Is there a Simple Field Test for Can I Drive Through That

[slowJEEP]

Hello all,

I'm going to bid on a job and it's difficulty is largely contingent on whether or not the land is traversable by my track loader. It is swampy land and could get ugly fast.

Does anyone have a rule of thumb that they use for their equipment? For example, using the depth of a foot print or penetration of a stick.

I thought about fashioning a shovel-sized tool to emulate the conical penetration test. I envision it working in the following manner:

-Place tool on suspect soil.
-Step on tool with full body weight.
-Measure penetration depth.
-If it gets to a predetermined depth, the tractor will sink/heavily rut.

Thoughts?

-Jim

 

[Citydude]

As a former heavy equipment operator myself, I think your test will suffice however only you know will how your machine reacts to soft conditions.

 

[David Devuono]

Think I have watched just about every stuck dozer Video on Utube so be sure to bring your camera Do you have a winch on the back? Is the actual work area swampy? If you do not have someway of winching yourself out, I would use a pole and probe for solid ground. Even then, if the solid ground is clay, it won't take much back and forth action to liquify it. If you have watched the russian tank retrieval videos, you should be okay.

 

[slowJEEP]

No winch but have been debating adding one. In the interim, I could use the backhoe and a cable. It's important that I avoid rutting things up the best I can since it is a habitat conservation area. I thought about keeping a bail of pine straw handy to cover up any oops's.

I gave one spot in the area a foot pressure test by hopping a little. One shoe of mine yields in the neighborhood of 3.6 psi and my loader has a nominal pressure of 5.2 psi. I'll post what I come up with.