How much dirt can a BX25 dig?

[comfun1]

I am wanting to construct a drainage ditch that will channel water into my pond. It's not that the water does not flow into my pond now, it is just that it spreads out and in periods of wet weather the pasture it flows over is so flat that I end up with a swamp. My idea is to dig a ditch about 300' long. It would begin about a foot deep and the sides would taper so that I could mow them. At the other end where it joins the pond I would like it to be about four feet deep with the sides tapering enough that I could mow the entire 300' length of the ditch.

Could a BX25 do this job, or would I be better off renting an excavator?

 

[D2Cat]

The only question I noticed in your post was, "How much dirt can a BX25 dig?". Then you stated what you wanted to accomplish.

Remember the old adage, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!"

That's how your BX25 cuts a ditch. No matter how long, how deep, what grade....it's one bite at a time.

Only variations might be your skill level, your attachments, your time. The first two determines the last one. Just have fun, learn as you go, be safe.

 

[skeets]

Yes your little beasty can and will do it,, And like Cat said take your time learn and have fun

 

[85Hokie]

It can dig the ditch a mile long.......

and D2cat ...you stealing my line !!!! ""How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!""

I use that line in the classroom all the time - the kids think I am batshyt crazy.....ok the shoe fits!!!

 

[coachgeo]

....- the kids think I am batshyt crazy.....ok the shoe fits!!!

My student's think I'm crazy too (understandably)... funny thing is when I read the head line of this thread what jumped into my mind was

"how much wood can a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood"

 

[Lil Foot]

The real question is probably not if it can do it, but how long will it take.
I'm sure it can do it, if you're willing to spend the seat time to complete the task. Me & the B7100 are nearly finished with a project to raise my driveway almost two feet- build rock retaining walls, add a culvert, fill low spots, cut & deepen watercourses, install & compact a solid roadbed, and finish off with volcanic cinders. Nearly 300 tons of materials moved so far. I was told a much bigger tractor was needed, and I should hire it professionally done. Priced that and found I could buy a new tractor for what the pro wanted to charge me, so I've been on it for two years of spare time, and getting it done exactly the way I want it, and probably better then the pro would do. Certainly saved a ton of trees that the larger machine would have knocked down, because my little beasty fits in some really tight spots.

 

[ehenry]

ComFun1, I had the same problem you have and what I did was call my county Soil Conservation office to have them come look. After their initial visit they came back and flagged off a terrace that ran from one side of my place directly to my pond. I hooked up to my single bottom turning plow and cut the initial furrow then hooked to my scaper/angle blade and made multiple passes with it throwing the dirt to the low side of the furrow.....VIOLA, a good water furrow that channels most of the rain water to my pond.

 

[Tooljunkie]

All you need is a few inches of drop to get water to flow.
If i recall 1"/100 feet is sufficient on a municipal drain. It would be a good idea to find someone that could shoot some levels. Too deep and water stands in your ditch and that much more dirt to move. Imagine having to cut a drain a mile long,1"/100' ends up dropping ditch bottom over 50". Ditch side slopes are 4:1,so a 1 foot deep ditch is 8 feet wide. thats a huge undertaking, even for a 200 sized excavator. My best friend is the local drainage authority,he likes explaining this stuff when i ask questions.

You want to move minimum amount of material to achieve desired effect.
All it costs is fuel and time.
Best of luck
Remember,pictures or it never happened.

 

[ShaunBlake]

All very sage advice, and +1 to ehenry's advice to talk to the extension agent!

Regarding the choice between loader and excavator: using an excavator would quickly give you a nice ditch. You'd need to do something to prevent erosion; you definitely wouldn't be forming "mowable" banks. So the best tool is your loader.

Plan ahead and load lots of film in your phone, and snap lots of pics to satisfy the picture Nazis and tractor-porn addicts.

And please keep us informed of your progress!

 

[bxray]

Film in your phone?

How muck dirt can a bx25 dig?
One bucket full at a time.

I dug two 300'x1' drainage ditches with my
Took two Sundays.

It sounds like you need a box blade to make your ditch so you can mow it.

Here is an example of how to.

http://www.everythingattachments.com/Box-Blade-Box-Scraper-s/85.htm

You may want to plow like ehennry or a middle buster and then the box blade to make your slope so you can cut the grass.

How is the rock/root content?

Ray

 

[olthumpa]

Just did about 250' of ditch with a 6' box blade with 2 ripper out of 5 attached to one side. Adjusted other side as high as I could. Made multiple passes in both direction until I was satisfied with the depth and width. Took me about three hours.

Very similar to the pic in bxray's post.

Good luck with your project.

 

[Orange Turbo]

I 3rd on the box blade! It will do you a nice job.. I would start at the pond and work my way up.

 

[ShaunRH]

Yup, box scraper or back blade can do ditches that can be mowed and do them rather fast. Running a plow in opposite directions works as well but it's harder to control the grade inside of the ditch that way, you might have to follow up with a blade or scraper.

Backhoes work really well, but are slower and unless you follow up with a blade or scraper, it won't be mow-able though you could try crushing down the sides with your rear wheels. Seen that trick done too but it's tricky.

 

[comfun1]

Well, I went ahead and rented an excavator. It was a Deere 35G. It took me 9.3 hours. Around $500 rent. Now my field looks as if a giant mutant mole on steroids was here. The surface water that has been standing the whole summer is gone in only 24 hours. The piles of dirt that I dug up have begun drying also. As they dry they become so hard I can hardly break them with a shovel. Another day or so without rain and I will begin attacking them with my trusty old B7100. Looks like I will be using a combination of fel, bb, tiller and landscape rake. I am hoping my B7100 will be up to the task.

 

[oldrockfan]

The box blade is great for projects like that. We used a 5' boxblade with my old Kubota to expand our pond as well as doing a ditch to help draw water into our pond. Course the Texas drought has not been helping on that one but the little Kubota with the box blade can really do a lot of work as long as you don't rush it.