Skid steer or mini excavator for some dirt work?

[jpcjguy]

Hi all,

I need to do some light dirt work in my yard in front of my porch. Basically the yard slopes up from the porch and I want to feather it out more so it’s not so steep. I do have a retaining wall that will make one of the angles interesting to deal with, but I think I can still improve a good part of it.
I have attached some pictures, but basically I want to take at the high spot maybe a foot to two feet off and lessen the slope back to the porch. I am looking to hire someone to do it. Just want to make sure I hire someone with the correct machine. I don’t think this is more than a couple hours of work.

 

[930dreamer]

I'd think whomever does the work would decide on what machine works best for the job.

 

[Firebrick43]

If its a good operator they can do a fine job with an excavator, tracked skid steer, small dozer, small tracked loader, probably one of the small graders would work as well.

A great operator can do it with a wheeled skid steer.

Get references, get a quote, and stop worrying.

 

[bassJAM]

Yeah I agree with 930, if you're hiring it out let them choose.

 

[Rusted Nut]

I’d say a dozer or skid steer with a 6 way blade for that type of work.

 

[jpcjguy]

Thanks. I don’t think it is a big job. No dirt removed from property. All the dirt would be moved to the side of the porch where the chairs are in the below pic. I do have access to a Kubota B3350, but I question if that’s big enough.

The goal is to do the dirt work and time the delivery of a couple pallets of sod to get down on the slope before a rain and wash all the loose dirt against the porch

 

[Fav Onefour]

I'm guessing the patio is fairly new. The amount of erosion already happening on the corner of you patio is an issue. Even if it happened in a single event, I'd have a plan to address that type of water movement in the future. It may be necessary to move quite a bit of dirt to direct water away from the structure. Plan a river, and get the delta past your nice home.

I'm going to get a little lectury. Don't shortcut the dirt project. It will be a long battle going forward if you do.
Were you planning on just moving it uphill? The idea of "not so steep" is not a great long term fix. Water still runs downhill.
That Kubota is plenty big to move the dirt. How much and how long you work is up to your plan and operator skill. Heck, you could use a shovel and wheelbarrow if you wanted. It just takes time.

 

[jack stand]

You should ask them if they feel like directing the water around the house way up slope in the upper yard would be the right move beyond the localized grading and wall work that you've proposed here.
From (only) the pictures that's what I'd recommend. It wouldn't be more than a gentle swale possibly getting a little deeper and wider the further down the slope. If you can split the water between both sides, that would be great.
There will definitely be more grass to plant, but from everything I see in the pics.... you know what I'm talking about and you're patio has intruded into previous drainage paths.

 

[cvairwerks]

You need someone that knows how to cut a grade to assist in drainage. Right now, lots of the water coming off the slope is going to be diverted by the patio concrete. Won't take long before it starts to undercut it. The slope needs some changes 20-30 feet out to help direct the water away from the patio.

I need to replace about 700 square feet of driveway due to a previous owner not understanding how he changed the natural drainage in the back yard. 4 homes to the north and west of me, all have their back yards draining into a sunken corner of my lot and have begun to severely undercut a large part of the driveway. It's going to cost me upwards of $50K to fix his stupidity.

 

[PCustoms]

Cutting slop and hauling dirt around the side says skid steer to me, but it's hard to tell from pictures.

I'm not sure you're going to get that sloped right w/o some sort of a small wall or going waaaay out. Again hard to tell grade from a few pics

 

[JuncleJohn]

A skilled person with the right size skid steer would be my choice.

John

 

[carlaisle]

The dirt can be moved via most any means. The bigger challenge is controlling the water. Your dirtscaper would need to create a swale to catch and direct that water away from the structure. Extending the retaining wall out a sidewalk's width or so is another option.

 

[pcmeiners]

I am looking to hire someone to do it

A tracked skid steer is so easy to use you should do it yourself. Within 30 minutes you could be using the few controls without thinking about it.
Had the issue with water getting to the basement around the entire house as everything pitched toward the house. I rented a Skid steer for a week, was on it for 12-14 hours a day the entire week, ended up regrading the entire yard, moved 5 triaxle loads (20 tons per triaxle load) of soil plus any of the soil I dug out to form a grade away from the house. Tire based skid steer I would avoid if your soil is hard, they rock due to the tires when the going gets tough . As to grading, a few degrees slope out 15 feet around the house is all you need. It helps to have a transit, but if you have a good eye for level you would be OK .

"Heck, you could use a shovel and wheelbarrow if you wanted. It just takes time."

When I was a kid I moved (approx. 20) triaxles of dirt to my back yard by wheel barrow, trust me you do not even want to contemplate doing it. If I remember correctly it took the entire very hot summer.

 

[RoadBeater]

I vote for the Kubota, I’m moved dirt with a smaller tractor.

 

[jpcjguy]

I am not to worried about the water. There was an existing paver patio that was actually two feet lower than the current concrete. We raised it so you could walk straight out of the back door. The current retaining wall used to be railroad ties that rotted out. Everything will be sod/grass again. We never had a water issue before.

 

[manwithtools]

The Kubota and a box blade could do the job, but if you are not very experienced with the process it could be very frustrating. If you are experienced, then you know what a pain it could be.

A skilled operator on a CTL would knock it out in no time.

 

[manwithtools]

A tracked skid steer is so easy to use you should do it yourself. Within 30 minutes you could be using the few controls without thinking about it.

While getting used to the controls on a machine like that is pretty easy, it'll take far more than 30 minutes before you become proficient with it.

 

[pcmeiners]

Everything will be sod/grass again

Critical you test the soil and remediate to a neutral PH or it is a waste to use sod

While getting used to the controls on a machine like that is pretty easy, it'll take far more than 30 minutes before you become proficient with i

It is not that difficult to use, unless your machine *******, the older heavy duty machines had far more controls to deal with and required a more skilled "touch" to the controls.

 

[PCustoms]

The Kubota and a box blade could do the job, but if you are not very experienced with the process it could be very frustrating. If you are experienced, then you know what a pain it could be.

I find once you factor in the length of the loader, length of the tractor, and then the back blade engagement grading small areas this way kind of *****.

The tractor works very well longer distances where you can better maneuver and taper the start and stop.

Granted I have a larger tractor than the op, so take it for what it's worth

A skilled operator on a CTL would knock it out in no time.

Yep

 

[mm08822]

A Harley rake on a tracked skid steer would be a simple way to sculpt out the higher elevations and shape in a swail. Soil would be left well pulverized for seed or sod.

Maybe need the bucket attachment to move some of the excess new loose soil if too much generated.

 

[manwithtools]

A Harley rake on a tracked skid steer would be a simple way to sculpt out the higher elevations and shape in a swail. Soil would be left well pulverized for seed or sod.

Maybe need the bucket attachment to move some of the excess new loose soil if too much generated.

I agree completely with this statement. I'm about to buy a power (Harley) rake for my new CTL for leveling the yard prior to seeding, it would work equally as well for sod prep. OP, you might check with your sod supplier to see if they can recommend someone with such a setup to come prep the area for you.

 

[pcmeiners]

With the necessary grading, the OP needs a bucket.

 

[mm08822]

With the grading the OP needs a bucket will be needed.

Either a separate machine with a bucket on standby or switch out the Harley rake for the bucket one time. Implements are made to change out pretty easy.

 

[manwithtools]

With the grading the OP needs a bucket will be needed.

Perhaps, perhaps not.

Implements are made to change out pretty easy.

For sure, changing from a power rake to a bucket would be less than two minutes on my machine. Unplug two hydraulic hoses, get back in the AC comfort of the machine, use the hydraulic SSQA button to unlatch from rake, move to bucket, use the hydraulic SSQA button to attach bucket, resume work.

 

[Adaylate]

Bulletpruf should have his machine ready any day now!