Need help with grading yard

[ive]

Hi all.

I took out some soil last fall to lower the grade for my backyard. My mother in law lives with us, and I did this so she can move around easier due to mobility issues.

I have attached some pictures and where I’m at now is that I need to take a few inches of dirt off the top in some places, amd have weeds growing as well. Where the gravel is will be walkways.

what’s the best tool rental tool I can use to shave off a couple inches of dirt so I can make it flush with the walkways I’m putting in.

sorry for the mess. Been building a patio as well.

Thank you.

 

[mcbane]

From the photos it looks like a very small amount of material to be moved. Might be most practical to rent a shovel, wheelbarrow, and landscape rake.

BTW, it is a mistake to make a paved walkway flush with the surrounding dirt. You want it a little bit higher so you can easily sweep it clean or hose it off. If it is too low, on a rainy day, muddy water will flow from the surrounding soil onto your walkway.

 

[NC Fabricator25]

That's a small area, the only options would be by hand with a shovel and rake, or utilizing one of the stand on mini tracked machines, like a Toro Dingo or Ditch Witch SK series. Every rental place has them, I've noticed HomeDepot has a nice selection already loaded on a small single axle trailer for rent.

 

[Bretny]

I would use a shovel. By the time you get done even useing a tiny machine back there you will still need to do hand work anyway.

But to break up the soil so it's easy to work with by hand you can rent a tiller(about $100 for a day) It should break up the ground a few inches deep. At that point I would use a steel rake and shovel to get to your final grade. Then seed and water.

 

[ive]

From the photos it looks like a very small amount of material to be moved. Might be most practical to rent a shovel, wheelbarrow, and landscape rake.

BTW, it is a mistake to make a paved walkway flush with the surrounding dirt. You want it a little bit higher so you can easily sweep it clean or hose it off. If it is too low, on a rainy day, muddy water will flow from the surrounding soil onto your walkway.

Hi Mcbane.

Sorry. I should have been more specific. There will be a gravel pathway with pavers set on top. Thanks for the advice about keeping it above the grass.

 

[ive]

That's a small area, the only options would be by hand with a shovel and rake, or utilizing one of the stand on mini tracked machines, like a Toro Dingo or Ditch Witch SK series. Every rental place has them, I've noticed HomeDepot has a nice selection already loaded on a small single axle trailer for rent.

Thank you. I will look into these machines.

 

[ive]

I would use a shovel. By the time you get done even useing a tiny machine back there you will still need to do hand work anyway.

But to break up the soil so it's easy to work with by hand you can rent a tiller(about $100 for a day) It should break up the ground a few inches deep. At that point I would use a steel rake and shovel to get to your final grade. Then seed and water.

Thank you. I will look into a tiller.

 

[ive]

Much appreciated gentlemen.

 

[Bighead38]

For something that small I have to agree that a tiller and some hand work would be the best bet.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Rent a rear tine rototiller. It will make the hand digging MUCH easier.