What can you do with a Pond Scoop?

[Dargo]

...they were popular for excavating new ponds.

That'd have to be one mighty small pond! When I dug my pond I ended up moving a total of just over 20,000 cubic yards of dirt. The 3 pt hitch scoop I have will move, maybe, 1/10th of a yard. When I built my pond, I moved my dirt an average distance of about 300 ft. So, I would have had to make around 200,000 trips. Estimating that it would take 5 minutes to make a round trip, that would have taken me 166,667 hours, which is 694 days solid without no stops. Being that I only worked on weekends; about 10 hours a day, it would have actually taken me 8333 days, or roughly 23 years to do the job if I had no equipment failure or rainy days where I couldn't work. Of course, that does not count any time at all to spread and level all that dirt I moved. And, as I gained some depth, it would take considerably more than 5 minutes for a round trip. By the time I factor time in for that, I'd likely be dead before I finished. Now, this is only for a 1 acre pond as well, not some huge lake. Based on these calculations and real life time, I'd think I'd call mine a dirt scoop.

 

[Slamfire]

I use mine a lot in driveway maintainence. I've a lot of clay that keep migrating downhill. Places where I turn the water out of the drive, tend to fill up with silt that washes from the ditches on the low side of the drive. Depending on the amount of rain we get, 70/year average, I have to do this every quarter or so.
I back into the turn out, lower the scoop, and drive forward to fill it. Carry the dirt to the worst washout and dump it. Then lower the scoop again and back up to spread the pile and grade. One thing I've found is when the scoop is really full you can't trip with the scoop in the air, but lower it, trip the latch then raise the scoop, is easy as pie. Reverse the tractor and the scoop pivots closed.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

That'd have to be one mighty small pond! When I dug my pond I ended up moving a total of just over 20,000 cubic yards of dirt. The 3 pt hitch scoop I have will move, maybe, 1/10th of a yard. When I built my pond, I moved my dirt an average distance of about 300 ft. So, I would have had to make around 200,000 trips. Estimating that it would take 5 minutes to make a round trip, that would have taken me 166,667 hours, which is 694 days solid without no stops. Being that I only worked on weekends; about 10 hours a day, it would have actually taken me 8333 days, or roughly 23 years to do the job if I had no equipment failure or rainy days where I couldn't work. Of course, that does not count any time at all to spread and level all that dirt I moved. And, as I gained some depth, it would take considerably more than 5 minutes for a round trip. By the time I factor time in for that, I'd likely be dead before I finished. Now, this is only for a 1 acre pond as well, not some huge lake. Based on these calculations and real life time, I'd think I'd call mine a dirt scoop.

When dad built his 2 acre pond (approx.) , not every cubic inch of the pond basin had to be dug out. It was built in a natural swale where water drained down from hills above. He loosened the dirt on the banks of that swale with a 2-bottom plow, then used a rear blade to drag what dirt he could, FINALLY using the pond scoop to carry enough dirt to finish the dam. That dam only needed to close off one end of the swale. That was about 100 feet long across the top, and maybe 15' tall. It wasn't the Hoover Dam.... Not a billion cubic yards.....No 23 year project. With the shape of the swale, the location of the dam, and the over-all lay of the land, he ended up with 2 acres of water, a great deal of it 15' to 20' deep. The relatively steep banks meant water was 4' to 5' deep with-in a couple feet of the waters edge. It caught and held quite a bit of water. It took a while to build, but it didn't cost much to do it his way. The pond is still there. I fished it 3 weeks ago. (Caught a few nice bluegill!)

The old Dearborn "POND SCOOP" was more than enough for the task at hand.

No, I wouldn't want to dig an entire pond basin out of a pool table flat piece of ground with one.

 

[Dargo]

FWJ, if you notice the times on the posts, I was running my calculator and posting at the same time as you, not in response to you. However, I am more of a calculating, Mythbuster, type of guy. Not to argue, but I'll stick with my calculations for what I stated it would have taken to dig my pond with a dirt scoop. A decent sized excavator and dump truck makes digging a pond much easier.

Happy 4th!!

 

[Farmwithjunk]

FWJ, if you notice the times on the posts, I was running my calculator and posting at the same time as you, not in response to you. However, I am more of a calculating, Mythbuster, type of guy. Not to argue, but I'll stick with my calculations for what I stated it would have taken to dig my pond with a dirt scoop. A decent sized excavator and dump truck makes digging a pond much easier.

Happy 4th!!

I'm not questioning how long it would have taken to dig your pond. Never seen it, never will most likely. Mostly, I was commenting on how long it took and with what equipment my dad built his pond. There weren't a lot of excavators around in 1959. And dad wouldn't have cared if there were. That was a different time. Money left in the pocket meant more than time spent/saved.

Also, I'm trying to relate how a pond scoop would be used in conjunction with other tools to build a pond. (ie rear blade, natural landscape, ect)

No, I don't question much of what you have to say regarding any topics. You're in that rare BTDT class who seems to actually base their comments and opinions on reality. That is in short supply at times.

 

[Dargo]

I'm not questioning how long it would have taken to dig your pond. Never seen it, never will most likely.

Well, you're welcome anytime. Bring a pole and a six pack. I don't mind chatting and debating at all. And, I don't even mind when I'm proven wrong (see post on where I was looking for a small tiller ) because that means I learned something! About all I know for sure is that I don't know it all. Actually, my kids are at the age where they don't think I know anything. But I recall the time I didn't think my dad knew anything either...I missed on that one too!

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Well, you're welcome anytime. Bring a pole and a six pack. I don't mind chatting and debating at all. And, I don't even mind when I'm proven wrong (see post on where I was looking for a small tiller ) because that means I learned something! About all I know for sure is that I don't know it all. Actually, my kids are at the age where they don't think I know anything. But I recall the time I didn't think my dad knew anything either...I missed on that one too!

Dad used to have a favorite saying. "It's not what you know that counts, It's what you DON'T know". Took a while but that finally soaked in (coincidentally, about the time my kids started talking....)

The greatest pleasure I've had in recent years was seeing my son have to deal with a teen-ager of his own. What comes around goes around

Jonathon thought I was a dummy. And then I had the great honor of being there when my granson Jake said to his dad, "Run Forrest, RUN"! . And all I could do was laugh

 

[DonWorrell]

Dad used to have a favorite saying. "It's not what you know that counts, It's what you DON'T know". Took a while but that finally soaked in (coincidentally, about the time my kids started talking....)

The greatest pleasure I've had in recent years was seeing my son have to deal with a teen-ager of his own. What comes around goes around

Jonathon thought I was a dummy. And then I had the great honor of being there when my granson Jake said to his dad, "Run Forrest, RUN"! . And all I could do was laugh

Farmwithjunk,

You absolutely made my day. In my line of work I must work almost all holidays. This morning is July 4th I am at work. Nothing to demanding at this moment so I thought I would check out TractorsbyNet. I read you last post and laughed my butt off. I can just see the kid telling his Dad "Run Forrest Run". Mine never told it to me but I know he thought it a number of times.

Thanks for making my day more enjoyable.

Don

 

[MJPetersen]

One thing I've found is when the scoop is really full you can't trip with the scoop in the air, but lower it, trip the latch then raise the scoop, is easy as pie

Slam fire, I can trip mine even when it is heaped up and overflowing. Although it is a little more difficult. The trick is that the trip lever does not drop very far over center. I built my dirt scoop and when I pondered the trip mechanism I realized that if I allowed it to travel as far as it could it would be very hard to retrieve under load. I set it so that the trip is just over center in the latched position, but placing a block under the handle. I will get a picture and show you. Probably not tonight it is raining and the tractor is at church. With a roller and the balanced trip you can dump under full load.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/98421-dirt-scoop-3-pt-first.html?highlight=dirt+scoop

Mike

PS I do have a picture of what I did in the link given above. You can see the round stock that I used for a stop.

 

[Pooh_Bear]

The greatest pleasure I've had in recent years was seeing my son have to deal with a teen-ager of his own. What comes around goes around

About the time you find out your Dad was right
you have a son that thinks you are wrong.

Pooh Bear