Need a lot of work done which machine to rent?

Hi,

I have a lot of work that needs to be done in my backyard. It has been left completely alone for 30 years other than a small portion and was massively overgrown(see picture). This past summer I did a lot of work to cut down most of what i could to try to turn it into usable space. So here is what I still have left to do:

1. Still some significant brush around the edges to remove
2. A number of small and medium stumps that need to be removed(4" - 10")
3. Grade the land so it is not so bumpy
4. Massive rock piles I'd like to either get rid of or move to the back of the property.
5. Dig out a 20'x20'x1' for a patio
6. On a hill and the water become a problem if there is a lot of rain or as the snow melts in the spring so I need to dig out a trench(from what i've read maybe 2ft by 6inch to fit a pipe and gravel)

So I realize I wont be able to do all of this at one time but I realize I need a machine and I was hoping to get suggestions on what to rent to make my life easier and do as much as I can with one rental. What size machine do you think I need? Suggestions for what attachments I'd need? Obviously I need a bucket but do I need something to rip up roots? Will the bucket be able to get the stumps out? Is there anything that could help dig the trench?

I realize that this isn't a ton of detail so feel free ask any questions!

Thanks in advance.

Look into what sort of tractors are available, and what attachments for them.
Make sure you call the 'Call Before You Dig' organization nearest you. Never know what might be under the ground back there!

The company I work for uses 2 tractors for all the work you are describing. They are Takeuchi TBO35 (backhoe) and TL 126 or similar bucket loader. We have several attachments for each.

Stumps and brush removal- back hoe, bucket with teeth. Dig up the main roots, too. A back hoe that can grab the brush to load it into a truck is very helpful.

Are you sure that trench is deep enough? Where will you run the water to? The discharge point needs to be lower than the bottom of the pipe you are putting in the trench. You can rent a laser transit to confirm the elevations, or you could buy a cheap one that will be useful for the drainage work, the concrete, and perhaps other jobs. 6" is not very wide. I would sure recommend you make the trench a foot wide and fill with gravel and use rigid smooth wall perforated drain pipe such as SDR 35 if there will be vehicle traffic over it, or 2729 if no traffic.
There are trenchers that can make that small a trench (6" x 2') but the right bucket on the backhoe (ask for several buckets and get instructions about how to change them) can make a trench 8" or a foot wide and a lot deeper.

Excavate for concrete: Back hoe will loosen the dirt, and with a little practice you can scrape it pretty close to level without disturbing the soil under it. Will you be pouring a thickened edge? Back hoe, again, to dig that trench-like part. Backhoe is reasonably efficient at moving dirt within the radius of its swing, but if you need to move it farther than that you could rent a tractor with a small bucket. Again, see what is available at what cost. A tractor that can only move 1/4 of a cubic yard will have to make twice as many trips as one that can handle 1/2 cu.yd. This type of tractor can also come with a scraper sort of attachment.

Moving soil, generally leveling the area: Tractor with bucket and scraper. Backhoe can do this in smaller volumes, once you get some practice, but the tractor with a bucket for moving larger volumes of soil and the scraper for leveling is better. You can scrape things smooth, scoop dirt to make hills and valleys, grade so the run off gets collected and removed, move more dirt out of the area of the concrete and even move the brush (though the back hoe is better at moving brush)

Moving boulders: Get input from the rental yard about which tractor. Measure the diameter of the largest so they will have at least some ballpark idea about the size and weight. If you just need to push them around (perhaps use them for landscape accents) then any tractor big enough to move them with some sort of blade could work. We use a specialized rock lifter for boulders to about 30" or so, or slings (sort of like a tow strap) for larger ones. Be VERY careful moving the larger ones. If they take off they can do a lot of damage!

This message was edited Dec 30, 2014 9:44 AM

I would think someone like Diana who knows more about ground work than anyone else here should be the person to guide you on this type of work. I think she could even give you the correct machinery for the right job as I really dont think there is a one size to fit all.

My own plan would be to measure the rise and fall of the land where the water arrives and down to where it collects, then start to dig the channels for that need, make the natural right route and depth for that.
My own opinion is, no point fixing some part that will only be ruined when water flows down and spoils all the other hard work.
As for the tree roots you need to remove, I guess it will depend on the type of wood these are, hard wood may require to hire a tree stump grinder, softer wood may just require harder hand chopping, IF you want to use machinery like the bucket attachment to do the job, you need to make sure you leave enough stump above ground to help pull, nudge and tease the roots out, we've done this type of work and it is easy BUT time consuming, AND fun when you see the results.
As for the brush around the edges, I would leave that till last, make a pathway through IF required BUT it will offer some protection for the ground while more important heavier work goes on.
The piles of stones can be carted away while you have the machinery with the buckets, they can be reused maybe to make retaining walls for the sloping ground etc, make edges for beds, pathways, etc.

Dont throw them away till you are absolutely sure you dont need them for anything else, it's expensive and hard work to get stone delivered and handled manually.

I would also make a rough plan / drawing to follow for pathways, beds, borders, where to replant any tree's, make an orchard or summerhouse, whatever you want BUT you MUST mark out the lines of overhead cables, drainage, water pipes etc, anything that you MUST take care of BEFORE you begin bringing in ANT type of machinery, these compact the ground, can burst underground pipes and with a bucket, can catch overhead cables which IF damaged can cost a ransom to have engineers etc come fix them.
Doing ground work that you describe is NOT something to take on lightly so make good plans, take advise from people who ACTUALLY know how to, when to, and why you have to do it in a certain order, dont get carried away doing a little bit here, then a little bit there, start and finnish one chore at a time, it may take longer BUT it will be done properly.
I look forward to hearing about your plans and progress, it's fun, it can be slow, and you can make mistakes, but thats how we learn about our garden layouts, soil and directions for plants / tree / shrubs etc.
I always say, a garden was NEVER built in a day, ifd it was, it will take a day to be destroyed because you done have the experience to care for it all, so take your time and do it bit by bit.
Good luck and kindest regards.
WeeNel.

So Glad Diana came in here quickly and can help you out best, she must have been typing same time as me LOL. Thank you Diana,
WeeNel.

This is very helpful. Thank you very much.

The trench may not be big enough and deep enough. I am not sure, how deep do you think it should be? I do have a place to drain it to, there is a drain installed by the city on the side of my front yard and its all downhill until that point. The property is pretty much like a rectangle and the water flows from the top of the hill in the back yard and makes its way down to my yard. Most of the land is graded to the right so the water accumulates on that side of the yard and pools in certain areas. I was thinking of cutting a trench diagonally across the back of the property and then down one side all the way to the drain in the front. Does that seem like a reasonable idea? I attached a diagram. I am also a bit worried as the trench has to go by a few trees and i'm assuming i'm going to have a hard time getting through the roots.

No vehicle traffic on there so I was planning to use the 2729 pipe.

As far as the patio I was planning on digging the 1' by 20x20 hole and then using pavers. I live in the north east outside of Boston and the concrete around here tends to crack due to the cold winters.

I found this site: https://www.sunbeltrentals.com/equipment/

and they have a location near me and seem to have a few tractors that can have a bucket and a backhoe attachment. Would it work to just have it attached to one so that I can do the job with one tractor or is there a reason not to do this?

Thanks again for the quick and very thoughtful responses!

Here is how to figure out drainage.

1) What is the distance from the farthest point away from the discharge point? If you have to route the pipe around stuff, include those diversions.
2) Use any form of transit you can and figure out the difference in elevation between these 2 points.
3) Absolute minimum fall is 1%, that is 1' of fall per 100' run, 1" in 8'.
That only works with smooth wall pipe (2729 is good) and I would install a clean out. Roto-rooter can service 2729, use long bend 90 degree fittings. If you can get 1.5% or more that is a lot better. The flowing water will keep the pipe cleaner.
4) Start the trench as deep as you can, this will pick up more water than a shallow trench.
5) I would use 4" diameter pipe. To be able to install that it is much better to have a wider trench. Unless the layout and trenching is perfect, corners (22.5 deg, 45 deg. and 90 deg) tends to wander a bit back and forth. Also, better to have some room to get into the trench if needed.

Good to check out the rental yards near you. Explain what you are doing so they can help you get the right equipment. Is there a wide enough gate or fence section you can go through? Are the eaves of the house sticking out, in the path?

Here is a cross section of a drainage pipe installation.

dre968, I live nearby in Hopkinton and agree with you that pavers are better because concrete cracks due to extreme cold/thaw problems of the region. From my research flowable fill seems to be the best option for under the pavers but it is expensive. Crushed 1" stone is much better than sand, sand is better than fill, and fill is better than topsoil/organic matter which sinks quickly. For proper drainage the patio should have a minimal slope (1/2" every 10 ft. is okay, and the slope should be in the base as well as the finish.

You can put polymetric gelling in the pavement cracks to prevents weeds and prevent water from getting under the pavement. If you're using rip rap (big chunky rocks) for the base fill the cracks with pea stone. Paving fabric is another option and very easy to install. Also, do a plan of where the water flows to ensure it flows away from buildings.

Uneven land can be your friend. Slopes direct water and contain it in order to irrigate the landscape without paying more for water. You can build hugelkulture raised mounds filled with cleared brush and stumps. I suggest researching permaculture for ideas to make the garden easy to care for.

Also, if you rent equipment you might need training. Check out the building code requirements in Natick to see if there are restrictions. Also, beware of underground pipes. And finally, work with nature, not against her.

Thanks for the help everyone. Will keep you posted. Parts of the backyard are pretty frozen so decided to wait until spring for the digging. Meanwhile I can burn the brush starting in mid january.

dre968, yes the ground is frozen here in Massachusetts. Winter is an excellent time to prune and chop trees/brush because the branches are bare and its easier to move around the garden-and also no mosquitos! However, yesterday's snow makes it more difficult to see the ground. Also, as an alternative to burning brush you might consider piling it into a mountain and covering it with soil and mulch to create a hugelkulture raised bed:

http://www.richsoil.com/hugelkultur/

Nancy G.