Knocking dirt down?

[Zerk]

I got a lot of mounds in the woods,if there wasn't so many I would think they are indian mounds. Lots of mounds around 12-18" high. Mingn country I have wondered if mining test rills, or just weird stuff left by glaciers.

What is the best way to flatten these for a trail? One of the biggest dissappoints was how hard it was to move settled dirt. Practice has helped, different angles of FEL. Wondering maybe need some teeth for the FEL. Have to be removable because I sue it for snow removal.

I am thinking one of my first purchases will be back blade or box blade. For rough work an knocking stuff down, would box blade be better?

For rough work should I practice more with the FEL, get teeth, or is an attachment better? Thanks.


I always thought a brush hog woud be my first purchase.


New Holland 2120 diesel 4wd.

 

[4570Man]

Some teeth will work wonders. A back blade is nearly worthless. A box blade would help. I prefer to use a box blade for knocking stuff down, but since the BB isn't usually on the tractor and I'm lazy I use the FEL. Some ballast will also work wonders.

 

[Rustywreck]

Could it be old, decayed tree stumps from past logging? My property is much the same as you describe: looks like the surface of a golf ball.
I think a box blade would be better than a back blade. I have a back blade, which is of little help.

 

[Looking4new]

The very first thing I did with mine was move 105 tons of gravel. Two weeks later I put some teeth on the bucket. Night and day difference in loader work now. Get some teeth.

 

[4570Man]

The very first thing I did with mine was move 105 tons of gravel. Two weeks later I put some teeth on the bucket. Night and day difference in loader work now. Get some teeth.

I don't think teeth make much difference for loose dirt or gravels. For digging hard packed dirt like in the OPs case teeth make a huge difference.

 

[jeff9366]

Tractors are fundamentally engineered to PULL. Heavy draft force loads should be applied to the rear of the tractor, through the Three Point Hitch, not the FEL.

A Box Blade is what you want. Like all ground contact implements, Box Blades are dependent on weight for cutting force. To be effective Box Blades should weight a minimum of 100 pounds per foot of width; 125 pounds per foot is better.

There is a pin adjustment, on the stirrups at the lower ends of the right and left Lifting Rods, which raise and lower the Lower Links of the Three Point Hitch. If the pins are set in the lower holes, as opposed to the default upper holes, it allows implements to settle 3" to 4" lower. Changing the default setting to the lower holes often helps Box Blades cut, especially when pulling down mounds, where front of tractor is down, raising rear of tractor and rear mounted implements.

A Rollover Box Blade, which has rippers built in, is preferable if you do not have rear hydraulics. A Hydraulink Top Link is useful with a Box Blade, in lieu of a standard Top Link.

LINK: Google


Also consider a Field Cultivator (AKA: All Purpose Plow) for deeper penetration but slower earth moving ability. A Field Cultivator requires less power to pull than a Box Blade. Filed Cultivators are versatile implements. No need for a Hydraulink Top Link.

VIDEO: How to Use a Ripper / Field Cultivator - Gardening Series - YouTube

 

[oosik]

I have teeth on my FEL bucket and it DEFINITELY helps "digging into" mounds of dirt. The teeth don't seem to affect snow removal - just remember that they are there. The teeth on my bucket are a more or less permanent attachment.

A box blade or roll over box blade would be my choice to attack the mounds with a 3-point implement. Scarifier teeth on the box blade would be a big help also.

Using a rear blade is going to be almost useless - it will tend to simply ride over any mound and will take repeated passes to get anything accomplished.

 

[Zerk]

Could it be old, decayed tree stumps from past logging? My property is much the same as you describe: looks like the surface of a golf ball.
I think a box blade would be better than a back blade. I have a back blade, which is of little help.

The mounds are a few feet wide. Though some may have been virgin timber 100 some years ago.

Looks like box blade and teeth are it. Thanks everyone.

 

[DeutzFahr85]

Id leave the tractor at home and rent a tracked skid steer. You will be a pro in no time and make short work of it. Then have plenty of time for a beer at the end of the day.

 

[rd_macgregor]

A woodland with none of these mounds is usually a re-grown (old) field. The mounds (actually pits and mounds) accumulate in the woods over many decades as trees die and rot or topple and rot.
A complication in trying to level these for a trail is (well, can be!) remaining tree roots (eg from trees alongside your intended path)...this is the voice of experience.

 

[oosik]

Around here we also have mounds. Here we call them bunns. The bunns were created by the ancient out washing of glacial Lk Missoula. I live on the very northern part of this area and its called the Channeled Scablands. The bunns vary from the size of a car to many hundreds of acres. I have many car sized bunns on my property. I've flattened two and at the core of the bunn is the stump of an ancient tree. Both of the stumps were Cedar trees. Those who know, say it was over 25,000 year ago that Cedar trees grew in this area.

Anyhow - the roll over box blade is the ideal implement for flattening your bunns. :laughing: :laughing:

 

[Gary Fowler]

I would also recommend a box blade for this. Lower the scarifies to rip thru any roots etc that may be in the mounds and loosen up the dirt that you can then drag into the back side of the mound to fill in the depression. I would say these mounds are likely left over from blown down oaks or similar trees that have a large root pack. After the roots rot out, the dirt that is left would leave a mound with the back side a depression. I see some of them in the adjoining property to me that has not been touched in many, many years. OLD trees die, get replaced with younger ones, that is the cycle of life in the forest. Given enough time, mother nature will fill in that hole.

 

[joefromga]

Could be Indian burial ground.

 

[joefromga]

Around here we also have mounds. Here we call them bunns. The bunns were created by the ancient out washing of glacial Lk Missoula. I live on the very northern part of this area and its called the Channeled Scablands. The bunns vary from the size of a car to many hundreds of acres. I have many car sized bunns on my property. I've flattened two and at the core of the bunn is the stump of an ancient tree. Both of the stumps were Cedar trees. Those who know, say it was over 25,000 year ago that Cedar trees grew in this area.

Anyhow - the roll over box blade is the ideal implement for flattening your bunns. :laughing: :laughing:

Maybe one of these attached to your 3pt would flatten those bunns.

 

[Zerk]

Until a few days ago, I didn't realize what a box blade could do. I though it was just a big scoop.

Can also use th scarifiers to tear land up for food plot.

 

[s219]

I have mounds on my property and I am pretty sure they are slash piles from logging long ago. Can also see skidder trails here and there.

 

[Zerk]

I am in a big logging area. Area was built on logging and mining.

 

[KiwiBro]

Dozer hired for a weekend

 

[Jim Timber]

I have some lumps and dips and can tell you with certainty that if they're close together, it's the evidence of a blown-down tree root ball being heaved from the earth.

MN and I'm sure much of WI is glacial waste. Technical term is Drumlin Field, but the fact remains we're the poop the glaciers left behind. Poop is usually lumpy. Don't blame the Indians.

 

[Zerk]

I am not going to rent anything, for a few reasons. This is at my camp, nearest town that might have rental is 45 miles. I could probably find someone to hire it out. But since I already have a trail system this would be more screwing around here and there. Fix spots, additions. I think it will be a bit of extend the trail, work on clearing, extend trail more. I see this going on for awhile.

I do realize there is a proper tool for the job, I did spend alot of money on the tractor, and if I could invest in attachements that would do the job I would rather do that.

I have thought about buying a used dozer someday, sell it when done. But I never sell anything. Plus I only have 40 acres. There us already some wide trails that I have drove truck on, and a few 4wheeler trails. I am going to spend my time on the main truck trail on filling in some muddy spots.

The back perimeter is still pretty wild, buts up to national forest, I would like a trail back there, that is the area with the most mounds. It is marked for logging, I have thought about talking to the loggers when it is finally awarded, and work out a deal.


This is mostly just screwing around and learning how to build trails and use my tractor. Started out cutting trails with cutters and lopers, on my hands and knees at times. Now 4wd drive tractor. All to walk the dogs and hunt deer.