Loader Subsoiler to help FEL digging?

[MoreCowbell]

I just started using my Kubota BX2350 to excavate for an inground swimming pool (I know it is crazy):confused2:. To make it even more challenging, the soil here in central NC is hard clay.

With a tooth bar I am able to dig, but it is real tough. I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile to get a subsoiler and use it to break up the dirt to make it easier for the loader to dig into it. Has anyone ever tried this? Thanks.

 

[Carykong]

I am thinking a boxblade with rippers in tandem with your FEL will allow you to do some serious digging in that hard NC red clay. A subsoiler with your FEL would work,too. I just think a subsoiler would be a bit slower than a boxblade for the chore you have described. Good luck. We want pictures.

 

[texasjohn]

me, digging in clay, I'd want a chisel plow.... to dig down a ways all around where you need to, then use FEL to remove the chunks....point is, you need to have the clay loosened up significantly before FEL with toothbar will work...but you knew that

 

[TripleR]

My sons use an old moldboard plow which seems to work well for them.

 

[veresjwv]

I just started using my Kubota BX2350 to excavate for an inground swimming pool (I know it is crazy):confused2:. To make it even more challenging, the soil here in central NC is hard clay.

With a tooth bar I am able to dig, but it is real tough. I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile to get a subsoiler and use it to break up the dirt to make it easier for the loader to dig into it. Has anyone ever tried this? Thanks.

Living here in the Piedmont, I have started clearing some land for a pole barn. On one side I am taking out about 3-4 feet of dirt to make a level area. I use a box blade with the teeth all the way down to rip the clay(several passes in each direction) and then the fel with tooth bar to dig. It is a great combination. Also I am in no hurry so when the digging gets real tough I wait for some rain and just before it gets real dry the digging is pretty easy. Good luck with your project

 

[radman1]

I can't imagine tackling that job with a bx2350. How deep and how big of an area? A sub soiler would work but a box blade would be my choice. You can use the box blade for many other tasks. The box blade can also be tilted to help level the bottom. Look at the rippers on the back of a road grader or dozer. Just a bigger set of box blade rippers. Box blade will also give better counter weight for your FEL. However, a subsoiler would be cheaper to buy. You are on the right track. You don't need to tear up the surface deeply. Tearing up the surface, even a few inches, will make the removal with FEL much easier.

 

[D7E]

It's very common to use a small 2-3 bottom plough for this so that skid-steers are able to dig !

 

[flusher]

I just started using my Kubota BX2350 to excavate for an inground swimming pool (I know it is crazy):confused2:. To make it even more challenging, the soil here in central NC is hard clay.

With a tooth bar I am able to dig, but it is real tough. I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile to get a subsoiler and use it to break up the dirt to make it easier for the loader to dig into it. Has anyone ever tried this? Thanks.

Before rototilling the hard soil in my backyard a few years ago, I plowed the ground with a middle buster and my Kubota B7510HST. That made the rototilling go a lot faster and lessened the wear and tear on the tiller.



The middle buster is a combo MB and subsoiler from Tractor Supply ($150 or so). Something like this might work for your project.

 

[radioman]

Its no different then diggin a pond or a swimming pool. Only difference is the final grading needs to be on undisturbed soil. When you get down to the final depth- the subsoiler is out of the question due to you need to have virgin soil that is already compacted to prevent shifting under new pool.

What other tools do you have? tiller? subsoiler? single plow? etc. I am thinking the subsoiler is the cheapest way to handle the task, with boxblade with rippers the preferable way with tiller last choice. You never know what you will encounter below the surface with tiller. Both boxblade and tiller is ideal implement to have when carrying soil out of hole for more balanced load. Beleive me, I done quite a few trips with the BX24 which is basically same as your 2350.

 

[MoreCowbell]

Thanks for all the tips everyone. I never thought of a box blade. If I can cough up the $ for one, that sounds like the way to go.

The pool will be 16'x32' with an 8' deep end. Along with all that raw digging, another challenge is the shallow to deep end slope which is 3-to-1 (about 18.5 deg.). On paper that doesn't seem too bad but we'll see what it looks like in real life.

I'll post some photos as I make progress (or if I make progress ).

 

[jinman]

Check to see if a local rental yard has a tiller. If you drop the tiller and go slowly, you can make your FEL work a dream. Till the dirt 4" to 6" deep and then remove the loose dirt with a FEL over and over until you've achieved your final grade. Daily rental rates on a tiller with a slip clutch shouldn't be too bad.

 

[skipmarcy]

It's what I bought my subsoiler for - when I was cutting into the hillside for my homesite a few years ago. I have a reddish-brown clay here and then some layers of chert rock - I hit a layer of chert and used the subsoiler in low range to break it up so the boxblade and loader both could get it out, worked great for me. Of course it stopped the tractor a few times on larger chunks of rock but my 1st gear is extremely slow and I crept along and got the job done without any damages or problems, my tires would just start to slip and I'd clutch it and raise the plow.

 

[dex3361]

I have used both a Sub Soiler and a Box Blade both were successful only the Box Blade was a bit faster because it ripped with more teeth. The box blade will be more useful after the pool as well. I think the best tool for this use would be a tiller if you had one though. We work with what we have sometimes.

 

[pat32rf]

If you have another driver I'd rent a small excavator for the day. One man on each machine will move a lot of dirt. 16X32 (Plus wall footings) does not give a lot of room to maneuver and if there is any moisture in that clay you will have trouble backing up and out with a full bucket (even with chains). Been there, done that....

 

[JIGBUILDER]

I built a small pond on the back side of my place that is about 5' deep. I started out with the intention of using the FEL.

I found out my 6' box blade with all 6 rippers as deep as they would go removed dirt/rock faster than messing with trying to move the piles of dirt with the loader.

I did use the loader to make most of the dam from the piles the box blade left.

Try them all and see what works best in your type of soil.

 

[fish6942]

If you do try the box blade don't be surprised if the BX has a hard time pulling it with the rippers down. I used a BB for my landscaping last year and many times it would just sit and spin. This was with chains all around and diff lock engaged. Of course soil conditions will make all the difference. The flip side may be that the ground is too hard and the rippers will simply drag along the top of the soil (not enough weight). I'd suggest trying the subsoiler first.

You may want to think about renting an excavator or backhoe for the digging. If you're set on using the BX to help then it can be used for relocating the piles. You'll be lucky to get 1/5 to 1/4 of a yard in the FEL so do the math and see how many trips this ends up being.

 

[foggy1111]

Depending on soil conditions, I'd vote for a tiller to loosen stuff up and then using your loader. A close second is the box blade....but you may not be able to use all the shanks at once.

 

[DiezNutz]

I just started using my Kubota BX2350 to excavate for an inground swimming pool (I know it is crazy):confused2:. To make it even more challenging, the soil here in central NC is hard clay.

I thought I was ambitious digging out the grade and foundation for my 2600sf shop with my own setup...

Hopefully a couple of things you have considered ahead of time:

* Overdig, i.e., a safe amount of. When you're rooting around in the deep end, it's going to be pretty creepy with high walls of dirt all around you. More than creepy if one decides to collapse on top of you. Headache if it collapses due to rain, etc. when you're not down in the hole.

* Backfilling, and whether your placement of spoil is conducive to it. Also, compaction of said backfill, to avoid future settling problems around the pool.

Lord help you if you hit ledge/bedrock...

This is obviously a job that's better suited to a large excavator, but hey where there's a will there's a way! :thumbsup:

 

[pitt_md]

Your machine is on the small side for soing that job. You can rent a mini excavator for a day and have every thing done by noon. Save your tractor and use the right tool.

 

[BXpanded]

I just started using my Kubota BX2350 to excavate for an inground swimming pool (I know it is crazy):confused2:. To make it even more challenging, the soil here in central NC is hard clay.

With a tooth bar I am able to dig, but it is real tough. I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile to get a subsoiler and use it to break up the dirt to make it easier for the loader to dig into it. Has anyone ever tried this? Thanks.

A turning plow works great. My guess is a subsoiler will do well too. Based on my experience, it'll take about 35 hours if you're a fairly accomplished operator and don't hit rock.
The machine will survive nicely.