What to get for major earthmoving

[NHDave]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( It would sure be nice to see a picture of the proposed road area. )</font>

Here is a picture of the existing driveway (17% grade) up the front. The state requires that the first 20' be level, and then put in a couple switchbacks to lower the slope to 12%. All the trees in this picture will be taken out to allow for sitework. The steep parts are on both sides of the driveway.

 

[NHDave]

Here is a profile shot showing the start of the slope that has to be cut away and the remainder left at a 1:2 grade.

 

[NHDave]

Here is a shot of the backside of the hill. Most of the trees to the left of the center sandy portion will be removed for the road. I'm hoping that since it's a sort of ridge, I can come at it from the side and have fewer issues with slopes while using the machinery.

 

[NHDave]

Here is a profile shot of the backside slope. It's a bit steeper than the frontside. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[NHDave]

Here is a high resolution section of the survey plot I have for putting in the driveway. Notice the original driveway faintly in the background, to give you a sense of scale. There's a lot of regrading of slope indicated, too.

 

[NHDave]

Finally, here is a topo map made from an aerial scan of the property. The driveway indicated is more or less as the existing driveway appears. That 470' peak (about 30' above the road) is the main source of all the fill that's got to move.

 

[Egon]

Think I would consider a small cat to do a few days rough pioneering work to get a rough trail and then work out what you wish to do from there. You can move a lot of dirt if you are pushing downhill.

Also consider drainage and runoff.

Egon

 

[Trail_Time]

Nice Pics. IMO - you need to get a track loader. A wheeled tractor is just not up to this task. In your yearly formula, it appears you did not take the frozen winter ground into consideration. You best bet is to spend the entire budget on the largest track loader you can find. Complete all the rough work, no matter how long it takes and sell it at the end. You should easily be able to recover a minimum of 75-80% of the purchase price. Then buy yourself a nice tractor for the finish work. You will have a clean new ride and the grading will have cost about $10k +/- Just remember if you are new to this, take it slow. Small buckets at first. Keep the bucket as low as possible, especially on hills. Enjoy and good luck!

 

[NHDave]

Egon,

I'm looking into renting a sampler of machines to see how they do; there's a steel track dozer on the list. I don't think I want to consider a rubber track machine with the number of stumps and rocks I'm going to be driving over and turning on.

The survey I have is four pages of details including drainage calculations. It even lists where to place the hay bales to prevent erosion during construction.

Everyone, thanks for the advice! I've got plenty of good ideas on how to proceed. I've got a guy coming in the next week or two to take the trees, and then the surveyor will be staking the entrance, which I've hired someone else to do (I'm not bonded for tearing up a state road).

-Dave

 

[Egon]

I would not even consider a rubber tracked machine. Just a good dozer to get a trail in and go from there.

Sounds like you are far ahead of all of us on the planing stage.

Happy dirt moving! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon

 

[MadReferee]

NHDave,

That looks like property on Center Road in Lyndeborough just at the top of the hill coming up from Milford and Fitch's dairy farm. Right?

 

[NHDave]

MadReferee,

Yes it is. Either you live in the area, or you're psychic.

It's right next to a 10 acre piece of land that's on the market. I thought about buying that plot, but it's cheaper to put in the driveway. Property values have really skyrocketed since I bought my piece.

-Dave

 

[MadReferee]

Keep going up the road another 1/4 mile and where the left turn to go to Wilton is, turn right instead and go into my driveway. I have all the frontage and 10+ acres.

Paid $14K for 10+ acres in 1977 and could have bought the adjoining 14 acres for another $20K but passed as I had no more money. Land now is going for $20K+ per acre around here.

I have lived there since 1978 and I always thought there was a house up that driveway. Drainage there is a problem and that grate in the middle of the driveway does nothing. I am sure you already know that.

BTW, I will take a thousand or so yards of your dirt if you are giving it away.

 

[johnno]

Get some what good on a dozer yourself then rent a D8R from TQuip equipment up near you in NH. In a month you should be able to move the earth. The rental would be about $18,000 but the machine is more than capable, also, they will come and fix it if it breaks down. This way it would be done in a month and you wouldn't have to own an old D6 that keeps breaking down or something. This is also a lot cheaper then the contractor at 120K. Just get familiar with a dozer so in the month you make good use of the dozer. Thats just my 2 cents, but definatly the quickest way. If you buy something old you will probablly find yourself working on it more then running it.

 

[Highbeam]

Funny plans, they put slope arrows pointing uphill. Backwards from here in the NW. The land looks nice and the project less intimidating when you see it on paper. After the logging is done and stumps pulled, I would really consider scratching in a pioneer road to see what you're dealing with. 12% isn't too steep.

In my experience, when the vegetation is cleared things look way easier. Even might be wise to have a contractor come bid the earthwork at that time since he will be able to picture getting done real quickly and cheaply.

 

[Yardster]

Pick up a decent used back hoe and bull dozer. You can get both for the same price as a nice CUT and then you can sell them the next year for exactly what you paid for them. You can easily get both machines for less than $30K.