12" Backhoe vs clay in a small pond project.

[cdaigle430]

Anyone have any ideas, trying to build a small pond under the willow tree but hit a snag. The soil is primarily clay which is good for pond, bad for Backhoe. Every scoop I get fills the bucket and I have to stop and chisel it out which is time consuming and lots of work. At this point it is faster to use a shovel . Tried adding a wire inside that should pull the clay out every time I extend the buck but it eather slices through like butter or brakes the wire.

 

[Fawken]

On mine when I'm digging similar stuff in our wet clay, I push the bucket down hard on top of what is already dumped. The mud sticks to the pile and comes out fairly clean. This problem is worse when I use the 8" bucket. I will say that I have gotten a lot better at doing muddy digs over the last 3-4 years.

 

[GLyford]

This has come up before. Lots of ideas here:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/customization/262979-solution-clay-packed-twelve-12-a.html

 

[cdaigle430]

Wow, a design patended in 1971.

 

[EddieWalker]

Can you add more water to the clay? If it's really dry, or really wet, it slides right out of the bucket. If it's got just a little moisture, it either slowly builds up until it's full, or it just sticks to the side walls of the bucket until you knock it out.

They are special clay digging buckets that do not have much of a side to them. I don't know if they make them that small, but they are fairly common for 24 inch backhoe buckets on up to excavator sized buckets. You don't get quite as much dirt in them, but you also never have to stop to clean the bucket anymore, which means more time actually digging!!!

Eddie

 

[cdaigle430]

Thanks everyone-
Got lucky as my neighbor had some escavator work done and I paid him 150 bucks to dig a 5 deep by 30 foot long by 20 foot wide pond. It was all clay My 12" bucket would have taken 4 days to dig it out even if it wasnt clay.

 

[boggen]

www.koiphen.com = lots and lots of DIY pond builds. i am going to assume a liner pond with noted dimensions. if you were going with pure mud pond. i would think of something larger and deeper. more so if it will be holding fish in it.

if going with a liner pond. highly advise a bottom drain/s, there is some cost involved but so worth it long term. and you will never look back.

as far as backhoe bucket. "holes" or rather 1 or 2 holes drilled into bucket. to remove "suction stuck mud in the bucket"

i want to say another website Pond Boss Magazine: Welcome ?? something pond in it that deals with clay / fish / game ponds more.

regardless of above. STOP what you are doing. and go over to www.koiphen.com and startup a thread in "pond and construction forum" and read over various stickies that are listed there. and go through some other folks pond build threads there, it will take some time reading and asking questions, but over all knowledge will save you more time and money long run.

a suggestion when posting on koiphen.com is to include some pictures of what you are planing / wanting. and folks will help steer ya in this or that direction that hopefully fits ya best.