I need to move a lot of decorative gravel (15 yards) for landscaping my new back yard. Access is kind of tight, though I do have a 36 inch wide concrete sidewalk around that end of the house. I can't get a Bobcat or other large machine through the area without creating too much destruction on the existing landscaping..

Is there some sort of compact utility loader like the Toro Dingo that doesn't steer by skidding the tires or tracks? I think one would work great except for the rubber it would leave all over the sidewalk. I've used Bobcats and they can be terribly hard on the ground when they turn. I need something more gentle that can carry a small bucket of gravel. Are there any articulated loaders out there?

http://news.managingautomation.com/fullstory/21637

My alternative is to either hand barrow the gravel (ouch, my back) or hire one of those huge belt type loaders that can shoot the stuff clear over my house ($$$$ ouch $$)

Thanks for any advice. I know this is kind of off-topic for this forum, but I  am willing to bet that some of you guys can help me.

John Davies

Only 36" If you could find closer to 42-48", you could use any garden tractor with a dumping cart. The skid steer or loader then could load the cart, drive ans dump. then repeat. Still a little slow, but i moved 9 yards of soil with a small dumping cart in a little over a day.

Maybe you could find something like a Deere LX with 4WS (4 wheel steer) and a Johnny Bucket? I think the turning radius is something like 12-14 inches.

gravley has a small shid steer that you stand on the back of and it should work for you with minimal turf damage .you could even put down a cheep piece of plywood in areas where there are tight turns .

and i have also seen wheel barrows with 4 wheels and a small gas engine on them ,they are used in construction.concrete and roofers use them,not sure of brand or name.

later chris 

Hi...

I like SS's idea of a powered wheelbarrow(s)... rented...

next... a lawn/garden tractor w/ cart...

next... you and/or hired hand(s) push  wheelbarrow(s)...

Today... many folks are in a hurry to get things done quickly with minimal physical effort... almost any job is doable manually...

My Father (and I) hand dug... and hand loaded... hundreds of cubic yards of soil/rocks... into a dumptruck for a couple/few years... excavating the back yard of the property...

Not fast... very physical... but doable...

Today... I like using machines !        ...wonder why ?

Dave...

Dave___in___CT wrote:
What do you mean by powered wheelbarrow - how does that differ from the Dingo or other skid-steer loaders? Does it steer or skid in turns?

I would use a garden tractor and wagon if I had access to them. I suppose I could rent them for about the price of a loader.

I don't mind barrowing by hand. The problem is the quantity of materials and the fact that there is a short steep downhill section of sidewalk. It's doable with dirt, but a heavy load of rock is tricky and you have to run to keep up with the load.

I move most of my yard materials by hand. It does take forever, but you certainly get a feeling of satisfaction when the job is done. It also is a lot easier on the existing landscaping than using a Bobcat.

Thanks for all comments.

John Davies

Here's one brand.....Muck Truck

And another....Power Barrow

And....DR. Powerwagon

Marshall wrote:
The MuckTruck link is dead, but the other two look interestinhg.  I think either would work great in my yard. I guess my next step is to find a rental store that has one.

Thanks very much for the info.

John

JohnEDavies wrote: John, the sites down for some reason? He's the UK site for Muck Truck.

That Muck Truck sure looks like a winner. MSRP is US$2875, so it should be very attractive to local rental stores. I imagine stables and small farrms could really get some use out of it, but it might not be as attractive as an ATV/ cart combo or a JD Gator Utility Vehicle, because the operator has to walk!

I wonder how prevalent the Muck Truck is in the USA?

SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE: HONDA GCV 160, 4-Stroke, 5.5 hp
TRANSMISSION: Peerless transaxle, 4 forward / 1 reverse speed
CAPACITY: 6 cu. ft. 1/4 - ton
WHEELS: Front: 400 x 10, 4 - ply tractive Rear: 400 x 8
BRAKE: Disk
CABLES: Protected
NOISE RATING: 80 db
DIMENSIONS
LENGTH: 61"/155 cm
WIDTH: 28"/70 cm
HEIGHT: 34"/85 cm
WEIGHT: 202.5 lbs./92 Kq

It looks like just the thing for working around existing landscaping without trashing the turf, esp with those big low pressure balloon tires.

John Davies