of the money you saved on the tractor to buy a camera. Verbal description of digging a hole isn't real interesting.

 

[bp fick]

A zillion years ago, I hired some out-of-work college kids to excavate our basement, by hand, with shovels. It was sandy soil, but still. They did it. Took them 4-5 days or more, but they got 'er done. We set a new perimeter french drain and tarred the walls.

Oh yeah, they shoveled it all back in too. :laughing:

 

[20 20]

Well, when my folks were younger they walked to school on their hands up hill both ways in the snow

 

[sandman2234]

Well, when my folks were younger they walked to school on their hands up hill both ways in the snow

Yeah, my parents walked to school but it was 110 degrees in the shade, but still uphill both ways.
David from jax

 

[MasseyWV]

Use some of the money you saved on the tractor to buy a camera. Verbal description of digging a hole isn't real interesting.

I happen to own a very nice camera and lenses but didn't post pictures because I don't have "before" pictures to better illustrate just exactly how much work I've done.

This thread isn't about saving money, as much as it's about doing whatever one has to do to get the job done. I plan to eventually buy a tractor, just not in time to do me any good right now. Besides, not everyone is made out of money, which sometimes forces us to make difficult decisions.

BTW: I'm not digging a "hole", as I clearly indicated when I used the word embankment.

 

[crashz]

I've been in the construction industry at varying levels for about 20 years. The last person I saw doing real labor was me!

When I worked for my father, I would wear out a shovel in a full season. Each winter he'd buy me a new Razorback (short or long handle, depending on my mood). In the fall, the point would be worn back about three or four inches and steel worn thin, if not cracked, bent or peeled. Then again, my father didn't own a skidsteer or a mini-excavator. He didn't need them, cause he had me.

Now I sit at desk most days and get fat (engineer). I definately couldn't do that work now. Not without a year or so of conditioning at least.

But I don't see people doing what I did. For the last 10 years or so, I see "laborers" watching the machinery do the work. If a little hand clean up is needed, they simply direct the operator.

So I applaud you getting out and digging by hand. Its actually pretty rewarding work, especially knowing that you are getting in shape, can do the work of a mini ex, and have not expensive payments!