[Willie Nunez]

There are several significant "humps" on my property, but I didn't rent a BobCat to level them out. Renting doesn't work for me very well, but my little tractor(GTH2548 Husqvarna) breaks up the ground with a moulboard plow, and pulls up rocks and rubble, and my Johnny Bucket Jr piles it up and then loads it onto my dump trailer.
Yes, it would be nice to have a bigger tractor, or a skidsteer bucket, but I selected what I could afford, and it allows me to work on my schedule. And, I'll have a nice mower and a maintainer for my gravel driveways and veggie garden.

<img src=http://img53.photobucket.com/albums/v162/WillieNunez/Plow_and_Doze_and_Scoop_002.jpg>

<img src=http://img53.photobucket.com/albums/v162/WillieNunez/Clay_Mud_On_Tires_003.jpg>

<img src=http://img53.photobucket.com/albums/v162/WillieNunez/Plow_and_Doze_and_Scoop_005.jpg>

<img src=http://img53.photobucket.com/albums/v162/WillieNunez/Plow_and_Doze_and_Scoop_003.jpg>

 

[MowHoward2210]

Now that's getting the most out of a GT. Thanks for the pics

 

[ducati996]

Was that concrete buried in your yard? you dug that up? no wonder you had lumps...

Duc

 

[guest2]

Willie
The piles in the third pic are made with the JBJr or dumped from the trailer?

 

[jodyand]

Looks like you giving it a good workout Willie thanks for sharing with us.:thumbsup:

 

[Willie Nunez]

The native ground does not have any rocks. Everything that I dig up, and pick up, has been deposited by man. This lot, and the one across the front street, were not included in the housing develpment. Both lots are much bigger than the others(approximately 3 time bigger). There was a lot of dumping that went on during housing construction.

Everything in the photos was done by plow and J-B Jr. The bucket will work better after I modify it. The location of the switches for the J-B Jr, and for the electric sleeve hitch, is critcial. The technique that allows you to plow, and to pile high, depends on how well you can work the switches. The photos that I posted of my switch location looked neat, but the location was less than optimum. What you need is for the switches to be toggle switches, and for them to be mounted on top of the instrument panel, where you can "finger" them while your hand stays on the steering wheel.

 

[guest2]

Willie
Which switch do you find to be more important, the up/down or the dump?
My 1050 will have a lever for the hydraulics that turns from left to right to raise or lower. The power dump will be the electric switch. Any suggestions?

 

[Willie Nunez]

sixchows,
On my rig, and they way I use it, BOTH switches are too important to say which is primary. In fact, so much so that it's the reason I want to rig the switches up there where I can palm the steering wheel and finger all the switches with the same hand(left hand). My right hand is almost always on the tranny lever. As soon as my tractor gives me the first hint of bogging down, I touch the up switch and move the lever forward and hold the steering wheel from turning. Kinda reminds me of the proverbial one-armed paper hanger.
BTW the left to right movement of a lever, for an up/down function, might get a bit confusing. How hard would it be to turn the valve so that the lever can be worked fore/aft?

 

[ducati996]

Originally posted by Willie Nunez
The native ground does not have any rocks. Everything that I dig up, and pick up, has been deposited by man. This lot, and the one across the front street, were not included in the housing develpment. Both lots are much bigger than the others(approximately 3 time bigger). There was a lot of dumping that went on during housing construction.

Thats what I assumed when I saw the pile and the nice big houses across the street.....can I ask did you buy the lot knowing about the debris pile? what was in the lot before you took over?

Duc

 

[slipshod]

Willie

Have you considered using a joystick? A unit that is used to control a snow plow may be a viable answer to your convenience issues. A joy stick could give you the ability to roll and lift at the same time and only have one control.

 

[Willie Nunez]

ducati,
Yes, I knew that this lot had been dumped on by different builders. But, I knew that my wife and I could do all the clean-up. What I didn't know is how many bigger rocks there were buried, nor how they got there.
The humps that I'm leveling out are all natural clay soil. There's nothing buried in those humps that would indicate the humps were formed by some kind of man-created deposit.

slipshod,
A joy stick would not be feasible, nor would I want one. Two side-by-side toggle switches that are oriented fore/aft is what I want for the bucket, and a toggle switch for the sleeve hitch will work just fine. I'll try it and find out. But, I already ran one experiment that indicated I'm on the right track.