I have an 80hp Olliver tractor. So, I figure 6yd would be max this tractor would pull??? Most 3 to 6 yd pieces are 3500 to 5000. I have seen a wabco loader/ scraper for 6000. And an old AC motor scraper for 4600. I don't have much dirt to move. Maybe under 200 yards. I have 70 acres and need to level some areas and build up others. So, question is.. which way to go? I assume the 10yd wabco will be quicker. How easy are they to get stuck in soft ground? Which is easiser to sell after I'm done with it? Opinions? Thanks Wags :Banghead
Just a quick question if your just looking at leveling out a few areas and be done with the pan why not just look at renting a small dozer to level it out. 200 yards would be nothing for a D4 to level out in a days time. I am just thowing this out there as it seems you want this done but want to save money. You also wont have to worry about getting stuck.
I have a 955K. I had thought about using it to push dirt. I have to move some dirt a couple hundred yards, though. There are some low wet spots that I am sure I can drive through with my tractor, but no way in hell the 955 will drive through them. Just to heavy. Thanks for the suggestion. Wags
An oliver with 80 HP is going to be hard pressed to pull any kind of a scraper. I am assuming that it is two wheel drive also.
Oh, hell.. it will pull a little 4 to 6 yard piece. Here lies the problem. 4 yards is not much dirt. 10 is a little better. Wags
It may pull it but will it have enough traction to load it?
Ah....Fair question. Answer is... I don't know. We have good dirt here. Not clay or a bunch of rocks and crap. There is a 2.5 yd scraper locally. Pretty cheap. 2.5 yds is not much dirt, though. However, I can make a bunch of trips for the 2 to 3g difference in prices. The 4 to 6 yd pieces go for 3500 to 5500 around here. Hell, the wabco scraper is 6g. That is almost a no brainer. The oliver weighs 8500 ish, so not a wimpy piece. But as you said... will it load the scraper? I can turn the girlfriend loose on the oliver with the small scraper and she will do fine. I could use the 955 then to help. That may be the cheapest. I wonder how much slower than a bigger scraper or the wabco 10yd piece. Thanks Wags
If you want to do it the cheapest, hire someone with a small scraper. I have a 292 hancock (11yd self loader) that will move 100+ yards/hr at 2000'+ haul in less than ideal conditons. I try to get around $150/hr for it so for $300 I don't know why you would want to buy a machine and have to maintain it to do such a small amount of work (although my mobilzation charge to go to waterloo il would make it less economical). But, if you insist on getting your own scraper I would be concerned about the wet spots, if your 955 can't get through the wet spots, a loaded wheel scraper is not going to get near them, even small 10-12 yard machines weigh close to 15 tons. empty. then you add 20-30,000#s of dirt so you need to have some solid ground under it. Although you could just dump as close to the wet spot as you can without getting stuck and push it the rest of the way with the 955. You might be better off with the small 2.5 yard pan behind your tractor and make more lighter loads, but I think that would still get stuck pulling through a wet area, and I don't know how well a small tractor will load it. I don't think you would want anything bigger than the 2.5 yd one. See if you can rent or try it out before you get commited to it and find out it won't work.
I had not thought about the hiring thing. Maybe. Why would I want and maintain the piece of equipemnt? Because I don't like to rely, ask, or need others for help. (this makes me somewhat foolish, I know) But there is a certain satisfaction involved in doing something you are told you can't do. Or shouldn't do. (foolish again) The oliver is an old heavy tractor (comapared to todays stuff) 8500# ish. That does not mean it will pull a pan, though. It will pull a big ass oak tree up a hill. Apples and oranges somewhat. So, the stuck question is what I wondered about with the motor scraper. The wet areas are "pretty solid". Oliver will go through them and has. 955 will not. I was thinking of doing the dump near the wet and push with 955. This seems the safest without getting stuck. I hope I'm not coming off as pissy. Not trying to be. Just wonderin. Thanks Wags
What series Oliver is it? Girl friend run it? Unless she grew up a farm girl and helped dad a bunch I would not even THINK of it.
LOL. It is an 1800. So that is 85 ish hp. Diesel piece. The girlfriend drives that tractors ass off. I turn her loose with the 14' brush hog and don't think twice about it. I cut down trees, hook the chain, she drags them up the hill, unhooks the chain and back down. Not little saplings... TREES! The only time she gets nervous is if the tree has so much weight the front end is coming off the ground going up the hill. She runs the chainsaw too. (small one, but a stihl!) She will run the 955, but is not so fond of it in tight quarters. She drives it from place to place, though. Wags
Not that I've ever run a self propelled scraper but I do know that repairs are very costly. Anything at all might cost the price of the machine or more and most have been used in a hard tough way.
Roger that. I work on industrial equipment, so labor is not a huge issue. Parts probably would be. Not to mention availability. It weighs about 15 tons, so scrap metal price is about $3200. That would be a last resort if it took a crap. I looked at it today. Started right up. They did not know I was coming, so they had not just started it 15 minutes earlier. HA. Pretty decent shape for an old piece. It is still 6k, though. Wags
Well, I guess that answers that. Had to ask. Females around here can't run a lawn tractor cutting the grass or even a snow shovel for that matter.
LOL. I hate to brag, but she is not a farm fed heavy girl either. Probably 115 to 120, but works with a ton of heart. She will outwork "city" men. HA As a matter of fact, after I had got the dozer out of the lake, it was raining its ass off, probably 40 degrees. Miserable weather. I was working on getting it moving and up on higher ground. She showed up on my Oliver and hooked to dozer to get it up the hill. It was spining tracks a little. Just the little bit helped... and out we were. Good chic! Wags
:notworthyYou got a winner there wagspe208. If she can cook, clean, likes dogs and likes to love she is one keeper for sure!!!
Back on track... Another reason to have a piece of equipment... I am going to have a dam built. I WON"T do it myself for a few reasons. 1 of which is it is estimated to be about 24000 yards of dirt. It will hold back 15 surface acres of water, so no job for an amateur. BUT, there are always roads to build, move some dirt here and there. Level this and that. You know how property is. Thanks for the input. I guess... really... hiring out is the way to go if I just want to do a little. A very small pan is the way to go if I want to save money and do it myself. (as opposed to the Wabco piece) Thanks again. Wags
If you were a bit closer to me I would be interesting in doing the dam for you. That quantity is right in the middle of the size range I like to go after.
To bad you are not closer. It will be an "easy" project. Dirt does not need to move over 200 to 250 yards from pick up to dump. I have the area where the dam is going to be cleared. Tons of run off into the area. Should be a beautiful lake. Dam will be about 25' high. Water depth 20 to 30' at deepest part. Wags
Go in there with two D8's and No. 80 Pans, D7 with blade and D3 for finishing and would have it knocked out in a few days as long asthe weather would hold. some time that can be a problem on a job like this one.
I was told if weather is cooperating it would take a week to 10 days max. The ag tractor w/ 2 pans seems to be the most common up here. The reasonable guy is in his 60's and has been dong this for 40 years. 15 acres is a lot of water. I need the dam to be right. He said an excavater to dig the keyway, then 2 ag tractors and a dozer for finish work. Sound close to your suggestion? The struggle may very well be weather. The bottom of the dam is in a valley. Even in drought there are springs that always run across it. So, after the keyway and the first couple feet it should be a breeze. The first 2' may suck, though. I assume 4wd ag tractors do much better than motor scrapers in this type of soil. Wags
I would feel better in that kind of condition on tracks rather than tires. Wait till start until the long term forecast says dry for a week after things dry out. Than go like bloody h--- from daylight to dark when the days are good. I have Cats here because I get into the wet, the rock and anything and everything else that can come along. If you do get caught in the rain, let everything dry out and go again. If the material is to come from the bond basin than things can get really interesting if it starts raining.