BX2380 - FEL Excavation Project - Possible or no?

[CV428]

I am trying to clear and mostly level a section of land on my property for a 35x70 outbuilding. This hillside has rotten stumps from < 10" dia trees that were snapped from storm damage about 6+ years ago, but I left everything else intact to help with excavation. Originally I was going to pay to have this excavated and graded but the prices have skyrocketed and 4 different local companies have flat out ghosted me after we agreed upon a price and start date. The dirt doesn't even have to be trucked out- it can be moved about 30-40 feet to fill in a major dip (left edge of photo). I was planning on having the trees stacked and I'd limb, chop and move them myself later.

I have been clearing it decently with a BX2380 and FEL, but we all know the flat bar doesn't dig well. I have a BXpanded Pirhana tooth bar on order, hoping it'll help chew away at the hillside. I have been able to push over some of the smaller trees and pull the entire root bulb up, but the BX2380 obviously doesn't have enough traction to do this on larger trees. I have a friend who is willing to let me borrow his mini excavator for a weekend, but I want to do as much preparation work as possible so I can really maximize use of the mini-ex and not have to bother him for it a second time. I figure as long as I don't get hung up on roots, I can carve away at the hill and leave the larger trees for the mini-ex.

Does this seem like a feasible project to tackle with a BX2380 or am I asking too much of the little tractor? The area is about 50' x 30' x 7' (sloped). Ground is mostly healthy soil until you get 2' down, then it's red clay and granite chunks. I have moved this much before with the same FEL, but it was dried mounds of excavated dirt from our pool project a few years ago. Far easier chewing away at that than established ground with roots in it.

 

[Speed25]

The Piranha toothbar will help a good bit, but it'll be slow going with the BX compared to a larger machine. Definitely pick up a set of R4 wheels/tires or better to avoid punctures and to give more traction. A full mounted set will run around $500 from the dealership (go to sales, not parts).

For the trees, you can dig trenches around the root base with the loader and cut roots with a Sawzall or such and the trees will come down without too much effort unless they have a big tap root going straight down.

Just make sure you have something heavy on the back for ballast, and take the mower deck off.

 

[SDT]

I am trying to clear and mostly level a section of land on my property for a 35x70 outbuilding. This hillside has rotten stumps from < 10" dia trees that were snapped from storm damage about 6+ years ago, but I left everything else intact to help with excavation. Originally I was going to pay to have this excavated and graded but the prices have skyrocketed and 4 different local companies have flat out ghosted me after we agreed upon a price and start date. The dirt doesn't even have to be trucked out- it can be moved about 30-40 feet to fill in a major dip (left edge of photo). I was planning on having the trees stacked and I'd limb, chop and move them myself later.

I have been clearing it decently with a BX2380 and FEL, but we all know the flat bar doesn't dig well. I have a BXpanded Pirhana tooth bar on order, hoping it'll help chew away at the hillside. I have been able to push over some of the smaller trees and pull the entire root bulb up, but the BX2380 obviously doesn't have enough traction to do this on larger trees. I have a friend who is willing to let me borrow his mini excavator for a weekend, but I want to do as much preparation work as possible so I can really maximize use of the mini-ex and not have to bother him for it a second time. I figure as long as I don't get hung up on roots, I can carve away at the hill and leave the larger trees for the mini-ex.

Does this seem like a feasible project to tackle with a BX2380 or am I asking too much of the little tractor? The area is about 50' x 30' x 7' (sloped). Ground is mostly healthy soil until you get 2' down, then it's red clay and granite chunks. I have moved this much before with the same FEL, but it was dried mounds of excavated dirt from our pool project a few years ago. Far easier chewing away at that than established ground with roots in it.

Tractors, even larger farm tractors, are not designed for excavation.

Borrow the mini-ex and/or rent a skid steer.

 

[CV428]

Tractors, even larger farm tractors, are not designed for excavation.

Borrow the mini-ex and/or rent a skid steer.

I am aware of that, but I appreciate you stating it. Wrong tool for the job can cause excessive wear, damage, or even be deadly. With that considered, I figured the pirhana tooth bar would at least give me the ability to dig some. I'm not expecting the BX to tear out full buckets of compacted rooty soil with every pass by any means, nor will it contend with the boulders hiding in there.

I figured if I hit a point where I'm pushing the BX to its limits (or anything unsafe), I stop, and leave that for the excavator. Just curious if anyone else has had a similar project and what they ran into, or if I shouldn't even attempt it.

If I chip away at this 30-40 minutes a day, I have all summer to knock it out. If I call in the favor for the mini-ex, I have to cram it all in 1-2 days max.

 

[fried1765]

I am aware of that, but I appreciate you stating it. Wrong tool for the job can cause excessive wear, damage, or even be deadly. With that considered, I figured the pirhana tooth bar would at least give me the ability to dig some. I'm not expecting the BX to tear out full buckets of compacted rooty soil with every pass by any means, nor will it contend with the boulders hiding in there.

I figured if I hit a point where I'm pushing the BX to its limits (or anything unsafe), I stop, and leave that for the excavator. Just curious if anyone else has had a similar project and what they ran into, or if I shouldn't even attempt it.

If I chip away at this 30-40 minutes a day, I have all summer to knock it out. If I call in the favor for the mini-ex, I have to cram it all in 1-2 days max.

You need to rent bigger equipment.
you are asking WAY too much from your little Kubpta.

 

[dirtydeed]

I agree with the above statements, get something much bigger. With some rough calculations at 30x50x3.5 (half of 7' for slope) you're looking at digging/relocation of approx 200 yards of soil. Add quite a bit more if you are sloping to the building. Hopefully, your friends mini isn't too small.

Better yet, I'd suggest that you rent a machine for the day, something around a 5 ton plus unit (or 8 ton if you can get one) with a 30" or better bucket and thumb. Rental, delivery and insurance would likely run about $750-$1K/day.

I'm curious, what were your quotes? I have a similar job upcoming but only moving about 1/5th of the dirt that you are.

Save the BX for the finish work. Best of luck to you.

 

[torch]

I've seen guys post amazing holes they dug with their little Kubota and FEL -- holes deeper than the ROPS in at least one case, so yes, it CAN be done. With lots of time and patience and the right soil conditions.

If you have more time than money, or if you just enjoy getting out and doing some work with your tractor then go for it. If you could be using that time productively to earn some cash then maybe you are better off renting something more capable.

 

[TheOldHokie]

I agree with the above statements, get something much bigger. With some rough calculations at 30x50x3.5 (half of 7' for slope) you're looking at digging/relocation of approx 200 yards of soil. Add quite a bit more if you are sloping to the building. Hopefully, your friends mini isn't too small.

Better yet, I'd suggest that you rent a machine for the day, something around a 5 ton plus unit (or 8 ton if you can get one) with a 30" or better bucket and thumb. Rental, delivery and insurance would likely run about $750-$1K/day.

I'm curious, what were your quotes? I have a similar job upcoming but only moving about 1/5th of the dirt that you are.

Save the BX for the finish work. Best of luck to you.

Hire an excavator. An experienced operator with a track loader will knock it out in a day and it wont break the bank or any of your owned/borrowed equipment. There will be plenty of play time left once the pro is done.

Dan

 

[CV428]

I've seen guys post amazing holes they dug with their little Kubota and FEL -- holes deeper than the ROPS in at least one case, so yes, it CAN be done. With lots of time and patience and the right soil conditions.

If you have more time than money, or if you just enjoy getting out and doing some work with your tractor then go for it. If you could be using that time productively to earn some cash then maybe you are better off renting something more capable.

I work from home and use my lunch breaks to do yard work most days (saves me a lot of money on not going out to lunch every day like I used to). I figured I could chip away 30 minutes a day. I am not planning on pouring concrete until next spring.

I was quoted $1500-$2500 for rough excavation (no grading) 4 years ago but didn't pull the trigger then. I tried to have 3 different companies come out in 2022 but they all ghosted us and wouldn't return phone calls after we agreed on a price and time. It turned into $5k-$8k in recent quotes with other reputable companies which I can't stomach because it eats into the building budget. As it is, I will need to build a retaining wall myself, cap it, get about 3500sqft of concrete poured, and then put in the building.

Based on the comments in this thread, I think I'm hitting the reasonable limit with the BX2380. I may have to pull the trigger on the mini-ex and see what I can knock out in a day.

 

[fried1765]

I work from home and use my lunch breaks to do yard work most days (saves me a lot of money on not going out to lunch every day like I used to). I figured I could chip away 30 minutes a day. I am not planning on pouring concrete until next spring.

I was quoted $1500-$2500 for rough excavation (no grading) 4 years ago but didn't pull the trigger then. I tried to have 3 different companies come out in 2022 but they all ghosted us and wouldn't return phone calls after we agreed on a price and time. It turned into $5k-$8k in recent quotes with other reputable companies which I can't stomach because it eats into the building budget. As it is, I will need to build a retaining wall myself, cap it, get about 3500sqft of concrete poured, and then put in the building.

Based on the comments in this thread, I think I'm hitting the reasonable limit with the BX2380. I may have to pull the trigger on the mini-ex and see what I can knock out in a day.

I would not even consider attempting the proposed project with my 5/8 yd. bucket capacity,
48HP Kubota TLB.
I would consider a 23HP machine, for the task described, to be borderline abuse of equipment.

 

[Speed25]

I would not even consider attempting the proposed project with my 5/8 yd. bucket capacity,
48HP Kubota
I would consider a 23HP machine, for the task described, to be abuse of equipment.

Especially doing work in 30 minute increments. That's a LOT of starting/stopping.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Sadly a lot of people feel it's too big of a job for a smaller machine.
As long as you go WITHIN the limits of ANY machine, it's NOT abuse.
His BX2380 WILL do the job, it just takes longer than other, bigger machines.
If you want it done fast, obviously you need a BIG machine, rent a D10 or just borrow one for 2-3 hours.
It all comes down to 'time or money'. Either you spend a longer time doing the work with a smaller machine OR you fork out a LOT of coins (maybe call in a favour ! ) to use a BIG machine ,in less time.
Last month I removed 4 stumps using my 'little' BX23S, 80-100' tall trees,so 2'+ round stumps. Owner said 'whenever, no hurry', so I 'played' and did one a day. Time was on my side. If he wanted them out 'fast', I'd driven 22 miles, loaded the Komatsu- and done the job in less time than the roadtrip.

 

[fried1765]

Sadly a lot of people feel it's too big of a job for a smaller machine.
As long as you go WITHIN the limits of ANY machine, it's NOT abuse.
His BX2380 WILL do the job, it just takes longer than other, bigger machines.
If you want it done fast, obviously you need a BIG machine, rent a D10 or just borrow one for 2-3 hours.
It all comes down to 'time or money'. Either you spend a longer time doing the work with a smaller machine OR you fork out a LOT of coins (maybe call in a favour ! ) to use a BIG machine ,in less time.
Last month I removed 4 stumps using my 'little' BX23S, 80-100' tall trees,so 2'+ round stumps. Owner said 'whenever, no hurry', so I 'played' and did one a day. Time was on my side. If he wanted them out 'fast', I'd driven 22 miles, loaded the Komatsu- and done the job in less time than the roadtrip.

Using the logic, of any size machine will do any digging job ......
Even a Toro "Dingo" would be OK for the job?
Maybe 6-9 months, ......30 minutes at a time,......6 times each day?

 

[chim]

To make it easy on you and your equipment, I'd rent something larger. If time doesn't matter proceed with what you have at hand.

In the early 90's I made a sand court volleyball for the oldest son and his friends. With the Ford 1210, a 5' rear blade and a 3-point dirt scoop it took quite a while. It only needed about a foot of elevation change from one end to the other. Spread around 75 tons each of stones and sand. I'd do it with much more capable equipment or hire someone now.

 

[Soopitup]

Everyone loves talking shit about how little the BX can do.
Most of them are wrong.
You're not going to overwork it digging this amount of dirt. Period. Taking the dirt in the amount it's designed for is what' it's supposed to do. Lets say it takes you 1000 hours to do this (it won't). You're still only halfway to your warranty end. Doing exactly what it's designed to do. You can run it all day long and you'll be fine. Day in and day out. It's designed for this.


A bunch of points in no particular order:

A bigger machine will move more dirt faster, but it will cost you money. Is it worth it? Time vs money. That's your decision.

An excavator is for digging, not for moving dirt around. After you dig in and make pile(s) you'll have to move the piles with a loader. Even if you have FULL days (10 hr plus?), I doubt 2 days will allow you to dig that all out with a small(er) excavator.

It will definitely take longer than with a bigger machine; 30 min a day won't cut it.

Get a stump bucket. That will do most of what you want with an excavator. It won't dig as deep, but will loosen up the soil much faster than your regular bucket with the piranha bar. You can loosen a bunch, swap buckets, move what you've loosened, repeat.

You should have gotten a 23S, the backhoe makes a huge difference, both in digging and stabilizing the machine. Water under the bridge now though.

I hope you have loaded rear tires. You'll be able to carry more in the loader, and move it quicker, than if your rear tires are empty.
Or some type of rear ballast.

Don't try to pull the stumps out. Even with a backhoe you won't have enough power/traction to break the larger ones. Unless they're VERY rotted. Dig down and around them as you level. The lower you go the smaller the taproot will be. Easier to deal with.

When I first got my piranha bar I loved it. Then as I got used to the machine I found I preferred digging without it. Partly because it does effect lift/curl capacity.
With my backhoe on I can load the bucket as full as it will go and I have no stability issues. I haven't dug without the backhoe on, but I know the tractor isn't as stable without it. I don't know how it would feel with a full load in the bucket (and unloaded tires) driving around. The more you can put in the bucket the quicker the work will go.

 

[TheOldHokie]

I had a project like this once.

Prepping with my little B7200

Start of Day 1

3 days and $1800 later. Some things are simply best done with the proper machine.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Yes, 'small' machines WILL do the job, and the OP is NOT in a hurry, didn't set a time limit.
Friend's dad farmed 100 acres with TWO horses (aka a 'team' ), 1/2 the land was 'interesting'.
As others have said, if you want it done FAST, you have to PAY for a BIG machine ( or call in a favour ).
The guys who built next door used a midsized excavator to move all the top soil (3' deep ) and sub soil (4-9') over 300 ' from west end to east end of property. Grab a bucket from the west, rotate 180 to the east, dump, repeat all day long. do that again and again, moving the piles several times. Homeowner wondered why he couldn't even grow grass afterwards (had previously grown 1500#+ pumpkins...).
Now had the contractor used a bulldozer for 1/2 day, he'd have had GREAT lawns and veggies....
Course had he done that he wouldn't have been paid as much either.....

 

[rc51stierhoff]

I am trying to clear and mostly level a section of land on my property for a 35x70 outbuilding. This hillside has rotten stumps from < 10" dia trees that were snapped from storm damage about 6+ years ago, but I left everything else intact to help with excavation. Originally I was going to pay to have this excavated and graded but the prices have skyrocketed and 4 different local companies have flat out ghosted me after we agreed upon a price and start date. The dirt doesn't even have to be trucked out- it can be moved about 30-40 feet to fill in a major dip (left edge of photo). I was planning on having the trees stacked and I'd limb, chop and move them myself later.

I have been clearing it decently with a BX2380 and FEL, but we all know the flat bar doesn't dig well. I have a BXpanded Pirhana tooth bar on order, hoping it'll help chew away at the hillside. I have been able to push over some of the smaller trees and pull the entire root bulb up, but the BX2380 obviously doesn't have enough traction to do this on larger trees. I have a friend who is willing to let me borrow his mini excavator for a weekend, but I want to do as much preparation work as possible so I can really maximize use of the mini-ex and not have to bother him for it a second time. I figure as long as I don't get hung up on roots, I can carve away at the hill and leave the larger trees for the mini-ex.

Does this seem like a feasible project to tackle with a BX2380 or am I asking too much of the little tractor? The area is about 50' x 30' x 7' (sloped). Ground is mostly healthy soil until you get 2' down, then it's red clay and granite chunks. I have moved this much before with the same FEL, but it was dried mounds of excavated dirt from our pool project a few years ago. Far easier chewing away at that than established ground with roots in it.

If you have not already gone cordless on your grease gun, I’d recommend now as a good a time as any.

 

[mikester]

Tractors, even larger farm tractors, are not designed for excavation.

Borrow the mini-ex and/or rent a skid steer.

With all the money you save digging with a BX you can buy a new BX at the end of the job.

 

[fried1765]

With all the money you save digging with a BX you can buy a new BX at the end of the job.

Probably not.
Will need to add another 6-8K