Too Steep for Orange BX25 Love?

[Flienlow]

We bought this house that has a lot of nightmares that need to be fixed. The landscaping is in bad shape and so it the house. Hence, I need a tractor and a pack mule.

Some of the things that need to be done are:

1.Inside house demo, and haul everything up hill to the dumpster. You cant see this but the slope goes way back beyond the house. I would have to carry bricks, demo'd decks,tools, appliances,wood stoves, everything up hill!! You cant park a car next to house.

2.footing drain for foundations.

3. build a path to lake ( it is traversed, would need to expand, and gravel the path.)

4. fix retaining walls.
5. build retaining walls
6. More retaining walls
7. Have I mentioned retaining walls yet?
8. use front loader for a gazillion different things including lifting and fixing dock.

Where the house sits is steepest part of the property. I would need to do a ton of work, just to fit a tractor on the lake side of the house. Everything is blocked by walls,fences and landscaping that would need to come out or down.

I would cut by the house to make a little less steep and then need to bring in a little fill Once I could get to the traversed paths I think I could widen and bring in some gravel.

The wife thinks I have lost my mind and this is too steep. I just want to post this for initial impressions of BX25 owners.

 

[85Hokie]

We bought this house that has a lot of nightmares that need to be fixed. The landscaping is in bad shape and so it the house. Hence, I need a tractor and a pack mule.

Some of the things that need to be done are:

1.Inside house demo, and haul everything up hill to the dumpster. You cant see this but the slope goes way back beyond the house. I would have to carry bricks, demo'd decks,tools, appliances,wood stoves, everything up hill!! You cant park a car next to house.

2.footing drain for foundations.

3. build a path to lake ( it is traversed, would need to expand, and gravel the path.)

4. fix retaining walls.
5. build retaining walls
6. More retaining walls
7. Have I mentioned retaining walls yet?
8. use front loader for a gazillion different things including lifting and fixing dock.

Where the house sits is steepest part of the property. I would need to do a ton of work, just to fit a tractor on the lake side of the house. Everything is blocked by walls,fences and landscaping that would need to come out or down.

I would cut by the house to make a little less steep and then need to bring in a little fill Once I could get to the traversed paths I think I could widen and bring in some gravel.

The wife thinks I have lost my mind and this is too steep. I just want to post this for initial impressions of BX25 owners.

Pictures are hard to judge as far as slope - but that would be a huge no no on my pucker factor !

I bet you have a 4' level around, take a part of the hillside - maybe one path that the machine will be on,
stick one end on the hill and level the level,
measure straight down while level,
then divide by 4
this will be the rise and run of the slope.

you measure 20 inches vertical ........dividing by 4 gets you 5......that would be

to convert that to decimal : look at chart .....

a 22+ degree slope .......

once you start going up a 4.5/12 ........you best have a bucket full

I have about that on my side yard - NEVER took the BX up it, have backed up - have gone down.......now the B7100 goes up it like a billy goat, then again it doesnt have a hoe on the rear or a bucket on the front!

listen to your wife this ONE time !!!!!!

 

[sawmill]

I live in the north east corner of Washington. I've been through the Snohomish area many times. It's beautiful country. One thing you want to keep in mind,
I'm sure you're well aware of, is that country is prone to land slides. If you're
in the process of removing very much vegetation and get a big rain storm, your
house could end up in the lake. Just something you might want to consider.

 

[OldeEnglish]

That's a beautiful spot you have there! So the lake house is built on a foundation or crawl space? Or is the drainage work for new retaining walls?

If the drainage work is for the house and you have a basement I would opt for installing a French style drain around the interior perimeter. Drain it out of the house where you would have to do the least digging. Installing a moisture barrier inside, draining to the French drain, and insulate it with spray foam or foam board. Grace Ice and Water Barrier works great for that. I roll it smooth on the foundation walls applying heat to help it stick from a heat gun. It wouldn't hurt to paint some Comproco Seal onto the concrete as a first step, awesome product. They also have a primer that goes on first and a bonding agent to mix the seal up with. Doing all of this on the outside would be best, but in all reality, it's going to take you a very long time to dig with a bx. That's a lot of earth to move including shoring up the ditches. The safest way is always the best way! Just something for you to think about.

Building retaining walls are a ton of work in easy conditions. Your conditions are far from easy. It seems like there a few nice ones already there judging by your photos. A lot of folks in your situation build stairs of some sort for a path and plant landscaping that takes care of itself but looks good. Something with a solid root base is good for holding the ground together. Why cut grass when you can fish ? It can be done with series of side cuts starting from the bottom working your way up. I've built my fare share over the years and it that environment you need some serious equipment or some strong help. It's easy to dig it out, Harder to move the dirt your removing. Worst case scenario, dump into wheel barrows and wheel them out...

Cutting a nice path down in a S pattern would look nice too, especially with stone walkways.

My family did this stonework a long time ago, picture doesn't justify how difficult it was to build this, there is much more beyond this photo. The Goshen stone wall is 6' thick and is built at roughly at 75 deg angle to hold back that hill side. Extensive drainage work, half of the stones were so big we had to set them with a With a big JD trackhoe and a JD skid steer. The pool area is all Blue Stone including the hot tub and it has hydronic radiant heat everywhere and is heated in the winter. That was when I was strong young lad, my back hurts thinking about this now!

[/URL]

 

[koja]

The bx would do it but would take you awhile . I would look for a used skid steer and sell it when you're done .

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

That is way, way, too steep to even consider putting a tractor on it!
I've got slopes on my property that are far less than that and they are to steep to safely navigate.
A skid steer would do a better for you, but it still might be more than it's capable of doing too.

 

[coachgeo]

A nice size cart
An ATV or larger winch with extra cable.
Attach it to a tree or? up top

use it to lower and haul up cart filled with material from top of land to lake area where your working?

Once you have items at the bottom by lake. Move things in small batches say with a lawn tractor and cart where it is flat enough to do so. Can lower both to the lake area with the winch as well. At top could maybe do same with your ATV? or other cheap lawn tractor????

Main point is use winch to lower things to work area and use something simple along a flat stretch via small batches to move back and forth along that area.

 

[Ben S]

i think yoy need somthimg like this

 

[cerlawson]

Unless you have done this sort of work before and have researched generally how retaining walls function structural, I'd hire a geotechnical engineer for advice on the site earthwork sections. For instance the recommendation above mentioning French drains would not be any advice I'd follow unless that was provided by a geotech. I have seen too many "home designed" walls fail, French Drains plug up, etc. Even so called landscape architects don't always have proper technical know how (I happen to have bought a house with that done by a so called professional and it took some major work to solve a basement drainage problem that person caused).

As to a tractor, the BX is too small for significant earth work. Steepness of slopes should not be worked on unless you are well experienced with that tractor or skid steer, but I do know an experienced guy can do it with them.

Advice from an 86 year old geotech.

 

[Flienlow]

This what I was afraid of.
Please note that I know I cannot side hill the tractors, but the slope is terraced in a game trail fashion. If I could widen those out and widen the corners to that would work for getting from point a to b.

The house is daylight basement with no crawl. I believe we have some water penetration from the uphill side to the underneath downhill side which is why I want to add a french drain. And yes this region is known for land slides and I am a bit nervous with the some of the slope soil that I have seen.

A trackoe / skid steer combo would be perfect for this, but Unfortunately I have a bit more time than money these days so I want to plink at this as I can. Since there is a lot of digging and material transport, I cannot get away with a quad or cart. As I see it a tractor is my only option and I need to make it work somehow.

 

[OldeEnglish]

Unless you have done this sort of work before and have researched generally how retaining walls function structural, I'd hire a geotechnical engineer for advice on the site earthwork sections. For instance the recommendation above mentioning French drains would not be any advice I'd follow unless that was provided by a geotech. I have seen too many "home designed" walls fail, French Drains plug up, etc. Even so called landscape architects don't always have proper technical know how (I happen to have bought a house with that done by a so called professional and it took some major work to solve a basement drainage problem that person caused).

As to a tractor, the BX is too small for significant earth work. Steepness of slopes should not be worked on unless you are well experienced with that tractor or skid steer, but I do know an experienced guy can do it with them.

Advice from an 86 year old geotech.

I'm sure consulting with a geotech or an engineer would be your best bet for the retaining walls especially for an area you live in. It may even be a requirement in the municipality the house resides in. As far as French drains go, they are commonly used and work very well when installed properly. Simple things like using filter fabric to protect the crushed stone prevents any clogging. We always have added in clean outs at the beginning of the run and every 50' or change of direction. Never had one clog up yet, it's not rocket science but you need to know what you are doing .

Also, only use crushed stone that is larger than the holes in the SDR pipe. If you backfill it with sand, well it will clog .

 

[hodge]

I have a B7100 and a Bobcat 743 skid steer- the B7100 is more stable and nimble. No way would I put a skid steer on slopes like that. Mine would be ok backing it up, but not driving forward. Maybe a tracked loader is more stable than a rubber tired skid steer.

 

[Tooljunkie]

Just need the right buggy
http://youtu.be/MhjkDEvV3OM

Getting up the hill would be no problem. Once.
Or maybe a yoder / yarder. And a cart.
Lots of videos on yoder logging.

Pure determination. Nothing else will get it done. My hat's off to you for even looking at a challenge like this.

 

[Diydave]

Search youtube for more videos of this machine, an ASV-RC30:

https://youtu.be/os2rnm4tml0

 

[koja]

You may just want to find a good excavator contractor in your area that has been in business for a long time . Have him come out and take a look at it . He may have some good ideas . Otherwise , shovel and wheelbarrow .

 

[Diydave]

Here is another video of the RC 30, ASV got bought out by Terex, a coupla years ago...

https://youtu.be/4ZhY1p7IAOo

 

[dandeman]

Also keep in mind 4 wheel tractors can inadvertently behave like a tricycle tractor (in terms or roll over) to the extent that the front axle can pivot..

Back axle is solid, and lateral stability that provides is evident.. Have seen people assume the same thing about the front axle on a 4 wheel tractor , forgetting that the front axle pivots on a pin... Travel can be limited, but can be enough to trigger a roll over. Anything that tends to unload the rear axle too much (e.g. going down steep hill, front end bucket heavily loaded) can be risky.

 

[OldeEnglish]

Building a series of tiers up that hill would require a small rubber track hoe for 90% of the work. Having a skidsteer there at the same time would be fabulous. A backhoe on a bx would be too restricted, only 180 deg rotation. You need all the rotation you can get as well as reach. The blade will also come in handy. Man power will be needed as well as machinery.

The tiers would be built from the bottom of the hill up. That way your actually constructing your next platform to continue up. As you cut through the side of the hill, you need to dump the buckets into something that can wheel it out. Your very limited on getting up and down that hill plus the lake is blocking you in. The lake can become a huge pain in the donkey for you, some areas that close to a body of water require EPA permits, inspections, and liability insurance. If you ignore the permitting process, they can nail you to the wall with fines. God forbid the project washes out into the drink, big fines.....etc...ect...when dealing with the EPA, I can guarantee you'll need the project drawn and stamped by a licensed engineer. In some cases they require environmental studies to make sure there isn't an endangered salamander species or some BS. In other words, that project will cost you a lot of $$$$, but it can be done! Seek local professional advice, some things are not worth the liability risk.

I vote for some nice Washington cedar stairs with nice railings (good to have when your half lit ). Maybe some stone slabs for the flat areas of the path. Even if it was cedar all the way down, it would look great. Run some power for tread lighting....possibilities are endless. That's a way your bx can be realistically used with minimal environmental impact as far as permitting goes. Just make sure you have a solid platform to work on if you attempt anything!

 

[tiredguy]

My response is simple as I viewed it with max pucker factor:NFW!!!
I'm being reasonable I think in assessing that hill's angle and I've
been their done that backing down experiencing laying my tractor
over on it's side and thank god neither I or the tractor suffered any
damage. It's nearly identical to the big hill on my son's property and
I don't mind going up on my 4x4 Honda quad but sure hate the trip
back down big time.
In my opinion the tractor won't work to tippy to start with and far to
dangerous to consider. My experience with skid steers is limited but
IF that will work I'd hire the most experienced operator/contractor I
could find in the area that had very good insurance along with the best
roll cage built on the equipment and pay them to do what needs to be
done as far as moving dirt and rock. The majority of that work is going
to have to be done by hand unless you could get one of those small
trailer style mini backhoe's like Northern Tool and others have and hook
it behind a quad MAYBE or use a winch secured to a tree to let it down
to where it needs to be.
Don't forget that at that steep angle any side movement could change
your oil level sucking the pan dry and resulting in a blown up engine.
People do that all the time with lawn mowers including walk behind
models when mowing at an angle to the slope.

Your wife seems to have a level head for figuring slope angle and I do
agree with her totally it's to steep for the equipment you mentioned.
If you watched that video of the sand buggy going up the dunes then
flipping over and rolling down the hill sideways you should understand
riding a tractor down would most likely result in injuries you won't survive.
If you didn't get thrown clear at the top you'd be hurting so bad you more
than likely would wish you were dead rather that suffer as a vegetable
the rest of your life. My 2 cents anyway.
Al

 

[skeets]

That is one sweet looking place there my friend, however that hill has me puckered and I cant even imagine trying to use my BX on it,,,,shivvvvvers