Stuck for the night; need to spread gravel

RalphVa · Feb 8, 2005

I need some hints from Trafford and anyone else who have done this. I had to leave my 4010 on the trail just below the house last night. It got in one spot and kept wanting to skid off to the side of the trail in the mud. I got some rocks and mulch and managed to get it back up here today, but I'm gonna order probably a whole truckload of gravel, probably 12-13 yards, to do my trail and a little culvert crossing of a stream and a few other places maybe needing some rock reinforcement to stop washouts.

Wonder if you can give me a hint about what bucket tilt angle to start from to get it flowing out of the bucket and to move forward at a slow speed down that trail. Ideally, I'm hoping to get the gravel down smooth so that the wheels will have good gravel to run over then and not slip. I'm wondering whether I ought to put the tooth bar back on to help to scoop the gravel or leave it off. It's off now for snow moving. The toothbar would probably hinder the smooth flow of gravel out of the bucket. I do have a bucket level indicator on it.

I'll probably put the ole soil ripper back on for a little bit more weight in the back. By the way, just got some 16" disc hillers to try to convert it to a row hilling machine. Gotta get some clamps to mount the discs with their 1 1/4" shanks onto the 2x2 bars that the soil ripper stuff is on.

Ralph

JDFANATIC · Feb 8, 2005

Ralph, Ralph, we know you're a engineer, and as such feel the need to technically define things, but sometimes you just have to go by feel. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
Besides, the angle is something that will dynamically change, as the ground and other variables change. Why not attack the problem, and then post your successes and tribulations?

Egon · Feb 9, 2005

First you must determine the angle of repose for the granular material, coefficient of friction between the bucket and granular material, degree and consistency of the slope operating on and then formulate an equation that will give you your answer. Do not forget to factor in the height of the bucket of off the ground!
With a little expansion on this topic you may be able to use it as a Disertion for a Doctorial Thesis!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Or ; perhaps, an empirical solution may be in your future.

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Dutch445 · Feb 9, 2005

say

WHAT????????????????

/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

JeffSpencer · Feb 9, 2005

I normally get a bucketful of gravel, drive up to where I need to spread it, and then, while driving forward or backwards at a slow speed, shake the gravel out while the bucket is slightly angled down. You shake it out by moving the joystick for the FEL side-to-side. Then you can back drag it level.

>>>>>$0.02 worth<<<<<

keeney · Feb 10, 2005

The toothbar will make it difficult to get the very last part of the pile of stone into the bucket.

On the other hand, the toothbar can be helpful in raking the stone to a uniform thickness while back-dragging.

Don't worry so much about getting it perfect while dumping. A few back and forth passes of pushing with the bottom of the bucket and back-dragging will level it out quickly.

- Rick

RalphVa · Feb 12, 2005

I got a 19.5 ton pile of gravel delivered Friday. Spread near half of it down about 80% of my trail today. The trick wasn't so much in dumping it as learning how to fill the bucket. I actually was jumping off and using a shovel initially to do the final fill of the bucket. Then I found that by lifting it up high and tilted back, I could get the gravel into the back end of the bucket. Often takes 2 to 3 goes at it to completely fill it but beats jumping off and shovelling.

After dumping, found that a good way to even it out is to just put the bucket, in dump position, on float and back back over the gravel just dumped.

My last load for the day was on a left-side down-slope part of the trail and around a tree, slight turn right. The left rear wheel came up a bit as I raised the bucket a tad to dump it. Got the soil ripper back there for weight. Went out and bought a couple bags of dirt to put on the right side of the soil ripper for some more weight in that corner. Never had any trouble with that spot until I tried it with a full bucket.

Stalled the engine just once. Belched smoke 2 or 3 times in going forward and curling the bucket up at the same time.

Ralph

Egon · Feb 13, 2005

Ahhh - the Empirical solution! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon

trlong · Feb 14, 2005

Ralph,

Isn't that "Float" a thing of beauty when smoothing??? Only problem I had with it last fall was with ditch fill the town brought. Stones tended to just drag furrows in areas I was trying to smooth out. But for gravel....it's great.

Please do be careful on those turns and slopes...slow, bucket low, BELT ON and ROPS UP. Would miss your posts!

Tom

dmccarty · Feb 17, 2005

Ralph,

What RPMS are you running? Either you are moving into the pile to fast or your RPMS are to low. No way should you stall the engine doing this kinda work.

I have moved at least 350 tons of gravel for my driveway and this past weekend I moved what I guestimated was 30 yards of soil. Never stressed the engine.

Be careful on uneven ground with heavy weight in the bucket. You can flip that tractor quick. I have come close one or twice but I was always going slow enough to stop things before they got out of hand....

Later,
Dan