I have a 580SL with a 4 in 1 bucket. Is there a way to build an angle bracket to go on the bucket to backfill tile ditches with it? Even if it takes a few passes it should be much faster than pushing it, going back and forth perpendicular to the ditch. Getting the dirt to roll in the ditch and not push like a dozer blade would be the challenge.
Hey not me, not sure what a tile ditch is but my machine has a "side dump loader bucket". I never thought I would use it but when I did it turned out to be a handy gadget. It allows you to run parallel to the ditch (or whatever), scoop and dump. Even if your a master fabricator it would be a lot of work to make one. But google it and maybe it will give you some ideas. Have fun, Nobody
Check out the parts book on the Case site for your machine. For mine, they show a dozer blade attachment that replaces the bucket. I think you could have something fabricated to hang on your bucket with the adjustable angle to push fill back into the trench. Once many years ago, I worked a Vermeer trencher with a rear chain trencher / sabre plow attachment and a front backhoe and backfill blade. After place the cables, we ran along the side of the trench and pushed the spoil into the trench and then compacted the fill with the machine tires. Most of this was on road shoulders but it would work well in a field where you could run along either side.
How about something like this...
Looks like that would take a long time to do thousands of feet per day. Does it work pretty well?
Obvious solution is an angled blade that sticks out 3+ feet from the bucket; then you can just drive parallel to the trench and roll/push the dirt back in the trench. It's got to stick out so you don't drive the front wheels into the ditch and roll the hoe. How big are the dirt piles? Tile means some kind of septic or drain field, so I'm guessing 2'x2'; that should be easy to move.
This is drain tile. The spoil pile is usually about 3 ft. tall or so and a couple feet wide. I've heard that an angle blade would just push the dirt forward and it would not roll off it very well. I would think it would have to be at least as tall as a dozer blade to work.
I think you need to rethink mounting it on the loader bucket, the loader bucket has very little weight on it, the second you hit the pile with a front mounted angle blade the front end will move, not the pile. Something like a mid mounted grader blade might work but that would work better on another machine anyway. Maybe a towed attachment that holds itself in the trench and has the angle blade. Or a powered roller of some sort, auger, chain...
Thats it, a big auger. Like a big snow blower. Blow it back in the ground. Show that dirt who's boss! Or maybe I should lay off the pain meds.
You never mentioned anything about a "thousand feet per day", I don't know if it works well or not, it's not my machine, but the person who made it up said it worked well.
They make these, which would be ideal of course.
OP, fill the front bucket with rocks to keep it on the ground. That's what I have to do if I leave it in 'float' when I'm grading. Otherwise the engine torque will wheelie the front wheels off the ground; my 5550 is really tail heavy. Just going up my driveway is enough to pull the fronts off the road.
maybe a ditch back filler could be fabbed up to to mount on your bucket. I have seen them mounted to skid steers and wheel loaders. as blueboy suggest it sorta looks like a snow blower. it is small on the right side and large on the left and has a augar that resembles a snow blower it augers the dirt back into the ditch. I've heard rumors of 2500 plus feet per day. the only time I ever seen one working it was behind a t600 vermeer trencher and the backfill machine was always waiting on the trencher and he was making at least 5 foot per minute.
Delmer mentioned auger. He's your man. I just went crazy with it, but I'm feeling better today.
http://mcculloughcoverup.com/skidsteer.aspx maybe this will help