determined
Well-Known Member
Trying to finish off cleaning the corrals before things freeze up. ( Using an old Case W26 loader)
One pen has a low spot that has water in it for a good part of the year. (maybe a 20x20 spot that holds water)
Cleaned out this pen last year, a little slippery but no problems. ( Put decent tires on it this spring and chains on the front wheels)
This year it was basically dry when I went into the pen, started cleaning and next thing I know a front wheel starts going down into what I would describe as a sand pocket in the clay base, only took a quick spin of the wheel for it to go down to the axle (23.5 x 25 tires)
Stopped grabbed another machine, dug it out and a quick tug with the tandem had it out.
Got back at it last week and hauled 11 loads of railway gravel/sand mix in and was placing it 2-3 feet deep when the right front wheel slid down the side of the material I was placing and literally disappeared.
several days of digging material out from around it with a small machine resulted in a hole the size of a small house with the wheels all above ground level,
Hooked doubled up chains to the loaded tandem and started to pull, that's when the fun began, the right front wheel went down out of site.
Lifted the front up with the bucket dug back the muck and tried placing boulders in the hole that was trying to inhale the loader.
Wheels spun
Tandem started to hop
Tow chains started snapping
Tried adding colorful language, did not help but felt better for a few seconds until the berm between the pens let go and filled the hole with water.
Day 3 back bladed enough gravy out of the hole that I could walk/crawl/wade through the muck to get back to the loader.
Finally had enough and called a neighbour with a track hoe, while waiting for him I spent a few hours scooping enough mud out of the engine bay by hand so the fan belts would be able to turn when it came time to start up again.
Neighbour walks his hoe in, moves three scoops, we hooked up a chain and he pulled me out like it was nothing.
While he had his machine in the pen we loaded out 5 tandem loads of muck and it seems we have reached a firm bottom.
3.5 hours with the pressure washer and a few tubes of grease later I am ready to try again and hence comes my question.
Should I fill the crater with rocks then top with gravel or will the railway gravel/sand mix pack enough to put an end to this hole from hell?
If I go with rock how deep should I layer it?
The bottom of the crater is probably 6 feet+ below grade.
I have plenty of all the materials on the land here so its just time and fuel.
One pen has a low spot that has water in it for a good part of the year. (maybe a 20x20 spot that holds water)
Cleaned out this pen last year, a little slippery but no problems. ( Put decent tires on it this spring and chains on the front wheels)
This year it was basically dry when I went into the pen, started cleaning and next thing I know a front wheel starts going down into what I would describe as a sand pocket in the clay base, only took a quick spin of the wheel for it to go down to the axle (23.5 x 25 tires)
Stopped grabbed another machine, dug it out and a quick tug with the tandem had it out.
Got back at it last week and hauled 11 loads of railway gravel/sand mix in and was placing it 2-3 feet deep when the right front wheel slid down the side of the material I was placing and literally disappeared.
several days of digging material out from around it with a small machine resulted in a hole the size of a small house with the wheels all above ground level,
Hooked doubled up chains to the loaded tandem and started to pull, that's when the fun began, the right front wheel went down out of site.
Lifted the front up with the bucket dug back the muck and tried placing boulders in the hole that was trying to inhale the loader.
Wheels spun
Tandem started to hop
Tow chains started snapping
Tried adding colorful language, did not help but felt better for a few seconds until the berm between the pens let go and filled the hole with water.
Day 3 back bladed enough gravy out of the hole that I could walk/crawl/wade through the muck to get back to the loader.
Finally had enough and called a neighbour with a track hoe, while waiting for him I spent a few hours scooping enough mud out of the engine bay by hand so the fan belts would be able to turn when it came time to start up again.
Neighbour walks his hoe in, moves three scoops, we hooked up a chain and he pulled me out like it was nothing.
While he had his machine in the pen we loaded out 5 tandem loads of muck and it seems we have reached a firm bottom.
3.5 hours with the pressure washer and a few tubes of grease later I am ready to try again and hence comes my question.
Should I fill the crater with rocks then top with gravel or will the railway gravel/sand mix pack enough to put an end to this hole from hell?
If I go with rock how deep should I layer it?
The bottom of the crater is probably 6 feet+ below grade.
I have plenty of all the materials on the land here so its just time and fuel.
