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Digging into side of hill with a loader

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G Walls
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2000-03-20          13974

Thinking of getting a Loader if I can use it to excavate into side of about 6 pct slope hill to level a spot for a barn foundation. Would I be better off hiring a back or track hoe to dig or can I work from lower level into side of hill. Up hill depth would be estimated at 6 to 8 ft finished. Is a loader a good enough implement to dig?

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Digging into side of hill with a loader

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JJT
Join Date: Jun 1999
Posts: 93 Upstate NY, USA
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2000-03-20          13978

How big of a barn? How big of a loader? If you have less than 200 yards of material to move you should be able to move it with a fair sized compact. I've moved 100 yards of material in a day with a Kubota L3710, (.666 yard bucket on the front, and a similar sized box scraper on the rear). You can move a lot more if you are digging in sand, a lot less if you hit big stones). Heck they built the pyramids with out a tractor..... For the serious jobs I hire an excavator with big equipment, a mid sized dozer would push out your barn site in a few hours, but then you wouldn't get to have any fun! ....

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Digging into side of hill with a loader

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MichaelSnyder
Join Date: Jun 1999
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2000-03-20          13979

G.Walls,
Short of hitting solid rock, the answer is "yesbut". Naturally there's "but".
You didn't mention the size of your compact, nor the amount of time at your disposal for such a project. Like so many have said here before, a compact will do basically anything a larger unit can do...but it'll take longer to do the same task. With that said, you need to determine how much extra time you have on your hands. Secondly, what are you planning to do with the dirt? If you need a Dump truck or tri-axle for hauling....your compact might come up short...no pun intended. Personnally I would bring someone in with a dozer and/or excavator. They may be finished in a day or so. All said and done...it may not cost much more if any than what you would spend in fuel, wear/tear on your compact...not to mention YOUR time...including your schedule for completion of your structure... :) ....

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Digging into side of hill with a loader

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Ken
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2000-03-20          13983

G Walls,I have used a 770 and a 4300 to do that task.I had a ballest box and loaded tires.It takes time and if you run into big rocks it can take longer.
Ken ....

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Digging into side of hill with a loader

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lsheaffer
Join Date: Jun 1999
Posts: 1082 Northern Illinois
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2000-03-20          13989

You might want to consider getting a toothbar for your loader. It makes digging packed dirt a lot easier & they are reasonable priced. ....

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Digging into side of hill with a loader

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G Walls
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2000-03-20          13991

Sounds Like my NH 1720 would be up to the task. I want to excavate out a 40 by 60 ft level pad Transit says I would need to dig out to approx 5 to 6 ft on high side. Will be digging in clay loam sub strate with no rocks noted.
Intend to spread fill out with pan on low areas of acreage within 1000 ft.

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Roger L.
Join Date: Jun 1999
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2000-03-21          13995

Of course your tractor will do it. It won't hurt it at all. I did a similar excavation 40 feet long and 15 feet wide into a hillside. One end was about two feet deep on the back wall, and I ended up at about a seven foot tall cut at the other end. Along the way I ran into rocks, roots, and hardpacked clay. The rocks and clay required a tooth bar - I second Len's suggestion that you get a clip-op tooth bar for the loader. Great invention, and cheap. For the big roots I finally got smart (?) and used a "sacrificial" bar and chain on my chain saw. Which means I cut right into the dirt with it. The longest part of the job turned out to be transporting the dirt somewhere. I moved all of mine less than 100 feet. You may have to build dirt ramps to get to various parts of the job site. I had to do this and the space was confined...which farther slowed things down. Backing down these ramps adds time to moving the dirt as well. I can't imagine carrying dirt 1000 feet even over level ground (is there really any such thing as level ground?)
You might as well do it yourself for two reasons: One is that it is major fun to build a big tractor project all by yourself with a compact....and the other one is that doing so is the best way to avoid ever doing something so dumb again. Next time you will hire it done. Trust me on this. But do it yourself at least once in your life.
A tool that was a lot of help to me was a pocket level...the kind that you back off a ways and then sight through. For sixty or a hundred bucks it gives you level lines and a bubble superimposed over a view of the ground plus some mild magnification.
I was able to spend most of my days nonstop on this project. Handwork on the roots and large stones did slow things down....as did a few days to fabricate a decent tooth bar. The tractor did all of the work without stress and with no wear that I can find. It took about three weeks of nearly fulltime work.
With yours being roughly 4 times the size of my building pad....and with you having easier soil but farther to carry it....if you get on it right now I figure you ought to be able to get this pad built by the early to middle part of Summer. Might as well get started!
Roger L.


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Digging into side of hill with a loader

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DanaT
Join Date: Jun 1999
Posts: 138 Clay Center,Ks
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2000-03-21          13998

Last fall I dug a basement addition for my house. It put 15HRS on my tach but I also had to haul the dirt away to another place (which I used my truck & dump trailer for that task) That took about another 15HRS, 100 yards away to get rid of it. Since it was next to the house footings, if I hired it done it would for cost me $800 for a excavater.I did buy some loader teeth from Lenard Shaffer for that task and was well worth it. The basement size is 20'x20'x9'deep plus over dig,my 755 did a good job. ....

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lsheaffer
Join Date: Jun 1999
Posts: 1082 Northern Illinois
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2000-03-21          14001

Since I had a satisfied toothbar owner reply to this post, I'll post a little info about the toothbar. Bolts into bucket with 2 bolts. 4'bar has 6 teeth. 5' has 7 teeth.Teeth are replaceable. Prices starting at $185 for 36". Custom made to width & thickness of bucket. UPS shippable. For more info. contact me at sheaftractor@coiinc.com or 815-284-3226.
....

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Chris
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2000-03-21          14002

Where can you get a bolt-on toothbar at? ....

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Digging into side of hill with a loader

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Bruce Pirger
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2000-03-21          14007

One year ago I was asking this group about building a 1000' roadway through
the woods...Should I try to do this with a tractor with loader or pay the dozer guy to come in and build the road. Well, I went with the dozer fellow...and 13 hours later we had cut in a 1000' roadway, totally through the woods (I had felled the trees, leaving a 4-5' stump for easier stump removal). 13 hours with his "little" JD 350 dozer. He was initially suggesting we rent something bigger to get it done in a day...we expected to hit more shale, but were lucky. $50/hour or $650 total. Dozer work done. I was amazed with how easy it was for him. This including cutting a "switchback" across a good slope (I would have been scared if I was on the dozer for the first few passes with the slope) and moving a big hill for direct town road access. He also pushed out about 20-25 stumps (ranging from 4" to 14") from the building site for the cabin, still empty today :(. The same fellow brought in 40 loads of "creek gravel" for a road base (6 wheel dump truck). (The gravel was $1600 plus another few hundred for drainage work, leveling, etc.) My point in all this is to let you know how quick the work can be done with the "proper" tool. I agree, I missed out on a whole lot of fun with this, and no doubt I plan to do everything else on my site. But I'm very happy I paid the $650 and had it done...Roger gives a great description of his building experience, and estimates the time quite accurately I bet. I'd think a dozer could push out your clearing in short time...Before work this morning I drove up to my building site and watched the sun peeking through the clouds...I suspect if I had started last spring on this road building project, I just might have been a bit lower on the hillside this morning! If you start with your compact, remember it is always possible to call the excavator in later to finish. Although I'm not sure which is more damaging to your pride... :) Let us know what you decide and how it goes, ESPECIALLY if you work with the compact. Bruce ....

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Digging into side of hill with a loader

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JeffM
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2000-03-21          14019

Roger, this was one of your best posts yet, and you've had some good ones in the past! I'm still laughing about it. Very accurate and sound advice!
Jeff ....

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Digging into side of hill with a loader

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RCH
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2000-03-21          14025

An important consideration on any long term earth- moving project is what happens if it rains like hell or for an extended time. I watched a neighbor get bogged down trying to build a pond with small equipment. It seemed that the good wheather coincided with his day job! ....

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Digging into side of hill with a loader

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Steve Hansen
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2000-03-22          14038

See if you can locate an independent operator with a good sized back hoe and dump truck. He can dig the dirt out with the back hoe, load it in the truck with the loader, and haul it to the location of your choice (or just off). If you have your stuff together he can dig any necessary footings or utility trenches while he is on site. This is not a big job for a man with the right rig. m2c ....

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