I took the 250 pounds of sandbags out of the Titan ballast box for now. It's handy for carrying tools or pulling a trailer without the additional weight. With my chain and a few tools, a little over 150 pounds. If I do some heavy scooping with the loader, I can easily put the sandbags back in.
Snrub: I saw the front bucket hoe video. For putting in an air line to my ponds, couldn't I just use a single bottom plow or a subsoiler to open a trench? It never freezes more than a few inches deep here.
That is right John, you only need the weight when you want to do some heavy work.
Sure, you can open the trench any way you want. In fact with that loader you have it will do it fairly well if you will pick a time after a rain when the dirt is not too hard. Just make you a line some how so you know where to start each cut. Line the bucket with the cutting edge along the line with the bucket bottom at a 45 degree angle. Put the bucket on the line and lift the front tires off the ground the depth you want the trench. Gently pull forward till the front wheels touch the ground. Roll your bucket back pulling forward just as the cutting edge reaches ground level and push the dirt away from the trench a little ways. I have done shallow trenches this way often. On a non hydrostat tractor it is hard on the clutch. But with the hydrostat just set the throttle about 2/3 and ease into each cut gently. With a little practice you will be cutting shallow trenches in no time. You advance down the line by the width of the bucket each cycle.
Fill the trench back in by pushing the soil back from the opposite side, then final smoothing by back dragging with the bucket almost flat in both directions.
You can make a trench in harder ground with a little different technique but it is a little harder on the loader. Best to wait till the soil is somewhat soft. Just depends on how long the trench is and how big of hurry you are in.
