Victory from the jaws of defeat

[rScotty]

Grandad4 and DiezNutz....Thanks for the jh suggestion guys. That third slab of shale will be dealt with just that. I went back to it today and tried to find a seam again, even tried the splitting wedges again but after about 20 minutes it obviously is in my best interests to get some type of hammer. Bill

You originally asked if there were "tricks". There are.
Always use the small bucket for opening difficult ground. And either sharpen the teeth or replace them with special teeth for the purpose. Although I haven't tried them yet - no need here, there are a large variety of specialized ripping teeth from the Case dealer and others. Some are even carbide and serrated. Not difficult to change and cheap compared to BH repairs.
It's all about reducing the surface area of the penetrating tooth. Think of trying to cut with a dull knife versus a sharp one. .....
rScotty.