My 'new' JD 650G and I are starting on a pond project, a couple of acres in size. The dam is to be built across a rather deep ravine and the dam will be roughly 150 ft long and 30 feet deep. Width at top will be around 15 ft, and at least 40 ft at the base. That's a lot of dirt to move. Moving that much dirt by straight dozer blade alone will be slow even though there's no time limit on how long it takes. The best sealing clay will be about 300 ft to move. I'm thinking about renting a small towed scraper that can move maybe 3 or 4 yards at a time. About all I see are small 'contractor's boxes' that might hold a yard and would pull with a wheeled tractor, or 'small' scrapers that start about 7 yards and go up from there. My local JD dealer says the JD650 would not handle the smallest JD scrapers, or smallest CAT scrapers, and even if it would, all their scrapers are out on long term leases. I do have a fast wheeled tractor with a contractors box scraper that will be used a lot on this project (Unimog 406, 8k lbs and about 100 hp). With some added sideboards it should drag a yard. No need to put all the wear on the dozer. The Unimog will make the trips much faster and will eventually get the job done. I have built 2 ponds with it so know it will get-er-done, with time. With all the practical experience in our group here, what models of smaller towed scrapers are commonly available for lease here in the US? Am I overlooking another practical solution to this job? Thanks, Bob
sounds like an interesting job Bob, good luck and please take some pics of the project
I'm in the same boat on an upcoming 2 acre pond project. If I get a green light on the project I'm looking to buy an older motor scraper. Run it and then sell it to recoup the cost. John
Pardon the interuption.. If your dam is 30 ft high and 15 ft wide at the top your base will be more like 75 ft, not 40 ft. That's even more dirt to move...
Time is on your side .
Yeah, good point Shenandoah. That's with a 1:1 slope which is a 45* angle. Now if you go for a normal slope on the front side of 2.5:1 and 4:1 on the back side so that you can mow it, you're looking at a base of 210 ft wide. A whole lot more dirt to move now...
I was going to say 3:1 water side and 1.5:1 minimum backside plus fifteen foot top would give you 150' at the base. Be sure you dig a key trench and compact well as a 30' high dam is will cause a lot of problems if it washes out. If you are going to take your time doing this you would also want to rip layers that have dried to obtain cohesion between lifts.
I heard smaller and thought, terex ts-14b immediatly... oops.
My thought too. If you do use any kind of scraper keep your sides high and the center low until you reach the top. This will help you stay on the dam!!
Thanks for all the feedback. Yes, my dirt volume estimate was so wrong. However, I am probably wrong on the height, too, so maybe it'll average out LOL. Just bought an old transit to play with and run some horizontal lines. The pond can't back up past a certain point so I'll work backwards to determine dam requirements. Whatever I built will force us into a drought and the pond will never fill up anyway... I think the tool I use most to move dirt and compact it will be the Unimog with box scraper, and just work at it a long time. It's all fun. Bob
I thought it only worked that way in my life...now I see I'm just average...
Good attitude Bob! Enjoy your project.
I purchased a 4yd ag type scraper and a versatile 700 tractor to pull it for a project just like you described. It saved me tons of hours on a haul truck or dozer. I paid $3000 for the tractor and $1500 for the scraper. Still have them both and use them occasionaly. The scraper pulls hard in clay so i loaded it from the top with my pc200 when the going was rough. They also make dressing out a pond easy.
We built one for a gentleman going on four years ago so it would be full when he retired. Isn't half full yet. Such is life. Levee had fifty K yards.
If you were closer, I have a 6 yd Crown for sale. Shipping/mileage might kill the deal though! Andrew
Thanks but no thanks Andrew. That would be quite the shipping charge Bob
Andrew, I presume that it is a model 600? I have one also and have always wanted to know more about them. Really simple unit that just plain works. Winch Cat
Try a 613 elevator scraper or similar
Yup, works fine for moving dirt, which I guess is what it was made for. It sucks not having en ejector to bring forward to do the final leveling though! Ours has had it's share of breaks and welds over the years, but it still does a good job. Gets into tighter spaces than the CAT70 too!! Andrew
I built one too, this last year. Seems like its been one of the driest years in Oregon too. My luck also I guess...