Excavators on Slopes

My girlfriend owns a farm in western PA that dates back to 1787. There is very little flat land on the property. 5 to 10 degrees is the average slope, and much of the land that needs to be developed slopes from 25 to 35 degrees.

30 degrees (not percent) seems to be the most quoted gradeability limit for tracked/wheeled excavators.

However, on page OI-39 of the Bobcat 331/331E/334 Excavator Operation & maintenance Manual (see: http://www.materielsektionen.dk/skabelon/pdf/1794.pdf) it shows three pictures of an excavator on slopes:

Traveling down or backing up slopes (w/ boom forward) – 25 degree maximum slope
Traveling up slopes (w/ boom forward) – 15 degree maximum slope
Traveling across a slope (w/ boom centered between the tracks) – 15 degree maximum slope

Given that Bobcat has to obey the same laws of physics as every other equipment manufacturer, they are either being overly cautious in their recommendations, or most other manufacturers are being overly optimistic.

But very little mention seems to be made anywhere regarding actually working on slopes that are up near the gradeability limits.

And work (digging/logging/augering/winching/concreting/etc.) is what I need to be doing on such slopes.

What would be a safe slope for a tracked excavator to actually be able to work on?

At what point would ‘leveling up’ the machine using the blade hydraulics not be sufficient to allow the machine to swing 360 degrees while lifting maximum loads at maximum reach?

At what point would tethering the excavator to an immovable object up the slope be prudent?

And when is a walking excavator really the only sane solution?

Many thanks for taking the time to respond.

Best regards,

Steve

Yair . . .this should be an interesting thread.

yank132 what do you actualy mean by"developed" in the context of this quote

much of the land that needs to be developed slopes from 25 to 35 degrees.

Click to expand...

Cheers.

on any slope which you feel is too steep to work on you simply dig yourself a road.In side view, a wedge out of the ground.Please post more info on what you are planning to do.

scrub puller & robin yates uk–

Yes, I should have provided a fuller description of the work I need to do.

The property is littered with big trees, some of which predate the revolution/rebellion (depending on your national perspective), and many of which predate the Civil War. NONE of these do I want to damage/remove to allow for easier access to the large machinery that EVERY local excavating company I contacted wanted to use on the property (this is the main reason why I’m purchasing equipment to do all these jobs myself).

The layout/locations/spacings of the existing buildings/trees limit access (without tearing down/digging up) to excavators in the 5-6 ton class.

I need to install a driveway (the last building on the property was erected in 1924 when the then owner only had a horse, so he didn’t need a driveway. And subsequent owners have simply parked along the roadside!).

I need to install a fair bit of 12 inch twin wall corrugated drainage pipe to deal with water runoff from a rural road adjoining the property (the local township has refused to fix this issue for over 40 years now and the Chair of the Supervisors told me just two weeks ago that they have no intention of ever resolving this problem! In fact they are no longer going to tar & chip the road - it will be reverting to a dirt road.).

I need to auger a large number of 24 inch diameter holes to support 8 to 10 inch diameter poles.

I want to plant a number of larger trees on these slopes and I feel that augering 36 inch diameter holes would create much less damage than digging holes for planting.

I need to install countless yards of retaining walls that vary in height from about 3 feet up to about 15 feet (the latter will be a reinforced concrete wall about 75 feet long that sits about 17 feet away from the rural road mentioned above).

I need to move hundreds of tons of largish (depending on your outlook) rocks. These are in the 500 to 1000 lb range. Most sit down in two drainage ditches that have 4 to 10 foot high banks. So, I need to put the excavator down into these ditches, and then lift the rocks out and put them into a FEL bucket for removal and reuse elsewhere on the property.

There is also a 2/3 car garage, a greenhouse (20 ft x 40 ft) and machine shop (30 ft x 50 ft x 18 ft under a gantry crane hook) that I want to partially set into (as opposed to flattening the land and rising above) various hillsides.

Think semi-underground type buildings where only the roofs and perhaps walls on 1 or 2 sides are visible.

I used the word ‘logging’ in my OP, but ‘thinning’ would perhaps be more appropriate. The hardwood trees in question aren’t huge, but the slopes mentioned does somewhat complicate their removal for slabbing/splitting.

Yes, I could ‘terrace’ my way up/down the slopes, but I would rather not disturb the native soil in this manner (except for where the driveway, garage, greenhouse and my ‘machine shop’ will be going).

So, to better contend with working on all these angled surfaces, I’ve bought a Helac for this size machine.

I plan on fitting a hydraulic pin coupler so I can reverse mount buckets/attachments.

I’m also looking for a 24 inch Jaw Bucket (much more useful in my situation than a thumb).

And perhaps on my next trip back home to Europe, a Rototilt will be coming back as excess baggage!

I need to actually ‘work on’ not simply traverse the slopes I mentioned to undertake the tasks outlined above.

When is feeling a slope is to steep appropriate, and when is feeling it is too steep being wimpish?

Haven’t any loaded tests been done to determine excavator stability when actually working on steep slopes?

Best regards,

Steve

The manufacturer specs for max slope is a suggestion at best. It really comes down what your comfortable with, which won't be much at first(or at least shouldn't be). Start with the flatter parts and get used to getting up and down slopes using the bucket and tracks together. Dig the blade in and level the excavator out whenever are you working. On the really steep stuff you'll have to climb the slope and bench out a spot before you can do any actual work. Jaw buckets don't work that great on rocks, unless you mean a clam bucket

Crawler loader with 4/1 plus the excavator sound like alot of work for a small excavator. A thumb you can use any bucket & better all around. Be safe on the slopes get some time on the flat area. Learn the balance points. Can flip over fast,just the counter wieght - boom in the wrong position on a slope that's it. Save the worst parts for latter learn frist.

my assessment of your project is that you have years of work, retaining walls alone are a specialised science, not something to be taken on without drawings done by a ground engineer.The 3 foot "augered holes" are nowhere big enough for the size of trees you want to plant! So many of your plans need professional management and workers.I admire your enthusiasim but I fear working without required knowledge will be timewasting and very expensive,. Good luck

some photos of the area would be a big help I think

Nay sayers will nay.... Just get out there and do what you can... If your working on a steep slope you need to be fairly competent with your arm. It will be your main control for moving, your tracks wont be effective on climbing and dangerous on decending... All i can say is plan your moves and place your boom in direction you are most liklely to tip so if it does you will be able to right yourself.. As for working on a slope, i would cut a notch horizontially for my track to sit in and get as level as possible, or if you have a blade, use that as an advatage to keep your self level.... Good luck, and have fun!

I deal with 10 acre parcels on slopes that need development, your on the right track with the drainage. What we do is establish the building site or sites. Then we dig out the high sides and put the dirt and gravel from the high side onto the lower side. (diamentions of the building site and a good site survey is important work, spend lots of time on this). After a level site is established add a thick layer of pit run, gravel or whatever you can get trucked in to firm the ground and site ( you may need those retailing walls but if you have enough material you may be able to expand the site wider to accomplish this on the lower side but a must on the high side unless you can scallop the high side.(again you must have good drainage or it will wash away)
Driveway grades are very very important. Im going to leave this short as to not ramble. I use a Hitachi Ex60, that would be a minimum size I suggest ( bigger will be quicker but could also make a mess faster). Plan, plan, plan . all the pre-planning will pay off in spades and save you time , money and energy). Theres my 2 cents.

Did piling/soil nail job on slope 33 degrees in places last year,measured with angle finder along track frame,would have preferred bucket lol that extension,with the offset weight of drill boom,made it 'interesting'as did the tree stumps.

From what you are telling us you need a Menzi Muck... And I have one

In all seriousness a tracked machine on the real steep ground can go bad in a hurry. I know where their is a Schaff sitting that can be bought, it even has a power tilt. No it is not mine either, after having a good Menzi their is no way I would go back to a lesser machine...

When Sunday River Ski area in Newry, Maine cut White Heat,a Double Diamond Expert ski trail, the cabled one excavator working the slope to another. It is pretty step at the headwall. Has to be groomed with a winch cat.
I find having a blade on an excavator alows you to level the machine on a slope. All 3 of my excavators have blades and love having them.
Cannon Mnt in NH used a Menzi Muck 30 years ago when the tram was replaced to clear the tram line and dig the tower foundations.

The new Menzi's are so far advanced, kinda like comparing a Linkbelt LS 4000 to a Cat 329.