[Silvercreek Farmer]

Had two dumptruck loads of dirt delivered today for my shooting backstop. The truck couldn't make it to where I need the dirt (knew this ahead of time) so it is up to me, my shovel, my dump trailer, and the Suburban 12 to get it all moved. If there is any left come July, I'll be able to use my loader on it, but at minimum, I'll use the loader to shape it up nicely.

 

[PA318Guy]

Well if you don't have a blade for the Suburban you've got an excuse to get one! (Like you really needed one!!!)

 

[Sears SS 12]

Take pics of your suburban working the dirt. How about making bolt on stake sides for the trailer so it can haul more. Sounds like you will get a lot of seat time.

 

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Take pics of your suburban working the dirt. How about making bolt on stake sides for the trailer so it can haul more. Sounds like you will get a lot of seat time.

Will do!

My dump trailer is already pretty big, I think it is 17 cubic foot. No doubt the tractor could pull it loaded to the gills, but we have a steep hill to go down. A level load will probably suffice.

 

[Hugh-SS/16]

Get some videos with the gannon!

 

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Got 5 loads moved today. Had to add a pin to the dump lever to prevent premature release. The dump angle is not steep enough to get the dirt to slide out so I am having to shovel at both ends. I get some pretty stong engine braking going downhill (including some little backfires), is there any danger of harming my engine? Ended the day with a flat tire, a tube should fix it up, but I may do some mods and put on larger tires to improve my dump angle. I just keep reminding myself that Rome wasn't built in a day!

 

[Small Fry]

That's a lot of dirt, I might just rent a bobcat for a day if it was in the budget.

 

[A1CNC]

I was able to spread 10yards of loam in 1 day with my tractor with the loader.

Too bad you don't have yours at home yet.

 

[Sears SS 12]

Yeah, thats alot of dirt, at least you get lots of seat time. Thanks for the pics.

 

[mikeinri]

Wow, moving a truckload of dirt one shovel at a time? I thought I was nuts for doing the same with a trailer of mulch (2-3 yards) and a pitchfork (also using a 10-cuft cart or wheelbarrow)!!!
I've rented a Terramite to move a truckload of loam to make a garden (needed the backhoe to remove rocks and stumps first), so I would second the vote for renting a Bobcat!
Mike

 

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Wow, moving a truckload of dirt one shovel at a time? I thought I was nuts for doing the same with a trailer of mulch (2-3 yards) and a pitchfork (also using a 10-cuft cart or wheelbarrow)!!!
I've rented a Terramite to move a truckload of loam to make a garden (needed the backhoe to remove rocks and stumps first), so I would second the vote for renting a Bobcat!
Mike

TWO truckloads acutally. I figure is it near 30 yards. This is my first go at dirt, but my hand loaded mulch tally is somewhere around 60 yards and probably around 20 yards of manure. I consider it my gym membership (along with splitting wood, which I do by hand as well) helps make up for the long desk hours at work. Never in a hurry on any of it, I just get to it when I can...

 

[GT_80]

TWO truckloads acutally. I figure is it near 30 yards. This is my first go at dirt, but my hand loaded mulch tally is somewhere around 60 yards and probably around 20 yards of manure. I consider it my gym membership (along with splitting wood, which I do by hand as well) helps make up for the long desk hours at work. Never in a hurry on any of it, I just get to it when I can...

I like your attitude I consider yard work my gym as well. I need to get to the "gym" more though :thThumbsU

 

[GT_80]

If you were my neighbor, I would be happy to help too bad your in NC

 

[Tractor-Holic]

I had to move a lot more than that when I built my garage---all the dirt excavated for the floor slab and foundation walls had to be put back after the foundation & slab were poured....I used my GMC 4x4 plow truck to move the bulk of it,with the fisher plow,after getting discouraged at how slow and hard it was shoveling it by hand....I said to myself "I wish I had a bulldozer!"....then looked at my plow ,and went "DUH--I DO!"...it worked a lot better than I thought it would too,it took some learning though--dirt isn't as easy to move as snow is,and you have to take small bites,not a full pass,then back-dragging it levels it off nicely....

I had a Ford 600 tractor with a pipe framed loader then too,but found it too cumbersome to manuver with a full bucket and no power steering,so I figured I'd try the truck,it was a lot faster and easier....I used my Bush-Hog tractor that had a snowplow to backfill the dirt inside the garage too,before the slab was poured..it would have been a few weeks of hard labor,if I'd done it by hand--not sure I'd have lived to see the garage get built if I did it alone...its amazing what you can do with even a small tractor,with the right attachments..

 

[TractorBob]

WOW!!! Thats alot of dirt! My cousin and I moved almost that much by hand with wheelbarrels and shovels in about a day. But we were only going about 60' with it because the dump truck couldn't make it to the back yard to fill in a 3' high by 30' long retaining wall we had built. Good luck.

 

[Everlandfarm]

IMHO you're doing the right thing. America is too fat and out of shape. I have two dump loads of composted horse manure delivered every spring and use the same method to move it to the garden and flower beds. Don't know about anyone else, but every winter i tend to add a few pounds and the horse manure is (literally) what the doctor ordered.

Perhaps that's the reason we're rapidly becoming a third world country or something, we don't want to work and look for the "easy" way instead of just doing it.

Grew up on a farm and still have it, if you work hard, you eat good, sleep good, and feel good.

Putting away soapbox....

Ev

 

[Grand Sierra]

That's a lot of dirt, what are you shooting pistols & rifles? I love shooting to bad its so expensive I'd shoot more. There's an old saying" how do you eat an elephant?" One bite @ a time!

 

[Plowthesidewalk]

Looks like you got your work cut out for you. It looks like a good time to break out the earthcavator, garden rake, and shovel. Do you have a loader somewhere?

 

[Alan Lloys]

Great workout - I feel with you though.
I have moved about that much in the same manner when we first build the house. I had to get a bunch of places filled in after it settled in the first year.
I actually think it is even more difficult that way since I had to rake it out and make it even.

Just a few years ago I had to move about 34 yards of sand for the kids play area. In my area a dump truck load is about 17 cubic yards. At that time I had my FEL though and I could at least load it with it. I still had to manually dump it and rake it out about 400' away. Be careful though that this is heavy. Sand is even heavier than dry dirt and I estimated about 2000 lbs per load in my heaped 17 cu ft. cart. (it is rated for 1500 lbs and one wheel did get damaged in the progress). All in all you will have a little more than 1/2 yard per trip so start counting down from 60 :trink39:

I also put in 17 yards of gravel for the shed but I only had to move it 50' or so I just drove back and forth with the loaded FEL.

By the way how are you setting up your backstop. I have 5 acres, but it is very flat and open so I would need a rather significant backstop to build up enough height. I was considering railroad ties with dirt behind it but I would like 6' height or so.

This is one load of the sand

Here is about 1/2 load ready to be raked out for the shed base.

 

[Tracor_Newbie]

So 5 days in. . .how's the dirt pile doing?