cheapo ways to move dirt

[zmjc]

Hey all,

This forum taught me how to move big stones on a near-zero budget (answer: a stone sling), so now I have to ask: what's the cleverest way to move dirt?

I have a 38HP tractor with backhoe and FEL, but I need to move some dirt a couple hundred feet (along dirt trails) to build a new minimalist trail. I could just use the FEL, but that will take forever.

I have a quality 4x8 car trailer, which might speed things up, but it isn't a dump trailer

I could use the backhoe to fill a cheapish dump cart.

Or do people use stone-boat-type arrangement to drag piles o' dirt?

A neighbour isn't keen on me using his property to access mine in the future, so I have to build a new trail, parallel to his, shifted 70 ft over, and maybe 200ft long...

It's not clear what depth of fill I need, until I really examine the ground...

 

[IndyIan]

My plan is to use my 4x6.5 north trails atv trailer with a front stand. I'd load the trailer up with 2 scoops and then have a ball on a draw bar on the 2 lift arms and just pick up the trailer and go slow enough not to bounce it off.
Then I drop the trailer and pick up the front end with the loader to dump. I'll have to see how hard this is on the trailer coupler but its a 3500lb rated one on a 3x3 bar on a 1500lb loaded trailer so I think it shouldn't mind some abuse. Maybe a good way would be to put a ball on the top of the loader bucket so I'm not mangling the coupler with the bucket edge?

For a serious amount of dirt or distance, look into renting a dump trailer.

 

[Redneck in training]

I am using a box blade or a rake. Needless to say it is not too effective either. Even when rippers are used. It is easier on the tractor than FEL digging. I am planning to purchase a disc harrow (that I need anyway) and first disc the ground and then using both FEL and box blade to move loosened dirt.

If the distance is greater and the material has to be transported I would put a ball hitch on the 3 point and then use it as a lift to assist dumping the trailer. In fact that is what I am sometimes doing. I have a ball hitch on my box blade so I don't need to remove it when pulling the trailer.

 

[zmjc]

If the distance is greater and the material has to be transported I would put a ball hitch on the 3 point and then use it as a lift to assist dumping the trailer.

Thanks, that could be a useful technique, as long as I don't break the trailer...

 

[studor]

I bought a ditching bucket for fifteen dollars at an auction -- I fill the FEL bucket and the ditching bucket then off I go. I tried all the trailer tricks outlined, and in the end discovered a neighbour with a dump truck and track loader:thumbsup: It is much cheaper and easier to pay him when I have drt to move in large quantity

 

[deepNdirt]

This subject has been brought up before, and I think most have concluded in short of having a dump trailer or dump truck, that using a Dirt scoop in combination with a FEL can provide as much as double the amount of dirt to be moved in one trip, in the simplest way, a 38 hp tractor will most likely have a 5 or 6 ft FEL bucket, not sure of the actual yard conversion and a dirt scoop comes in many sizes, heck they don't really look that difficult to build so I suppose one could build it what ever size they wanted, or what the tractor is capable to lift,

Edited: come to think of it.. wouldn't the bucket from the backhoe be about equal

 

[MarkV]

Do you need fill because of a wet area or because grade drops off? If it has to do with slope then I would dig the high side and fill the low with your backhoe.

MarkV

 

[Renze]

I have a 38HP tractor with FEL...
I have a quality 4x8 car trailer,...

Say that in one breath, and it sounds like you have a dump trailer

I'm just not sure what you mean by "quality trailer"... does that mean you're afraid to scratch it with a chain when flipping it up, or does it mean it can take a beating ?

 

[SandburRanch]

If you could borrow, beg, or rent one of these that matches your tractor horse power it just doesn't get much better for moving dirt efficiently. They are a drag box blade with trailing wheels and the depth of cut is adjusted with hydraulics raising or lowering the wheels. There have been a lot of farm ponds built with them and at one time it was common for road building contractors to hire a local farmer with a tractor and 10 ft. earth mover like this. They can go by an assortment of names such as Speed Mover, Econo Mover etc.

 

[LBrown59]

~~~ I hauled 35 loads of dirt on my 2.33 acres in this pick up with a load handler in it so I didn't have to shovel any dirt out of the bed.
A load handler is the next best thing to a dump truck.
I drove a total of 5 miles doing this.

I loaded my pick up with my BX23.