my father in law has an old farmall tractor with center and rear cultivator spade attachments. Has anyone found a blade attachment or made one for scraping, small dirt moving jobs. I just want to deepen and clean out shallow end of a small pond. Any ideas of add ons, home made riggings appreciated.

Try this thread:

Cheap dirt moving

Several methods of moving dirt yourself were discussed, including at least one (pond scoop) which would work for you if you are going to work when it's dry.

There's really no fast or economical way to dig a pond with small equipment. You need big iron. Period.

You may be OK with a small tractor just expanding a small existing pond, but even that will be slow.

My approach with my pond (under construction)is to take my time and let my neighbors dig my pond for me. I give them the dirt they dig. I have a 35hp tractor and front loader, and am slowly moving just the top soil myself, but the major stuff will be done by bigger equipment. A local church is developing some acreage, and need to build it up. They're sending some big tractors and dumps to get some dirt soon (I hope).

If you're using a tractor, the digging is not bad. I can easily dig and fluff up 100 yards of dirt per day. Loading is a lot worse, but isn't too bad either. It's the hauling that kills.

Theo, it sounds like the pond scoop attachment is what I will need. Just plan on deepening about 2000 sq ft by a ft or 2. There is good soft dirt and silt where I will be using it. Plan on putting the dirt around the pond and maybe an earthen pier. Would it attach to where the rear cultivator goes? I also may ask Meadowlark about this thing that runs off the pto.

thx all.

You hook up a pond scoop to the two hydraulic lifts and to the third point. The one I have can be hooked up forwards (to scrape) or backwards (useful to remove dirt from an existing pile). If you get one, reread my notes in the post above about ensuring there isn't too much slack on the lower two hookup points. I think that's what bent my scoop.

thankTheo.Sorry for my ignorance, I am not a farmer and have only been on the tractor twice, as it has been broken and just repaired. I dont live close, so cant do much inspecting. Sounds like this will be very useful to me.

BM,

I haven't used that pond scoop, but have used one similar. A word of caution when scooping...its awful easy to get that front end of the tractor off the ground and can even flip on you if not real careful. Pulling up a grade with a load/drag is dangerous on most small tractors. Use caution and if you feel that front end coming up, back off. We want to keep you around here for awhile!

Thanks for the safety advice Meadow Lark. BTW, how are the Globetrotters? :rolleyes:

Globetrotters?

Did I miss something?

I always rooted for the Red Klotz team, whatever they were calling themselves. America loves an underdog (heck, they even won once or twice).

ML has an excellent point about popping wheelies. This is a good application to use front-end weights on the tractor, if available.

I've had the tractor bounce a few times when the front-end loader was full, and jack-knifed a hayrake yesterday that then tried to climb up in my lap. So be careful on that tractor while you're learning and especially after you think you have learned it all (like I thought yesterday raking hay!).

I have been searching sites for implements. I dont think this Farmall Super A 1948 model has 3 point system(whatever that is) but have seen an adapter. I learn so much on this site. tnx

ML...sory for my weak attempt at humor. I assumed from your vast experience that you were of the vintage that would remember the Harlem Globetrotters and front man Meadowlark Lemmons, the first basketball handling Hudini(oops, forgot Bob Cousy).

Oh..those Globetrotters...I'm a little slow today, or was last night when we got "exposed" to that crap. Meadowlark is the name for our "ranch" in East Texas, so named because of the large numbers of Meadowlarks that frequent our pastures there.

Yes, I enjoyed seeing the Trotters in person as a young kid and Meadowlark Lemon and Curly Neal and what a show they put on for a small rural bunch of hillbillies.

Burgermeister, I almost turned my JD over when I first got it. I used the front end loader to pick up a big load of wet sand at the back of my dam. I was pointing downhill and the weight, when I started lifting it, started turning me over. Out of instinct, I shoved the bucket control back down and then dumped some of it out before continuing. I had the water stuff added to the rear wheels. Haven't had a problem since. Be careful with this stuff. You can get wadded up under machinery in a hurry.

Machinery is like horses. It can kill you and never shed a tear.

Roger that, Dave. Cant get to the dam yet. Still cutting trees down all around. Only a wittle work in shallows since its so dry. Same way in Miss. as in Tx.. Then this fall, will bring in the big boys for the real work. Thanks for all the warnings.

little, not wittle. How did that happen? W isnt even close to L on my keyboard. Must be the blazing speed.

You don't say wabbit, do you?

BTW, you can edit your posts by clicking on the pencil/paper icon @ the top right of your post.

I have a small tractor and a 24 inch dirt scoop and just to give you some idea how slow it is to dig with last year I dug out a 30 by 40 ft area three ft deep at the end of one of the fingers of my pond and it took 3 weeks of night and weekend work. I have 120 pounds of weight on the front and added 2 solid 8 by 8 by 16 inch blocks and still got a little light in the front coming out the ramp so be careful whatever you do.

Bob

Thanks, Bob. Looks like, leave it to the pros. Good to see you post. Was wondering where you got off to. Last I heard, you were coming to Livingston to visit family.

Well I started a new job after I got home from Texas and just been busy. Had a greenhouse collapse while I was on vacation then with the kids and finally Katrina making more mess than normal (My daughters name is Katrina along with the storm)! But all is well and sure am glad to be working from the house now and not having to drive 100 miles a day. I used to put 1000 miles on the car every 2 weeks and since July 1st have only put 700 miles on it and that includes a 400 mile round trip to the company I work for in Mississippi!

Bob