Dirt Moving Question on using a 3pt Scarifier

[welyell]

I want to move the topsoil from an area about 50'x70', down to about 12-16 inches, to use in leveling other areas of my property. Would a 3pt hitch scarifier break up the dirt in such a way that I could just turn around and scoop up the dirt with a front end loader? There are no substantial roots or rocks in the area I want to remove the soil from and the entire area is only slightly sloped (close to being flat). Any better tools (low cost) for this type of work?

 

[jeff9366]

Moving dirt is work for a Box Blade with scarifiers.

Box Blades need to weigh 100 pounds per foot of width for this work; 150 pounds per foot of width better. Weight is your friend in ground contact work.

Box Blade needs to be as wide as your rear tires or a bit wider.

Box Blade is the most common implement used as Three Point Hitch counterbalance to FEL loads, holding rear end of tractor down on the ground. Box Blades need to weigh 100 pounds per foot of width to be effective as FEL counterbalance; 150 pounds per foot of width better.

Consider a ROLLOVER Box Blade, pictured, in addition to standard Box Blades.


A stand alone Scarfier will not provide enough counterbalance weight.
With a full bucket of moist soil your rear wheels will rise off the ground, rather than your bucket load. If you get the bucket up and one front wheel drops into a rut or hole, the tractor will roll over.

Center-pivot front axles are weak relative to solid rear axles, where tractor weight is engineered to be carried. If you carry FEL loads without sufficient Three Point Hitch counterbalance is is hard on your front axle and front axle bearings as well as being hazardous.

So, even if you decide to repetitiously move dirt a considerable distance in your FEL bucket you need a heavy Box Blade or another heavy implement mounted on the Three Point Hitch. LONG IMPLEMENTS (Bush Hog, Disc Harrow) soon impinge on tractor maneuverability. Box Blades are fairly compact.

Buy HEAVY once; cry once.



VIDEO: tractor box scraper purpose - YouTube

 

[oosik]

All that Jeff has said plus you will find that a box blade or a ROBB(roll over box blade), like what I have/use, does a much nicer job and is so much easier to use than the bucket on your FEL.


View attachment 571174

 

[YLee Kioti]

presently doing nearly the same thing.
Removing deep ruts to discover it was due to buried tree trunks, heh wow......!
Using a Armstrong Ag BB 6' about 625 lbs.
Dropped scarfiers down 2" set draft control to 3 and 3PH lever down to 2.
The teeth cut easily and fill the bucket easily. Draft control helps keep BB from over filling.
The roll over BB is new to me, sounds interesting.

If you do not have a BB yet looks like now you have some good options.
I do agree with the 100lbs+ per foot as a spec for buying one. Especially if yo have thick deep rooted grass. I know the coastal bermuda takes several passes with the teeth down to finally get to the dirt.

Good luck on your project.

 

[jeff9366]

I move quite a lot of dirt in my FEL bucket around a 200 acre gated residential community, where the homes are concentrated so most of the land is woodland common with trails. Many transports are 1/4 to 1/2 mile.

WR Long's Comfort Ride FEL damper allows faster operation with full or empty bucket. With Comfort Ride you will not spill a pound of dirt, nor have a branch fall off. Improves load transport efficiency 15%- 20%.

LINK: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/390196-comfort-ride-new-product-w.html

 

[jeff9366]

Bare tractors are designed with a weight distribution of 40% front, 60% rear.

Add a Front End Loader and the weight distribution becomes 50% front, 50% rear. (+/-)

Fill the bucket and the weight moves forward, leveraged by low-forward position of a laden bucket.
Could be 60% front, 40% rear. (Tractor wheelbase affects weight distribution.)

Rear wheels may or may not lift from the ground at this moment, but they will certainly be "light" if bucket payload is wet.

Green tree trunk sections and laden pallets on pallet forks are often heavier than wet bucket loads. Weight distribution could be 70% front, 30% rear.

Light rear is a hazardous condition.

Suffecient Three Point Hitch counterbalance restores weight distribution to 40% front, 60% rear. (+/-)

 

[jeff9366]

When you decide on your tractor, loader, tires and whether or not to "load" rear tires, post the information and we will give you an idea of adequate Three Point Hitch counterbalance options.

A Box Blade weighing 120 pounds to 150 pounds per foot of width is one of the best options.

 

[wagne223]

Holy carp Jeff, how do you keep from ripping those hoses off the tractor?

 

[jeff9366]

Let me copy an e-mail to my Kubota dealer:

Hydraulic Leak

Jeff9366
Mon, Sep 17, 11:11 AM (1 day ago)

to Suwannee River Kubota

I was working in jungle this morning.

Most have snagged a hose at the lower half of the hose distribution block, on loader.

Fittings seem OK.

Slow drip-drip-drip parked. (Liquid Gold)

Fast drip-drip-dirp pressurized.

Better bring a jug of Super UDT2 when you come for it.



I have 1,200 engine hours on this Kubota. First snag, second hydraulic line issue. Really thick jungle.

 

[wagne223]

Let me copy an e-mail to my Kubota dealer:

Hydraulic Leak

Jeff9366
Mon, Sep 17, 11:11 AM (1 day ago)

to Suwannee River Kubota

I was working in jungle this morning.

Most have snagged a hose at the lower half of the hose distribution block, on loader.

Fittings seem OK.

Slow drip-drip-drip parked. (Liquid Gold)

Fast drip-drip-dirp pressurized.

Better bring a jug of Super UDT2 when you come for it.



I have 1,200 engine hours on this Kubota. First snag, second hydraulic line issue. Really thick jungle.

Yeah, that is why I asked, I operate in similar conditions a little east of you.

I have snagged quite a bit of branches. My loader hoses are tucked up close to the loader arm near the control and inside the arm beyond that.

So seeing that image of yours mostly on the outside, the first thing I thought of was you snagging them in the FL jungle.

 

[wagne223]

OP, to support what everyone else has said , I use the box blade to dig and scrape.

The BB is easier on the tractor to loosen and move material short distances.

To move material further, I use the BB to loosen and move material into a pile then use the loader to transport or load into a trailer.

To make a pile with the BB, drag and drop 8 or 10 box loads of material in a location, then in reverse, push the material into a pile.
I have made piles 10 feet wide, 5 feet tall and 20 feet long doing this. It looked like a dump truck left a few loads there.

 

[newbury]

OP, to support what everyone else has said , I use the box blade to dig and scrape.

The BB is easier on the tractor to loosen and move material short distances.

To move material further, I use the BB to loosen and move material into a pile then use the loader to transport or load into a trailer.

To make a pile with the BB, drag and drop 8 or 10 box loads of material in a location, then in reverse, push the material into a pile.
I have made piles 10 feet wide, 5 feet tall and 20 feet long doing this. It looked like a dump truck left a few loads there.

Just be careful in reverse:

Year old thread but my adult son managed to do it:
View attachment 470330

View attachment 470331

Just a kink in the blasted turnbuckle fitting.

From pushing with the Box Blade in reverse.

 

[wagne223]

Just be careful in reverse:

From pushing with the Box Blade in reverse.

Yes Sir, I have heard that the 3 ph is designed for pulling.

I dont do any heavy pushing in reverse. Only to move loose material into a pile.

It is a good reminder though to those not familiar.

 

[jeff9366]

Turnbuckle/Chain stabilizers offer support only when pulling. I mangled at set on my B3300SU, pushing a Box Blade, before I learned.

Rigid stabilizers offer "some" support pushing in reverse.

 

[orangeandgreen]

I have had good results using my tiller to make the ground fluffy, then scoop up the dirt with my front bucket.