Backhoe Making rocky terrain into a road, looking for thoughts on ways to do it better, etc.

[SilverState]

I'm an owner of a large lot in Nevada that's never seen anything more than a horse hoof. The raw terrain looks like this:



I have an L2501 with a loader up front and a BH77 in the back. I've been tackling the problem like this:

• Rip up the soil and dig down a couple of feet across a 10' wide swath. I move big rocks to the side of the would-be road.
• I hop out and grab any rocks that are toaster sized to fist sized. Basically anything that doesn't require "proper lift technique" but that's bigger than a "small rock". I throw them all to the side.
• I flip the tractor around and back drag with the front loader.
• Any big rocks stuck up I throw out by hand.
• I back up again on the new batch of road, trying to stop down as much of the new dirt as I can with the back tractor wheels.

Here's a shot mid stream. Still digging, but I think I was near the point of throwing the smaller-than-the-backhoe-can-get-them sized rocks.



I'm making about ten feet per hour, with a pathway about 10-12 feet wide. So on a big day I can make about 80 feet, and here's about what my progress looks like:





So just wondering what people are thinking. It's a $1,000 delivery charge each way to bring in something like a mini x. I'm planning on level the best I can then having type 2 road base dropped off which I will spread with the fel and back dragging.

 

[airbiscuit]

So, how long will the road be?

What will you be doing on the land - building a home, camping, etc.?

Might it be easier to hire a contractor with a bulldozer?

 

[SilverState]

I'm at ~115, and guessing another 300 feet to go. So a solid week's worth of work based on my current schedule. I don't mind doing it; I throw my earbuds in with a podcast and throw my hearing protection over that. There's just not a lot of people around here to do that work or places to rent equipment.

Building a home is the intention.

 

[airbiscuit]

Nice job so far. Now to find a way to sell that rock piled on in the sides.

 

[SilverState]

Nice job so far. Now to find a way to sell that rock piled on in the sides.

I'll sell it for $1 a ton, buyer pays shipping :laughing:

 

[airbiscuit]

You could pile it up and make a pondless waterfall.

 

[SilverState]

That's a neat idea, never thought of doing something like that.

 

[Johnkn]

Can you get a rock bucket to sift through that stuff?

 

[SilverState]

Can you get a rock bucket to sift through that stuff?

I actually had day dreams of taking my second backhoe bucket and drilling 1" swiss cheese style holes in it. So I could dig in hard with the back hoe but let the sand and silt fall out. I have a feeling the steel is a bit hard on the bucket. It's hard to "dig" into the material with the loader bucket.

 

[4570Man]

I don’t imagine you’d sort much with only 1” holes. Maybe if you could cut a rock bucket down to 3’ or so you’d have better luck with one.