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Advice -Use my tractor or have bulldozer do it

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Woodie
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 109 Michigan lower
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2007-06-11          142884


I have an area roughly 120 by 80 that i want to convert to garden space. Problem is it has a slight'' gulley'' running thru the middle of it. Bottom of gulley is about 2-3 feet by about30-40 wide What i'd like to do is lower the far end by filling in the "gulley area" plus raise the near end to 'level' out the area a bit. I've thought of tilling up the area and pushing off the top soil and then till and move the lower clay sand around to level and then put the top dirt back(along with some amendemnts i.e. manure etc.). Should I attempt this with my TC 33 w/FEL or just have a bulldozer come in for a "day" and be done with it? Appreciate any insights and advice.



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Advice -Use my tractor or have bulldozer do it

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bvance
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 280 The Great Pacific NorthWet, Olympia, WA
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2007-06-12          142890


A box blade with ripper teeth you can lower would do this job nicely. It would take a day but heck it's seat time isn't it :)

If you would never use a box blade again, it might be best just to hire it done. A 5 foot box blade will cost you about $400-500. A darned handy implement to have around though!

Using your FEL for this is not a good idea. You can't do a very good job keeping it level and it just isn't meant for digging, especially packed soil.

Brian ....


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Advice -Use my tractor or have bulldozer do it

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2007-06-12          142893


Woodie; Bvance is right, get a box blade and do it yourself. Most dozer guys around here now charge from the time they leave home with the dozer on the lowboy till they get the job done, reload the dozer and get back to their shop. That makes a small job like yours real pricey, you are paying him more for transport time than actual work done at the site. I have no quarel with their form of billing, have you priced a dozer, lowboy and a semi lately? You are correct in your plan to strip off the topsoil, move the clay around to the profile you want then replace the topsoil. Anytime you disturb the soil in a major way it will take a cou[ple years for it to settle and become as productive as you would like, but it will happen. Best of luck. Frank. ....


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Advice -Use my tractor or have bulldozer do it

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2007-06-12          142898


May I ask what is going to prevent it washing again? ....


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Advice -Use my tractor or have bulldozer do it

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wr5evk8jj
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 61 Haymarket, VA
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2007-06-12          142899


bvance has the thought similar to mine: seat time is close to therapy.

I did my own dirt work for an area slighlty bigger than the area that you describe using a Case DX24E (the red version of the TZ24DA) and a 48 inch box blade. Before starting though, I had the rear hyrdraulic remote kit installed. Having control of the box blade's cutting blade pitch means all the difference as to what you are doing; cutting, or letting it skim across with the captured dirt spilling out. In the really compacted stuff, I might have made a pass or two with the scarifier teeth down. Most of the work was with the teeth up.

It took me 4-5 weeks on a very part time basis during some evenings and on the weekends. But, it got done. The kids have had a great almost level area to play thier ball sports on without the balls taking off downhill to the neighbors.

Plus, the box blade is one of the best counterweights that I can think of to quickly install when using the FEL.

There are a couple of pictures showing the box blade in my pics (1,18,19). ....


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Advice -Use my tractor or have bulldozer do it

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2007-06-12          142907


KT has a point (and it's not necessarily on his head this time)---what will prevent washing out again?

The 33D will do it no problem with a 6' box blade which is waht I use for commerical fine grading. It will take about a day. Use scarifiers and that will cut your time in half. Also, run with the scraifiers all the way down and crisscross rows which will really loosen it up quciker than going in one direction.

You might want to rent a medium to large skid steer which will get it done in about an hour. ....


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Advice -Use my tractor or have bulldozer do it

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Woodie
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 109 Michigan lower
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2007-06-12          142910


KT and Earth-
There is no washing in the "gulley" -its the best I can descibe the terrain and what i have in mind of doing. Hmmm box blade . think I can rent one? or could I use a york/landscape rake? The 'CFO' has determined no more 'toys' or start emptying the barn of the other "tools/toys''--. Seat time of a "day" problably be two for me time i get the hang of moving and spreading dirt over that area .
Thank You all who have responded. ....


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Advice -Use my tractor or have bulldozer do it

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bvance
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 280 The Great Pacific NorthWet, Olympia, WA
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2007-06-13          142915


Woodie,

You could probaby rent a box blade for not much for a day.

I also have a landscape rake and it might work if the soil was sandy. If it is hardpack at all it will not cut into the soil enough to move much dirt. My landscape rake will move some soil if it is already loosened by my box blade but you just don't have enough control over where you want to place the dirt. If it works at all, it would take some time and you would likely never be happy with a smooth, even finish that a box blade will give you.

Good Luck,
Brian ....


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