Stable on slopes with mushy ground?

[snowbound]

I have a highly sloped woodland property that is also pretty mushy, I want to do some landscaping chores (including some terracing). I have a nice TC-35D which can function in the environment, but the ground pressure is enough to get significant rutting just turning around on that part of the property.

I am under the impression that a compact tracked loader like the ASV R-30 could do most of the things we expect all the way up the hill with less ground pressure and good traction. Would that be any more stable on slopes than the CUT?

I'm not partial to the maintenance issues that might come with tracks, but if that's the easiest way to get around without tearing up the mushy hillsides then I'll think about it.

I have nothing against wheeled loaders either except I have the impression that skid steers will be tearing up the ground and not be that stable. My uncle used a skid steer for about twenty years on a similarly tilted property (although not as mushy), and he has rolled that thing a few times and has some broken bones to show for it. I, on the other hand, am not that keen on rolling over in the equipment.

I suppose articulated loaders could be a possibility but I just don't know how stable those would be or what kind of ground pressure they have. A quick trip around the internet shows that there are a lot more loader types being made now than twenty years ago. At this stage I'm just gathering information.

 

[Egon]

Snowbound:

From your description it sounds like a tracked machine outfitted with the widest pads available would be a good fit. Perhaps even think of a tracked backhoe.

You mentioned terracing. Perhaps a compromize with a rental unit rather than outright purchase may be a consideration.

Egon

 

[44trxfun]

Snowbound, my first thought is to wait until the ground is frozen, if possible. If that's not feasible, what's your terracing going to look like once the "mushiness" takes back over?Sounds like you have a drainage "problem" that will override any work you do on that ground unless you address that probelem first? I've worked for many years as a hydrologist and seen a lot of folks treat symptoms rather than underlying problems. Usually turns out the problems resurface, despite the investment. Good luck!

 

[40Kchicks]

Snowbound
My experience is with my Cat skid steer. I have the steal grouser brand tracks for it. They transform that machine into a tank. I have cleared blackberry thickets in really steep areas. When I say steep I mean that the only thing keeping me in my seat was the seat belt. I have also used it for logging after a storm took down a bunch of trees on the property. Since the weight is all in the back you can drive down a very steep bank and back right up it. I have done some work sideways that was really scary, but knock on wood, it hasn’t tipped yet. The tracks make the machine more stable and mud is not an issue with them on. They do tear things up and track mud on the driveway but if you ever get a skid steer and intend to use it in mud during the winter just buy them when you buy the machine. I usually put them on with the first rains and take them off when things dry up here in the northwest (late July /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif).

I have looked at the ASV and CAT track loaders. They have really low ground pressure. I once asked the CAT salesman what the price difference was and if I remember right it was about $7500 more for the same size machine in track version. I have a friend that used one on his place and he was impressed with how much smoother they were to drive than a standard skid steer. I can believe that. My skid steer drives smoother with my tracks on. I can be more aggressive with the controls with them on also because it won’t buck around as easily.

In general I highly recommend skid steers and even better the tracked versions but the track vehicles are a fairly new thing and will be expensive. Since you already have a nice tractor you may be better off hiring this specific job out or renting a dozer if you can’t stand watching someone else have all that fun. You would probably be money ahead.

Eric

 

[snowbound]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Since you already have a nice tractor you may be better off hiring this specific job out or renting a dozer if you can’t stand watching someone else have all that fun. You would probably be money ahead. )</font>

I think for any stuff which requires a big machine we might contract it out. But at the moment there's a bunch of light landscaping maintenance stuff that needs doing and I think that will always be the case. My wife wants to plant gardens up there where it's the same old Northeastern story - an old farm woodlot which was most recently used for timber (a long time ago) is now an impassable thicket of volunteer raspberries.

 

[snowbound]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Snowbound, my first thought is to wait until the ground is frozen, if possible.)</font>

I'm guessing the ground will be frozen for about two weeks in February if the past two years are a guide.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( If that's not feasible, what's your terracing going to look like once the "mushiness" takes back over?)</font>

Hopefully the terraces will drain the water _across_ the hill to natural streams that are already there. I think the idea I have of the use of terraces, aside from we can put patios and gardens there, is that the water will slow down, and slide over to the streams instead of draining down the whole property.

So the terracing might still be pretty wet and mushy but it might dry out for a little more of the summer.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Sounds like you have a drainage "problem" that will override any work you do on that ground unless you address that probelem first? I've worked for many years as a hydrologist and seen a lot of folks treat symptoms rather than underlying problems. Usually turns out the problems resurface, despite the investment. Good luck! )</font>

You're right about the "problem" but I think we would like to try little interventions to start and see what happens. Laying a bunch of drain pipe up there isn't going to be that much fun, and a little bit of contour terracing might help a good deal. I suppose it depends on whether we can tilt the terracing towards the existing streams effectively or not. It's pretty irregular so I don't think we'll know until we try it.

 

[Chechnya]

One thing i hate about my companies new holland ls170, is the grouser tracks. We have the tracks on the skid steer the paddles would knock the back tires off the rim and would have to wait a few hours to get someone out to fix it. Not to mention another 30 taking the heavy tracks on and off. Now that the job is mostly concrete we have the tracks in storage.

 

[40Kchicks]

Chechnya

I have those grouser tracks. You can see them in the attachment to my previous post. I have never had that problem. I’ve been running them for three years now in mud, concrete, and manure piles. They work great. Are you sure that your air pressure and tension were OK?

Eric

 

[RobertN]

I have used four loaders now.
Bobcat S185 Turbo skidsteer
Bobcat 463 skidsteer
Cat 247 track loader
ASV RC30 track loader.

I WANT an RC30! It was awesome! It handled wet conditions really well. With the tracks an torsion suspension, it had low ground pressure, tons of traction, and a really smooth ride. The size fits my needs perfect. The only thing I did have an issue with, was having to build a ramp so I could load an 8yard dump. The RC30 wouldn't clear the sides of the truck. The Cat247, used a month later, did easily reach over the 8 yard dump truck.

The Cat worked really well. It is just bigger than I want. I was really impressed with its performance, and traction in wet condidtions where I know I would have got the Bobcat skidsteer of similar size stuck really good like.

The S185 Bobcat really is a sweet machine. Without the advantage of Grousers, which are available, it would just tore stuff up and got stuck where I used the RC30 and Cat-247. I've used the S185 in dry to lightly damp condidtions; it kicked hind tail! I used a hi-flow trencher with it last summer; it was awesome!.

The Bobcat 463 worked great where I had to access through a 36" gate. But, it would not work well in wet conditions,, imho, based on my limited expierience.