Plowing with a 4 in 1 bucket

[oe2x]

Wondering if you can open the bucket and use the blade like a dozer blade without the angle.

 

[Redbug]

Hi oe2x...

Yes, you can. A 4in1 is designed for simple pushing and most of them have a cutting edge/wear bar on the bottom of the blade for better wear. Great for pushing up dirt/debris into piles etc.

As for plowing...I don't quite understand the question...

 

[alchemysa]

You sure can but its not as rugged as a proper dozer. It puts a fair bit of stress on the loader arms so you've got a to be pretty careful in rocky ground. Getting a smooth result is tricky too - something that I havent mastered - but I'm getting better at it. I've never used a rear blade but I would guess that one of those would be much better to use if you were, say, smoothing out a long driveway. As redbug said, its great for pushing around dirt and debris, backfilling trenches etc. I recently had to cut a 4 x 4 metre base for a rainwater tank. It had to be 1 foot below the surrounding ground level. It did a neat job of that because I could just drop the blade on the starting line, then lift the front wheels off the ground and move forward. It easily cut quite a nice sharp edge rather than having to 'ramp' my way into the hole as I might have needed to do with a bucket alone. Good operators with just an ordinary bucket can often dig and doze (in soft ground) quite successfully, but for amateurs like me the 4-in-1 is a real advantage.

 

[Glowplug]

As for plowing...I don't quite understand the question...

Maybe like snow plowing?

 

[oe2x]

Snow plowing was another thought. I have a 2500' driveway that needs to be:
1. graded every now and again.
2. about 8 times a year it snows where it will need plowing.

FWIW - i'm breaking ground on my house tomorrow. I'm having a crew put in all the utilities which will require 4,700' of trenching for water and electric, then an additional 1200' for the electric. The bid included septic and site prep.

The L35 with the 4 in 1 is to keep the road passable and do basic things like pull stumps etc on the property.

Thanks for the input.

 

[KubotaOne]

You sure can but its not as rugged as a proper dozer. It puts a fair bit of stress on the loader arms so you've got a to be pretty careful in rocky ground. Getting a smooth result is tricky too - something that I havent mastered - but I'm getting better at it.

I agree. I have a 4-in-1 bucket and rarely "plow" with it open. It is not a bulldozer. I either gouge too aggressively, or lose traction.

However, I love my clambshell for every other function, and could not imagine living without it.

 

[oe2x]

Let me ask what would any of you recommend to plow this driveway for snow. It's 15'-20' wide, a half mile long, gravel and ascends nearly 200' over the length. One side is a steep hill that is okay to crash into. If you go off the other side - well - you'll die.

Out here the snow is very wet and affectionately called "cascade cement". In the two winters that I've been here, the most snow I've seen from a storm is 24".

 

[Vaulter98c]

hmm, die.. doesnt sound fun. You should put a barrier up, like the steel guards they have on roads.

Also, I wouldnt plan on clearing the entire road, I would only clear one path, but thats up to you. Ive done a 1/2 mile drive, 2 lanes, but that was in a fullsize with a .. 10 or 12 foot backblade, I think, I dont really remember. Took a long time to plow it all, in reverse. However, If you do it once, it will be easier every other time.

You could consider the blower, and then rent out your services to the locals to help even the payments.