About how much dirt would I be able to move in a day with a Bobcat?

[mugs]

Assume:
- The dirt will start in a large pile
- I will be moving this dirt around on a ~1/3 acre lot
- I see they make many different models, so assume I'm using the smallest
- 8 hour day
- Dirt will be dumped in small piles around the lot and spread manually by someone who is not operating the Bobcat

Anyone with personal experience? If I'm going to rent the thing, I want to get as much use out of it as I can. I also don't want to end up with a huge pile of dirt left over

 

[Saint Michael]

You're miserably incompetent (probably), so I'm gonna go with not enough.

 

[tfinch2]

Have you ever handled one before? There might be a bit of a learning curve.

Originally posted by: Saint Michael
You're miserably incompetent (probably), so I'm gonna go with not enough.

 

[Baked]

You should just rent a U-Haul truck and hire some hombres from home depot's parking lot. It's cheaper and faster.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

the typical bucket holds about 1/3CY full, so assume half that for an average. Assume a 3 minute round trip to scoop, move, dump, and return to the pile? Do the math...how ever many yards in the pile x .167 x 3 = # of minutes total.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
Have you ever handled one before? There might be a bit of a learning curve.

I haven't, but my father-in-law has and could probably help me if necessary.



Amazing the threads some people choose to troll in...

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Baked
You should just rent a U-Haul truck and hire some hombres from home depot's parking lot. It's cheaper and faster.

Heh... I'm not sure where the day laborers hang out around here. Looking around online, it's only about $150 a day to rent a Bobcat. Pretty sure I could move a lot more dirt with a Bobcat than a couple of day laborers could move with shovels and a wheelbarrow.

 

[Ronstang]

Why spread it by hand? Tip the bucket on the bobcat all the way down and smooth it out so that only a little raking is necessary. That is of course if the bobcat lets you tip the bucket down far enough.

 

[fossilburner]

I've been doing yard work all weekend. Here are some numbers that might help.

Coverage for Bulk Materials

1 CU YD will cover approx:
324 SQ FT · 1" deep
162 SQ FT · 2" deep
108 SQ FT · 3" deep
81 SQ FT · 4" deep
65 SQ FT · 5" deep
54 SQ FT · 6" deep

2.0 CU FT bags will cover approx:
24 SQ FT · 1" deep
12 SQ FT · 2" deep
9 SQ FT · 3" deep
6 SQ FT · 4" deep
4.8 SQ FT · 5" deep
4 SQ FT · 6" deep

HOW TO COMPUTE THE AMOUNT OF MATERIALS NEEDED
For material sold by the cubic yard:
· Length x Width x Depth (in feet) divided by 27= Cubic Yards.
· Length by Width = Square Feet.
· Square Feet by depth (inches divided by 12) = Cubic Feet.
· To convert Cubic Feet to Cubic Yards, divide by 27.
For material sold by the ton:
Use the same formula as calculating for cubic yards. Multiply the cubic yards by the tons per cubic yards.

CONVERSIONS AND CALCULATIONS
Materials: (approximations)
Topsoil 1 YD = 1 ton
Sands 1 YD = 1.5 ton
Mulch 1 YD = .5 ton
Slag 1 YD = 1.1 ton
Gravel 1 YD = 1.4 ton
Limestone 1 YD = 1.4 ton
Lucky Stone 1 YD = 1.3 ton
Silica Sand 1 YD = 1.3 ton
Recycled Concrete 1 YD = 1.3 ton
Ball Diamond Clay 1 YD = 1.5 ton
Brick Materials 1 YD = 1.3 ton

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
the typical bucket holds about 1/3CY full, so assume half that for an average. Assume a 3 minute round trip to scoop, move, dump, and return to the pile? Do the math...how ever many yards in the pile x .167 x 3 = # of minutes total.

By that math i could move 53 cubic yards in a day. :Q So even assuming I'm a noob and it takes me a while to get used to it, and assuming it takes me 5 minutes per load instead of 3, and assuming I don't get 8 full hours of use out of it, I think I should be set. Thanks for the help. I made a ballpark estimate that I'd need about 15 yards.

 

[Greenman]

Assuming lose dirt and not moving it very far, you could do 30 to 40 yards pretty easy. If it is just moving lose dirt you might be better off with a small front loader, easier to operate.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Ronstang
Why spread it by hand? Tip the bucket on the bobcat all the way down and smooth it out so that only a little raking is necessary. That is of course if the bobcat lets you tip the bucket down far enough.

I probably will do that, I was just making the assumption that I wouldn't in case I didn't have enough time to move the amount of dirt that I need to move.

Secondary question - according to fossilburner's post, 15 yards of topsoil will weigh 15 tons. I don't think they'll be able to dump it on the grass because of the curb and sidewalk. Is it safe to put 15 tons of dirt on an asphalt driveway? I figure a car weighs 3000 lbs and the weight is only spread across ~100 sq in of tire that's in contact with the asphalt. 15 tons of dirt spread across a large section of the driveway for a day should be fine, right?

 

[ShotgunSteven]

Did you buy it on eBay?

Rent from a place that lets you have it on holidays free, if you can arrange it and don't mind working on said holiday. We have a local rental place that doesn't charge you extra for keeping it on a holiday, as they are closed.

Any idea approximately how much dirt you're going to be moving? It has been a few years since I drove one, but once you get the hang of it you can get a lot of work done.

EDIT: Never mind, saw your estimate.

 

[compman25]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Ronstang
Why spread it by hand? Tip the bucket on the bobcat all the way down and smooth it out so that only a little raking is necessary. That is of course if the bobcat lets you tip the bucket down far enough.

I probably will do that, I was just making the assumption that I wouldn't in case I didn't have enough time to move the amount of dirt that I need to move.

Secondary question - according to fossilburner's post, 15 yards of topsoil will weigh 15 tons. I don't think they'll be able to dump it on the grass because of the curb and sidewalk. Is it safe to put 15 tons of dirt on an asphalt driveway? I figure a car weighs 3000 lbs and the weight is only spread across ~100 sq in of tire that's in contact with the asphalt. 15 tons of dirt spread across a large section of the driveway for a day should be fine, right?

Are you saying planet earth can't support it's own weight? I bet the dirt under the grass can support more dirt on top of it!

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Ronstang
Why spread it by hand? Tip the bucket on the bobcat all the way down and smooth it out so that only a little raking is necessary. That is of course if the bobcat lets you tip the bucket down far enough.

I probably will do that, I was just making the assumption that I wouldn't in case I didn't have enough time to move the amount of dirt that I need to move.

Secondary question - according to fossilburner's post, 15 yards of topsoil will weigh 15 tons. I don't think they'll be able to dump it on the grass because of the curb and sidewalk. Is it safe to put 15 tons of dirt on an asphalt driveway? I figure a car weighs 3000 lbs and the weight is only spread across ~100 sq in of tire that's in contact with the asphalt. 15 tons of dirt spread across a large section of the driveway for a day should be fine, right?

I would put it on the grass. They should be able to back over the curb fine, the walk may be iffy, but will probably be okay. I would avoid the driveway, as you will likely do more damage with the bobcat to the asphalt.

BTW, a bobcat may weigh in the neighborhood of 7-10,000 pounds plus, so make sure you have the proper truck and hitch to haul one if you rent one.

 

[BoomerD]

Once you get past the learning curve, you can move a LOT of dirt with even a small bobcat in a relatively short amount of time.
IIRC, skyking is a dirt hand (excavator operator) and might be able to give you a decent estimate. I make a bigger mess with one than I actually accomplish work... but I've spend a fair amount of time in them. How far do you have to move the dirt? Do you have clear access from the dump point to where the dirt needs to be spread?
You won't get 15 yards of dirt in one load. MAYBE 10 yards...if they have a large 10 wheel dump truck and not a small 6 wheel truck. Those hold 5-6 yards max. Figure at least 2 loads, and if the same truck is making 2 trips, you SHOULD be able to move the first pile before they get back with the second load.
Many dump trucks won't cross the curb/sidewalk unless you sign a waiver for any possible damages.
You can spread the dirt pretty well with a bobcat. maybe not to your finish grade, but enough to save a TON of shoveling. Probably a bit of leveling and rake work will be all that's needed once you get the hang of it.

 

[olds]

You could possibly rent a tractor with a front end loader (larger capacity) for the same as a bob cat.

 

[skyking]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
Once you get past the learning curve, you can move a LOT of dirt with even a small bobcat in a relatively short amount of time.
IIRC, skyking is a dirt hand (excavator operator) and might be able to give you a decent estimate. I make a bigger mess with one than I actually accomplish work... but I've spend a fair amount of time in them. How far do you have to move the dirt? Do you have clear access from the dump point to where the dirt needs to be spread?
You won't get 15 yards of dirt in one load. MAYBE 10 yards...if they have a large 10 wheel dump truck and not a small 6 wheel truck. Those hold 5-6 yards max. Figure at least 2 loads, and if the same truck is making 2 trips, you SHOULD be able to move the first pile before they get back with the second load.
Many dump trucks won't cross the curb/sidewalk unless you sign a waiver for any possible damages.
You can spread the dirt pretty well with a bobcat. maybe not to your finish grade, but enough to save a TON of shoveling. Probably a bit of leveling and rake work will be all that's needed once you get the hang of it.

Curbs and sidewalks get broken by the typical delivery truck. They usually won't cross them, as boomer has suggested.
I am assuming you are overcoating the entire yard with new soil and re-seeding.
Back the truck into your driveway and near the edge where you want to go. Angle the truck in there as best you can WITHOUT running any tires near corners of the paving. Those corners will crack right off.
Dump the dirt onto the yard and drive, and work it from the yard side.
Get the delivery company to split the loads, one in the AM and one in the afternoon. If you run out of dirt waiting, that is a good thing. Take that time to tune up what you have moved.
If you don't get it all spread with the bobcat, don't fret. The average inexperienced operator can't really see what is going on from the seat, and you will be happy to have a good sized pile to wheelbarrow in to fix all the boo-boos.
There is no substitute for rake work and eyeballing the job from down low.

 

[Jumpem]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
Have you ever handled one before? There might be a bit of a learning curve.

The learning curve is five minutes.

 

[silverpig]

Tip: If the bobcat starts to rock back and forth (and it will), just let go of the controls and it'll settle itself out. If you try to correct for it, or even hold on to the controls, you'll just add to the rocking.

 

[ja1484]

Gotta bury some bodies eh?

 

[bctbct]

Originally posted by: Jumpem

Originally posted by: tfinch2
Have you ever handled one before? There might be a bit of a learning curve.

The learning curve is five minutes.

no its not.

I moved about 80 yards in 3 hours but I have experience and drive the uniloader like its a rental. In you're case I guess you will drive it like a rental

 

[skyking]

Originally posted by: Jumpem

Originally posted by: tfinch2
Have you ever handled one before? There might be a bit of a learning curve.

The learning curve is five minutes.

:laugh:
piece of cake!

What could go wrong?

 

[Kadarin]

You might consider upgrading to a panther or a puma. I hear they dig a bit faster.

 

[shortylickens]

10 pounds.

About the size of an alternator.