Digging with one stabilizer

[PA452]

I'm thinking this is a bad idea, but just throwing it out there.

I have a pole building and want to put in a french drain around it on three sides. I have a BX23. I'd like to get the ditch closer to the building than I can get with the stabilizer on the building side down. I figure that leaves me with four options:

1. Dig it by hand.
2. Dig it from the side but that entails a ton of moving the machine and the ditch ends up a lot wider so it takes a lot more stone.
3. Dig with the stabilizer on the building side up and go light on the other stabilizer.
4. Dig farther from the building.

I'm in no way worried about rolling or anything in this location. I'd be swinging the boom toward the side with the stabilizer down anyway. I'm more concerned about putting too much stress on the rear axle that the tractor wasn't designed to have.

Has anyone ever done something like this? I'm probably going to end up digging it by hand or biting the bullet and making the ditch farther from the building, which will require some grading to make that work.

 

[Diggin It]

Take smaller bites to lessen the load/stress.

 

[Mendonsy]

I have seen it done a different way also, but it required a second tractor. They put the one stabilizer down then pushed down on it with the loader on the second tractor to pin it to the ground.

 

[/pine]

In the real world digging is done all the time without the stabilizers down on any and all sizes of excavators/ backhoes etc... when there is no room just take it accordingly...that is what the pros do on a daily basis...be safe...

 

[3Ts]

I've had to dig with only one stabilizer. Just take it easy, smaller bites, slower swings, everything a little slower and you'll be ok. I've even had an occasion to dig with no stabilizers down - didn't like it at all, but slow and easy made it work out. For me, digging by hand is not practical for more than a foot or two.

 

[TMGT]

Should be fine, but if you're really worried about it you could always block the bh frame on the building side.

 

[diesel85]

You'll be fine. I've dug with TLBs without using the stabilizers, especially when trenching. You just take small scoops, even if it's shovel sized scoops, it beats doing it by hand.

Only time I use stabilizers is when I full fledged digging at max power and full scoops. Or taking up hard objects like pavement, stone or concrete. Or lifting something.

 

[4570Man]

There’s a lot of bounce in the tires with no stabilizers. I dig with only one down fairly often haven’t seen any problems.

 

[sea2summit]

Why not back in at an angle so you can get both stabilizers down? Won't be able to move the spoil as far from the trench but you have a lot more stability/accuracy with your bucket.

 

[Cataclysm]

Go at an angle. Put the stabilizer down that's away from the building. Put a full load in the bucket. Engage 4x4 if you have it and set the park brake hard. Take smaller bits. Easy Peasy.

With a little experience you can just drop one stabilizer and the front bucket and dig away. Its just weight management.