STRIPPING TOP SOIL

[jjcc246]

I'm stripping top soil for a 28' x 32' garage i'm building. I'm using my TC-30 with a FEL. What i'm doing right now is curling the bucket all the way back and cutting and dragging the soil. I'm getting a lot of "skip" on the bucket making the ground uneven and going over it several times to try and smooth it out, thus taking a very long time. Anybody out there have a better way of doing it without hiring someone with a dozer? I'm doing a floating concrete slab and I want to get it on solid ground to lessen the chance of heving and craking. Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[brad_oatley]

Go forward.

 

[fire72]

I ran into the same problem stripping topsoil from another part of my property to help the grass around the house. The solution that worked for me was to do the stripping with my box scraper first and shove it into a pile, then use the bucket to scoop it out of the pile for transport. I had a lot easier time keeping the grade consistent and not digging into clay once I stopped trying to do it all with the loader. Worked for me; give it a shot and see how it works for you.

 

[aardvark]

What I've been doing is to tilt the bucket forward slightly so the lip digs a couple inches, and then I drive forward real slow, and control the bucket depth and pitch depending on how the tractor is moving. To smooth/level out after I've dug, I did what you are doing, tilt the bucket forward so the bottom is just less than vertical, and then drag backwards with the lip just slightly above the ground. This was just to push around loose piles and ridges. Then I packed it down by back dragging with the bucket tilted just forward of level and driving backwards. I put down pressure on the bucket while doing this. This worked pretty well for me to level off an area I'm working on, but I wasn't removing all the top soil, just spreading it around to flatten out the area.

 

[RichNJKubota]

It's tough stripping topsoil with our relatively smaller machines. But going forward is alot faster than going backward. If it were me I'd try a boxblade (I don't have one but heard it works better than the FEL for this application) or better yet get someone with a dozer and it'll be done in 30 minutes.

Rich

 

[PineRidge]

I think the boxblade is the best tool to use for your job.

 

[DK35vince]

Rototill the topsoil first.
I recently put in my 600' driveway and park area this way and it was by far the easiest way I've tryed .
Tilled the topsoil to full depth, made removal very easy, no ripping and tearing trying to cut the topsoil loose, the tilled soil was very easy to work with when used in other areas after removal.
The untilled soil underneath is smooth from the tiller, very little extra leveling was needed.

 

[JJT]

Your best bet is to hire this out. The hills and valleys you are creating will make a poor base for the concrete slab. More than likely the valleys will contain loose dirt that is not compacted. If you are going to do it, make sure you rake out all the loose dirt, (you'll probably need more concrete...)

Are you pouring the slab on top of the subsoil, or are you going to bring in some stone a compact that for a base before you pour? I've seen it done both ways, the garages with slabs on compacted stone seem to have fewer cracks.

 

[johnk]

I actually got the topsoil up using my back blade. I extended the top link and the blade cut right under the sod and kept curling it. Give it a try. It worked for me. That was without extra weight on it also.

 

[Warwagon]

I remove the top soil by going foward, not trying to do it all at once, but a little a time. I remove a little going one way and if it starts looking bad I turn around and come at it from a different direction. My best work happens when I work slow. Kevin

 

[Renze]

I think that your loader's user manual states, that you should not scrape or drag with an allmost fully tilted bucket, because of the geometry of the tipping mechanism/cylinders, it can cause overstrain of the cylinders. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Someone stated it already, but most operators manuals advise to put the loader full down (front wheels off the ground if it's double acting) and then regulate the depth of bite, with the tipping cylinders alone.

This way, the bucket serves as a slide plate/leveling device, giving very accurate control of digging depth.

If you push through, and your tractor is strong enough, the bucket will fill to a certain degree, and the newly sliced soil layer will roll up onto the soil that is already in the bucket. when it's high enough it will fall down again, giving the same effect as a dozer blade. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

But I dont know if that works in heavier soil types... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif


Off course rototilling first, is the nicest way to do it, the more if you work with compact machinery. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[jjcc246]

Well i'm working in a confined area surrounded by trees. It's not cutting when I go forward and when I back drag with the bucket I have to keep moving it so I'm not riding over the piles I just made. I have it down pretty decent but I'm not hitting clay yet and I'm down about 4-6". I'm trying to get to a good solid clay base then fill with stone and top it with 4" of concrete. Where I am code calls for #4 rebar 2' on center through out the pad. I think I'm going to hire a dozer to finish it. By the time I get a bite with the box scraper I'm off the lines, so I hate to give in but there is a machine for every job and a tractor with a bucket or a box scraper just isn't right for this job. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Soundguy]

Go forward.. or use a rear scoop, again.. cutting forward.. or even a box blade angled correctly. You should be able to fairly easilly strip with a box bladed.

Next to the loader, the box blade is probably a tractors most used implement.. think of it as a swiss army knife type implement.

Soundguy