First Big Project for RK24 Backhoe - It's a Winner

[Diggin It]

Funny thing about Locust roots is that they don't really rot out even after the tree is long dead and gone. The ones I dug up were tough and rubbery like wet twine. Tree had been gone nearly 20 years.

Might be doing a trench for a neighbor. Not sure yet.

 

[RTBee]

I'm learning too. I put about 7 hours on the hour meter. Since I can only reach about 6 ft with my bucket and I was digging 2 foot deep, I was only able to move backward about 3 foot each time. Not a complaint, just takes more time than a bigger machine like yours. But time is something I have nowadays. Being retired gives me 6 Saturdays and one Sunday every week. I would guess you'll move faster since you won't be trying to control the slope of the ditch. Plus you have a couple feet more depth ability and twice the digging force of the RK24. What kind of soil are you digging in down there?

Yes! I love being retired as well. My problem at the moment is living in Indiana and our retirement property is in Ohio. So I still only get weekends and then usually only every other weekend. Oh well, we'll get moved out there soon then nothing but fun. Yeah, I don't have to worry about slope with the waterline. I just use the labeling on the side of the backhoe as a gauge with the bucket sitting flat on the bottom. Once I know where my mark is (in my case 3 ft), I just dig down to that then move and dig some more. Bottom is really consistent. Our frost line is about 24", but I'd rather go a little deeper. Soil is mostly top soil to clay. Almost no rocks where I'm digging now and thru the field, no roots yet.

 

[OhioCowboy]

Here's the almost finished project after backfilling. I have to reseed next Spring.

 

[RTBee]

Really nice job! A real testament to what you can accomplish with that tractor. I hope my project ends up looking as good. My problem right now is being able to get out there to do it. Crazy month. Anyways, 2 thumbs up! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[OhioCowboy]

Thanks. I've got one more 400' line to put in now. Plus about 4 springs that have popped up this year and need draining off. I'm with you. I have enough things to do to keep me out of trouble besides drainage work. Barn, work shop, basement, cars, 100 trees to plant, clean up the trails through the woods, firewood cutting etc etc. And then I have the wifes To-Do list. :laughing:

 

[TheProCut]

finished product looks great

 

[OhioCowboy]

Thanks. Got our first rain since installed and it took 5-10 minutes for the water to reach the front ditch from the pond. Had some anxious minutes waiting. Never know if a coupling pulled apart or a big rock crushed the pipe during backfilling. I was very careful backfilling, but I can tell you from my past experiences , s__t happens to me regularly. Backfilled my 220 electric line to the house and was very careful with filling in around the cable and 5 years later one of the 2 hot lines went dead. Probably from a piece of shale slicing through due to frost heaving. Had to rerun the entire 400' again.

 

[TheProCut]

I often find myself falling victim to Murphy's law as well

 

[4570Man]

Here's the almost finished project after backfilling. I have to reseed next Spring.
View attachment 576301

That looks pretty good. What implement did you use for the finish grade? Did you allow time for it to settle before the final grade?

 

[OhioCowboy]

Thanks, I used the FEL to back-fill the first foot with loose soil that settled around the pipe. Then I used the landscape rake to crumble and roll the next layer in until the grass started showing through the spoil dirt I had thrown to that side. Luckily my NH TC33's tractor tires are just wide enough that they don't drop into the ditch and crush the pipe, so I was able to compact the soil in the ditch by driving over it each time I mounded loose soil in the ditch. And as a final grade I used the land plane which scraped the compacted spoil and loose soil off the grass. Then spread a layer of topsoil that I had set aside for that purpose. In a previous life i had a trenching and drainage company (dowwnspout lines, gas, water, electric lines) where I had to clean up lawns after every job to please the homeowners. My plan for this job originally was to use the tiller to pulverize the soil to make back-filling easier, but this method worked and was quicker. As usual it actually took longer to back-fill than to dig the ditch and lay the pipe.