Bruce's Journal

[Bruce]

Gee thanks Bay!

I don't know that a dozer would work well since they have to push stuff, not lift it. Works when making a new pond in relatively dry ground. I can see one begging for water wings when it got into the deeper muck. I really have no idea how deep the oozing muck is away from the "shoreline" in the north end.

 

[greybeard]

If you think you have muck now, put a dozer in it....it'll either find bottom or find there isn't one.

 

[Bruce]

Yep, I'm finding that out with the tractor. As you noted when you sent me out with my piece of rebar, what seems pretty firm gets awful squishy after the tractor has gone over it a few times. And once that grass cover breaks up, big change in what is under the tires.

 

[Bruce]

Progress. I figured that if there is ledge under the area where I could reach from the side with the backhoe, I could make a "road" and drive the tractor down there. Then I could use the bucket to dig. Got lots dug out including the cattails. It rained overnight so now there is water where I was digging. We NEED the rain, but I sure don't need it in the pond.

As a reminder the first picture shows the south west side where I had dug from the edge with the backhoe. That is the view from the upper left of the second picture. The next 2 are what the pond looks like today after using the bucket and the overnight rain. Lots of muck/clay up on the left which is what I was going to move today so I could attempt to dig more out.



The next picture shows the east side where I had dug with the backhoe (center left in the 2nd picture above). Kind of frustrating because there is a lot of stair step ledge where I had to dump the crud then move the tractor and try to move it more up the hill. Except there is no way to clean the stuff off the ledge. So much if it may end up back in the pond unless I get out the shovel.


This picture shows the extent of where I dug. Notice there are no cattails other than a clump that is up at the right top of the pool of lovely brown water. The cattails preferred to fall off the bucket rather than stay in it.


OK Joe, here is where you don't need to be jealous. Today I started moving the piles, beginning with the one right in front in the last picture. The bucket was cavitating when I was lifting it and wouldn't curl and lift at the same time which it was doing yesterday. I figure that means hydraulic issues so I checked the dipstick. It wasn't showing any fluid I had noticed some trails on the rocks in the parking area but figured it was just water. So off I go to TSC to get 5 gallons of fluid and a BIG funnel. I ended up putting all of it in and I think I'm still not seeing it on the dipstick. Lucky anything was running at all! I looked at all the fittings and the only place I saw shiny wet was under the quick connects for the backhoe which I didn't even use yesterday. I disconnected them and cleaned up the oil then reconnected and started the engine. Fluid started dripping then nearly flowing from the lower disconnect So I shut it off and called the dealer who sent a service guy over, turns out he was called as he was driving home from work. Long story short, it needs a female quick connect. He said there is an o-ring inside and it isn't just any old "pick it up at the hardware store" item. If he doesn't have the connector at the shop he will steal one off another tractor and be back tomorrow.

 

[Mike CHS]

I'm glad you found the leak.

 

[RollingAcres]

Looks like you've been busy!

 

[Baymule]

The good news is that it is new, under warranty and will be fixed pronto. Frustrating, it has been dry so long, now that you are working on the pond, it rains.

 

[Latestarter]

Sorry to hear it Bruce... But as was said, it's under warranty. You should ask to have them pay for the hyd fluid as well. Good to see that the weather cooperates with you up there like it does for us down here Hope the rig gets fixed early enough tomorrow that you can get back to it. Looks like you're having quite a bit of fun with your new tool.

 

[Bruce]

OK, so he came back in the morning and replaced the coupler. And noticed that the upper bolt that holds the backhoe together was backed out, no nut or washer on the inside. I don't know when he came back, probably on his way home from work. I looked at it a couple of times during the day and noticed it was fixed when I went to get the birds back behind the gate about 6 PM. Would have been nice if he'd rung the bell to let me know he did it.

So today I worked on the pond some more. I was able to create a "road", bumpy as it is, from the SW corner to the NE corner. Made it so I could run a loop south to north and dump the crude outside the north side of the pond instead of "temporarily" storing it like I did Wednesday and will have to move it again. Didn't make sense to get a bucket full and back all the way out the south end of the pond, drive to the north side then return. Pictures

"Road", looking north into the pond and a closer shot of where I had been digging. Note the sludge has moved into the space. Note the tire track in the second picture. There is raised ledge to the right of it that I have to go around. And the "road" as it exits to the NE

Camera at the approximate level of the pond when full


Closeup of the recently dug area


The sludge pile outside the north end of the pond. Lovely sticky clay. Which has oozed out to the north.


And just barely visible, @CntryBoy777's "plywood implement" at work. I have to clear the rock on the left. If not for the plywood I wouldn't be able to have my "road".


So far everywhere I have dug has had ledge underneath. Easy to check, push the bucket down and lift the front of the tractor off the ground

 

[CntryBoy777]

I was wondering if some square bales of hay would assist ya in holding back some of that sludge and keep it from flowing back into your way....I see them do a lot of that around here when they are doing roadwork...it should retard the sludge, but allow the water to perculate thru the hay....sometimes they will drive a couple of stakes into it to aid in keeping the bale in place....ya could use the cheap stuff for it and hopefully keep ya from having to travel to dump each bucket..........your problems with the tractor brought to mind that old Johnny Cash song...."One Piece at a Time".....