BX-24 in the woods with the BH

   / BX-24 in the woods with the BH #1  

ayelvington

Gold Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2008
Messages
437
Location
Russell, PA
Tractor
BX24
My neighbor has asked for my help with some drainage issues between our properties, and the fast way would be to use the backhoe to make clean-shallow ditches. My concern is that my baby has a tendency to sink to China when I have the backhoe on and I'm working on soft ground. I plan to have the RTV900 out there with the winch just in case...

I've gotten a lot of experience using the tractor in the woods, but this just makes me nervous. The FEL is only good if I can work at right angles to the intended ditch, so that is useless.

Any suggestions, horror stories, or amusing photos to enlighten me?
 
   / BX-24 in the woods with the BH #2  
Don't fear...do. Get a couple 2 x 12's and see what happens. If it's that soft, then it sounds like improving the drainage is a pretty good idea.

Tough to go wrong with a 'spare' machine to help dig you out...just don't get TOO stuck before you try and pull with the winch. And connect to the frame, not the axle or grill guard or something "soft" if you do get to pullin'

GOOD LUCK!
 
   / BX-24 in the woods with the BH #3  
Go for it!

If you get stuck, don't panic. I've never gotten my BX so stuck I couldn't use the BH and FEL to "crawl out". An inch at a time.

If you just want really shallow swales, get a box blade. Perfect for that sort of thing.

Hopefully you are not using turf tires...
 
   / BX-24 in the woods with the BH
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Go for it!

If you get stuck, don't panic. I've never gotten my BX so stuck I couldn't use the BH and FEL to "crawl out". An inch at a time.

If you just want really shallow swales, get a box blade. Perfect for that sort of thing.

Hopefully you are not using turf tires...

I have been that stuck, and I'm good at pushing with the FEL and and pulling/swinging with the BH. The rains this last summer drowned an area that I was used to going through without difficulty. Baby sunk to her frame, the FEL just made sucking noises, and the BH bucket just sank when I tried to knuckle the back end around. Neighbor came over with his tractor and pulled me out by attaching to the fully extended BH bucket. I haven't been able to get any machinery into that area since!

I have the cross-link tires which are at least better than the turf tires. We were planning on using my box grader first as the easiest solution to opening up a path. It's a good counter-weight for the FEL if all else fails.

Part of the reason for this effort is to try and access that mud hole from the other side to open up a drain path to the stream. I have half my orchard under water right now, and an order of new trees arriving in April.

I'll take pictures. If it's not informative, it'll at least be a giggle.
 
   / BX-24 in the woods with the BH #5  
Hold off 'till a dryer season. One corner of my property stays wet most of the year (yes, I buried my 24 by being in there the wrong time of year). I find summer, when all the trees/vegetation are sucking up the water to be best...
 
   / BX-24 in the woods with the BH #6  
Hold off 'till a dryer season. One corner of my property stays wet most of the year (yes, I buried my 24 by being in there the wrong time of year). I find summer, when all the trees/vegetation are sucking up the water to be best...

I second this... especially if you've gotten the snow and rain that we've recently had. You'll do more damage than good trying to dig a swale in saturated earth.

Mike
 
   / BX-24 in the woods with the BH #7  
Go for it!

If you get stuck, don't panic. I've never gotten my BX so stuck I couldn't use the BH and FEL to "crawl out". An inch at a time.

I sure have! Gooey clay based bottomless mud, nothing to push against with the BH and FEL...not fun and wasted several tiring hours getting it out.

I don't know whats in the mud but everytime I bring some home on the tractor the dogs eat it.....dangest thing to see, dogs licking my tractor clean. I actually have to put it away muddy sometimes because I'm concerned they'll eat too much and get sick..
 
   / BX-24 in the woods with the BH #8  
scrap logs will help. use it as a platform. you definately need skid plate. Plan on having chains to wrap on trees and put on bucket and use curl to pull your way out when crabbing doesnt work. frozen ground is best for driving on, butnot for diggin:rolleyes: so I'd wait till summer like others said.
 
   / BX-24 in the woods with the BH #9  
Plant a few weeping willow trees out there. When the tree is growing, one large weeping willow tree can use up 400 gallons of water a day. This solved more than one wet area for my neighbors. Just make sure that there are no septic systems anywhere near where you plant the trees. They grow like weeds and require no care. If you want, you can cut the lower hanging branches so air will flow under the tree, eliminating insects.
 
   / BX-24 in the woods with the BH
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Yes to skid plate and fan guard. They went on the first month that I had "Rex".

This work is a deal with the devil. I fully appreciate waiting until summer to do the digging, but the spring runoff will keep me from planting trees due to be delivered in April.

I'm going out on New Years Eve with a neighbor to work on his side of the fenceline to try and direct his runoff away. His ground is more solid, and we figure we can learn from his side for starters.

I really wish I had some National Guard friends that wanted to practice with det-cord. That stuff would give me enough of a drainage path FAST (and a tad loud).

I have a LOT of chain, and my RTV-900 has 50' of winch line in front. I sense an adventure in the making...
 

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