How does a EFL work for grading and yard work???

[cmb1998]

I am in the process of building a house and have some extensive landscapping I want to do. My lot is 3.5 acres and completly flat, lots of mature tree's, with plenty of room to work. I want to move some dirt around, mow the feild, build a small pond (maybe 2 ft deep, 10ft diameter), and do lots of grading.

I have been comtemplating purchasing a tractor but not sure how well what I am looking at will work. I have been looking at a TC30 with front loader. How well does an EFL on a smaller tractor like this work for moving dirt around and doing some grading? I rented a JD 110 awhile back it worked really well, but it was a much larger tractor...

The soil is soft and I am not talking about a lot of digging, just scraping the top 12 inches of soil off in a few areas.

Anyone with expereince would be great!

Thanks,

Chris

 

[LBrown59]

Should work fine.

 

[CHDinCT]

Any of the smaller tractors with a front end loader (FEL) will work fine for moving dirt around especially with four wheel drive. Smaller tractors will just take smaller bites of soil. I assume you're talking about moving piles of dumped soil and the like. If you're looking to dig, a toothbar helps a lot when using a FEL, but a backhoe works a lot better.

Four wheel drive helps by increasing traction as you push into the pile and when transporting the load as the tractor's center of gravity will move further forward of the rear wheels thus reducing your traction at the rear wheels. Appropriate ballast on the three point hitch is really important in a small tractor that does not weigh as much as the full size utility tractors.

 

[timswi]

You should be fine. As stated, a toothbar will make that much faster. It won't dig like a skid loader, but you're not paying labor either. Pile moving is a snap, ground leveling of existing land may be a little slow.

 

[Charlesaf3]

FEL is great. But you might find a box blade equally useful

 

[LBrown59]

Any of the smaller tractors with a front end loader (FEL) will work fine for moving dirt around especially with four wheel drive. Smaller tractors will just take smaller bites of soil. I assume you're talking about moving piles of dumped soil and the like. If you're looking to dig, a toothbar helps a lot when using a FEL,
1*but a backhoe works a lot better.

Four wheel drive helps by increasing traction as you push into the pile and when transporting the load as the tractor's center of gravity will move further forward of the rear wheels thus reducing your traction at the rear wheels. Appropriate ballast on the three point hitch is really important in a small tractor that does not weigh as much as the full size utility tractors.

You should be fine. As stated, a toothbar will make that much faster. It won't dig like a skid loader, but you're not paying labor either. Pile moving is a snap, ground leveling of existing land may be a little slow.

1*Another thing that works really great is a tiller.

 

[mswlogo]

For finish grading I can't imagine using a FEL. I rented a power rake which is an incredible gadget and will do it better and faster than a FEL will.

YouTube - Power Raking 101

 

[dodge man]

For moving the dirt around and digging, the FEL works great. For getting a yard really smooth, not that great. I agree, a power rake works great, but they are expensive, and I don't think I could rent one around here. I box blade might work O.K. to smooth things out. Using a tiller to break the dirt up and then back dragging with the FEL might work O.K. also. I have seen people talking about the Ratchet Rake. This might imporve the FEL and help smooth things out when back dragging, but I'm not sure. A landscape rake also is good for smoothing things out. I would say the power rake is the hot ticket for getting a yard ready to seed all things being equal.

 

[fire72]

I second the suggestion about the box scraper. Another implement to consider is your basic back scraper blade. After I had all the piles of soil moved, the back blade was by far the easiest way to get my final grade. It's relatively light and doesn't tend to dig in like a box scraper can. It's also one of the least expensive implements, and comes in handy in the winter for snow plowing.

Other options to consider are back dragging with the FEL or using a landscape rake. The rake is a great tool for getting rocks and roots out of the yard, but is less useful in the long term as the back blade. Your house, your money, your decision. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[bake321]

Be very carefull. I just replaced a hydraulic cylinder on my loader. Snapped a piston rod in two doing a little dirt work.

Bake

 

[LBrown59]

Using a tiller to break the dirt up and then back dragging with the FEL might work O.K. also

I use
Tiller
Fel
Front blade
Pull behing drag towed with a chain

 

[rexcramer]

Be very carefull. I just replaced a hydraulic cylinder on my loader. Snapped a piston rod in two doing a little dirt work.

Bake

How on Earth did you manage to do that? A rod should NEVER break unless that implement is being used improperly

 

[mjncad]

The loader will do just fine for what you want to do, as I've moved an estimated 100+ tons of rock and dirt at my place and a couple of neighbors. I can easily move 24-tons of rock in an afternoon.

Back dragging with a FEL is an acquired skill and I have a back blade that I spin the blade around 180-degrees and remove the pin controlling tilt to let it float. For me that works pretty good.

I'd like a box-blade; but pallet forks are higher on my wish list.

 

[flusher]

I am in the process of building a house and have some extensive landscapping I want to do. My lot is 3.5 acres and completly flat, lots of mature tree's, with plenty of room to work. I want to move some dirt around, mow the feild, build a small pond (maybe 2 ft deep, 10ft diameter), and do lots of grading.

I have been comtemplating purchasing a tractor but not sure how well what I am looking at will work. I have been looking at a TC30 with front loader. How well does an EFL on a smaller tractor like this work for moving dirt around and doing some grading? I rented a JD 110 awhile back it worked really well, but it was a much larger tractor...

The soil is soft and I am not talking about a lot of digging, just scraping the top 12 inches of soil off in a few areas.

Anyone with expereince would be great!

Thanks,

Chris

My first tractor was a new 2005 Kubota B7510HST with the LA302 FEL (4 ft bucket, 800 lb lift). I used the FEL and a 4-ft box blade to excavate for paver block sidewalks and a 20x20 ft patio.

I added about 300 lb of weight to the box blade to get it to work better.

For landscaping, I plowed the ground with a middle buster

followed by tilling with a 4-ft Yanmar RS-1200 rototiller that I bought used for $300 from my local grey market tractor dealer

I used my Huskee riding mower to smooth and roll the lawn areas. Seeded with a 40" wide drop seeder behind the riding mower.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I second the TC 30 size tractor and then add a box blade and you will get a lot of work done. Make sure you get good tires, and fill them. For dirt work I like R1's but R4's will also work, just not as good. Home made drags like the type shown, old fence with rail road ties, or even a old set of box springs works great for finishing it off.

Chris

 

[whistlepig]

For working dirt the FEL is the best choice. One with a tooth bar is even better. It takes a while to learn to use a FEL well. I have rented Bobcats with a FEL several times over the years but never was that good with them. I bought a tractor with a FEL two years ago. Once you get the hang of them they are like a third hand. I don't think can get the precision out of a box blade that someone good with a FEL can do.

 

[LBrown59]

For working dirt the FEL is the best choice. One with a tooth bar is even better. It takes a while to learn to use a FEL well. I have rented Bobcats with a FEL several times over the years but never was that good with them. I bought a tractor with a FEL two years ago. Once you get the hang of them they are like a third hand. I don't think can get the precision out of a box blade that someone good with a FEL can do.

I say Fel over BB any day.

 

[LD1]

A FEL is definatally a good tool for dirtwork, but it does have downfalls as do just about everything. There are many tools for dirtwork and grading and there is not a one tool that fits all needs.

FEL is good for major work and "roughing in" an area, but they are difficuit to finish with. It does not matter wether going forward and using the cutting edge or backdragging, if the ground isn't perfectally level, due to the long wheelbase of tractors, you'll find yourself cutting in on one side or the other where you don't want to. And then on the next pass, when your tires drop in where you gouged last time, will create another, and its never ending. At least this is my experience.

Perfectally flat or tilled soil might not have this problem, but rolling/uneaven ground is difficult to get a finished grade with a FEL.

Box-blades are nice for moving a lot of material and filling in the low spots, to get a good level finish. But they are expensive.

A straight rear blade is very inexpensive, as already mentioned. And they have their place too. I find them very usefull on slopes and along ditches or any instance where I want to move all the dirt to one side or the other, and not pull it all to one end, as a boxblade will do, as they cannot be angled.

Not to mention how much better a straight blade is for moving snow.

 

[Ken45101]

A landscape rake with guide wheels is the best I've found for doing a nice finish. I picked mine up years ago when I was redoing 5+ acres. One of the best purchases I've made. Salesman commented that I could use it and probably resell it for what I had in it. I don't know, I'm not selling it

It doesn't get used a whole lot of hours because it does the job very quickly.

I've never been able to do a nice finish with a FEL. As someone above commented, it's an acquired skill (that I haven't acquired). But it also depends on the type of soil and the condition it's in.

I also have a box blade. To me, it's useful for rough grading, the landscape rake does the nice finish, however.

 

[santacruzer]

If I were going to build house on 3 plus acres I would have an FEL and a box blade as well.... just to start with. Once you learn how to work the BB (i'm still learning...but I'm better each time) you can work wonders at leveling etc. small amounts of soil to JUST where you want it.

The FEL has saved a lot of time and backs!

Paul