Front-End Loader Digging techniques with FEL

[sailorman]

B2320, 48 " bucket, no tooth bar. I would be digging in fairly soft top soil ( no rocks ) with clay under it at about 6 " no deeper than a light drainage ditch maybe 8 ". Is this possible and what would be a good method ? How deep can a person dig with a FEL ?

 

[tommu56]

B2320, 48 " bucket, no tooth bar. I would be digging in fairly soft top soil ( no rocks ) with clay under it at about 6 " no deeper than a light drainage ditch maybe 8 ". Is this possible and what would be a good method ? How deep can a person dig with a FEL ?

Ive dug over 4' deep but you have to drive in to the ditch at one end that is one wide ditch unless you need it that big.

A tooth bar will help speed up any dig from my experience.
A middle buster would help too.

tom

 

[Diamondpilot]

I would look at something other than a FEL for digging. Its a loader not a digger. I have dug with mine but its not easy. I have since use my 2 bottom plow taking 1 bottom off and can now dig a ditch 100' long in 2 minutes or so. No comparison.

Chris

 

[sixgun]

How about using a rear blade? I haven't tried, but I wonder if I have enough angle adjustment in the lower arms to gouge out a 12" deep trough. I'm going to be building a coop in the spring and I'll need to bury some animal fencing below grade in some boney gravel a bit to keep out predators.

 

[sailorman]

Ive dug over 4' deep but you have to drive in to the ditch at one end that is one wide ditch unless you need it that big.

A tooth bar will help speed up any dig from my experience.
A middle buster would help too.

tom

actually I was thinking about diggin' from the side of ditch like parallel to ditch

 

[sailorman]

I would look at something other than a FEL for digging. Its a loader not a digger. I have dug with mine but its not easy. I have since use my 2 bottom plow taking 1 bottom off and can now dig a ditch 100' long in 2 minutes or so. No comparison.

Chris

Yep, I 'm just tryin' to get away with usin' one of the 2 implements I own the other bein' a bush hog.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Yep, I 'm just tryin' to get away with usin' one of the 2 implements I own the other bein' a bush hog.

Give it a try. If not one of the cheapest most useful implements you can own is a middle buster. You can get them at TSC for around $125. Or even borrow something. May I ask what you are trying to do????

Chris

 

[sailorman]

Give it a try. If not one of the cheapest most useful implements you can own is a middle buster. You can get them at TSC for around $125. Or even borrow something. May I ask what you are trying to do????

Chris

Tasks to start. Need to cut some light drainage ditches along side my road drive, some additional ditches for better drainage of property, clean out some existing ditches, and maybe some cuts across road for culverts where I think they might help. Big project is I gotta cut a narrow opening through the levee of my oxidation pond to run sewer line from septic to pond. Levee is about 4 ' high. Sure wish I could have afforded backhoe.

 

[oldnslo]

Sure wish I could have afforded backhoe.

Mexican backhoe is a number 2 shovel

 

[ragkar]

Another member suggests wiggling the cutting edge of the fel while driving forwards. That is, move the joystick forward and backwards just a little bit. Do not try ramming the dirt. That will cause damage to the bucket and ram cylinders.

 

[sailorman]

Mexican backhoe is a number 2 shovel

But, but at my age I would need the Mexican to go with the shovel

 

[Egon]

Ah heck: go dig what you want to dig. That's what equipment is for!

See a little Kubota almost buried but still going!

 

[magicheater]

I have done a lot of digging with a FEL. What I use is my Loader Buddy. Its solid tines break up hard packed dirt. I have created swales by driving backwards pulling the bucket with the tines down and rolled all the way forward. This action loosens and breaks up the soil, easy then to drive forward and remove the loose material and continue to the depth you desire.
Having the tines located between the loader arms saves on tweaking your loader when snagging something with them.

 

[carpenter383]

Ah heck: go dig what you want to dig. That's what equipment is for!

See a little Kubota almost buried but still going!

Now that's the kind of pics I like to see!

 

[sailorman]

Ah heck: go dig what you want to dig. That's what equipment is for!

See a little Kubota almost buried but still going!

Kinda weird its still goin' with no driver

 

[sailorman]

Looks like I 'm just gonna have to pony up saved money for another emplement. Short of a backhoe any suggestions ? Middle buster or blade might do most of what I need but will not work to cut narrow line through 4 ' high oxidation pond levee due to tractor width. Will be sometime before I can even squeeze out 500 bucks. Small retirement check ya know.

 

[sailorman]

What I use is my Loader Buddy.

Loader buddy ?

 

[Big Bri]

Loader buddy ?

i'll second that? whats a loader buddy?

 

[dex3361]

I have done a lot of digging with a FEL. What I use is my Loader Buddy. Its solid tines break up hard packed dirt. I have created swales by driving backwards pulling the bucket with the tines down and rolled all the way forward. This action loosens and breaks up the soil, easy then to drive forward and remove the loose material and continue to the depth you desire.
Having the tines located between the loader arms saves on tweaking your loader when snagging something with them.

I must have missed something. What is a "loader buddy"?

 

[Diamondpilot]

To be honest I would look for a local farmer with a Backhoe. Have all your jobs lined out and everything out of his way and he can knock out these jobs quick. Just have him do the digging then you can clean up things with your FEL. This time of the year they are slow and he will probably do it for a small fee.

Perfect example is I had a concrete slab here about 20x20 I wanted out. I though I could rent a jack hammer then move the large pieces with my FEL. Yea, right. It had wire mesh in it. I nearly killed myself with the jack hammer. Must be a art to those things. After a full day of work I had spent $75 on the rental and had gotten no where. I asked around and found a farmer to come take it out and haul it away for $150 cash. He showed up driving his BH and 10 minutes later his son came by with a Dump Trailer. They were done in 30 minutes. While he was there he also dug a hole for a tree I needed to plant and took out a stump that would have taken me and my 48 HP tractor 1/2 a day to cut and pull out.

What I am saying is yes you can do it but what is your time worth? Also figure ware and tare on your machine and this is not the right tool for the job.

Chris