Kubota BX- Digging a pad for a shed with the FEL 

Haha your comment made me laugh Clint! Always appreciate your comments!

Thanks buddy, I appreciate that!

Thanks Steve, sorry Iv been pretty late on my comments lately as I’ve been so busy with my new pole barn and other projects. I appericate it and congrats on your new 1880! Your gonna love it man, it may seem frustrating at first as a new operator trying to do detailed work but I assure you the more time you spend in the seat the easier and easier it will become as you slowly learn your own techniques. Best of luck and stay safe!

Thanks so much man, I’m super glad you enjoy my videos and I hope it can give you some more ideas of things to do with your bx even if you only have just the loader. It’s amazing how Versatile a loader can be. I love to be able to showcase what this little tractor can do. They are a work horse for sure!

What lazer level Patrick?

Hey Phillip thanks for watching! Yah this job went very easy as the topsoil here was pretty decent stuff, we do have areas with lots of clay tho and depending on how deep you dig you’ll def find clay like you describe.. but I agree I think we have some decent dirt here in WNY with out a ton of huge rocks which is great also. Thanks for watching it sounds like your getting the money out of your machine!

Thanks Jason that means a lot man, I agree with you completely that sometimes you don’t need fancy high dollar and big equipment to get the same quality of work done at the end of the day specially if you know how to use it. Thanks for watching!

Haha thanks Ken, I don’t blame you for doubting this very small machine, many people don’t think it’s capable which was why I actually started my channel, to show people with a good operator in the seat what this machine can actually accomplish. Tbanks for watching!

PS. I’ll be recording a video soon to upload next weekend of a driveway job at this same house, I plan to show how well the pad is doing in the new video.. it’s been a few yeses since I made this vid I think so I’d like to update people on how well the pad is holding up

Thanks Gary I really appreciate the kind words! I’m self taught with the loader but I’m always thinking of new useful ways I can use the loader to make life easier.. a lot of the things I do with my loader I rarely see others do but hey it works and idc lol. Be sure to check out my other tractor working/fel videos as you may find more helpful things by watching them. Thanks for your comment/support! 👍🏻

Thanks man I really appreciate that! I contribute that to lots of hours in the seat clearing land that got me so good with the FEL over the years. Stay safe out there!

Thanks Steve, it takes time for sure but the more you use it the more comfortable you’ll get and the more second nature it will become for you 👍🏻

Thanks Steve I try my best! Haha. Im actually editing a video right now where I revisit this job so you guys get to see the pad I built a year later and how its holding up so stay tuned for my next video. Thanks for watching!

Thanks man, Yah I hear its a lot tougher down south, ours can be like concrete in the summer months specially places with more clay in the soil but in spring and fall its really not bad at all. Thanks for watching!

Thanks buddy!

Thanks conkle! I’m So happy to hear that, hopefully I can continue to put out content you can enjoy! How long have you owned your bx? It does take time but the more you use it the better you’ll get and the more natural it will become for you

@@BiffsEquipment only owned it for a year now try to use it as much as I can. I many been digging out stumps (trying to do some thinning of the trees) and little brush hogging. You just make it look so easy. Tho I probably use my grapple more than my bucket too. You will love when you get your it the best at clearing.

@@conkle26 that’s great man, hey I can’t blame you one bit cuz if I had a grapple I don’t think I’d be using the bucket near as much either! Haha. Hope to have one soon only issue right now with getting one is COVID is killing production at many company’s and anywhere you go to get one you’ll have to expect a 3-6 week time frame and by that point it could be snowing here so it’s looking more like next spring on the grapple for me but I do have some custom hydraulic front implements in the works that I think you guys are gonna love!

Thanks Joseph! The job turned out great and in one of my later videos I did some work at this house again and while I was there I showed the pad and his shed on the pad to show how it all turned out.. the pad a year later still looks just like the day I did it, I Believe I did leave it a little tapered in the back for run off but I can’t remember.. if not it’s still doing good cuz none of it got washed away.. also because the shed sits in the middle I don’t think it’s a big issue with water. Hope you had a great 4th!

Haha! That’s funny Rich cuz it was bothering me too haha. Sounds like your a little OCD like myself lol. Thanks for watching buddy 👍🏻

Thanks Jimmy! Don’t get discouraged! It takes time. I can’t tell you how many people Iv heard this from over the years.. you’re not alone. Guys with bigger tractors also.. it just takes time to really learn the feel for the machine and the bucket to know what’s happening out in front.. how much to tilt and angle the bucket and then when to tilt it back when you do start to dig in. I learned a lot of my skills from clearing acres of land when I first got my tractor.. it’s much easier to start out doing dirt/lawn then it is on hard rocky driveways.. so if you can practice grading and scraping in dirt first that will help. Also you may just have extremely hard ground and driveway where you are at.. it may help to use a grader box or something to help break the ground up first. The best time of year to do driveway grading is in early spring or late fall so that the ground and gravel are softer.. you may wanna give it a few months and try again. Best of luck buddy and don’t give up 👍🏻

Hey Jimmy another thing that can help you is once you dig down some.. even if it’s too much.. back fill that area until you feel you’ve reached the depth you want.. once you have a bucket or to legth of material out at the proper depth you want to go.. then from there just lay your bucket in the hole you dug nice and flat and push forward.. this will keep you around the same depth so you can keep skimming at that same depth. You want to use your first few holes as a depth gauge.. then keep your bucket level in the hole from there on out to continue skimming at the same depth. I plan to make a video explaining this process at some point. I just need to find time.

@@BiffsEquipment thank you so much. I will try this on my property some . I did let the customer know I wasn’t to confident in trying it but was really wanting me to try. He did understand when I let him know my skill level wasn’t there yet. I really appreciate your advice.

Hey Paul! This Kubota bx sounds like it would certainly be a good fit for your 3 acre property. The John Deere 1023e and 1025r are also nice machines as well as the new holland 25s. those would prolly be my first 3 picks for sub combact tractors right now based on warentee and reliability. The Kubota bx is an outstanding machine for its small size, very powerful and very reliable. You just can’t kill this thing. Good luck with your search and let me know what you end up with! Would love to hear.

a 3 acre lot? you dont need a toy tractor or any tractor down there, you dont even get 6 foot snow storms, the little a small peace need can be done by hand, i have 30 acres and live stock, and big snow storms, and all i have is an old beater 4x4 with a plow, and rent a good size mini ex once every 2 summers for 5 days for clean up and repairs or add ons. these toka toys are not worth the salt.

Thanks Wayne I appreciate that. I care a lot about the work I do and making the customer happy is always my most importance 👍🏻

How much read ballast do you have on your tractor? It could be that you don’t have enough which will cause it to spin and not go anywhere when digging. The more weight toj add the more impressive it will dig like this as you get more of that power to the ground

Thanks jimmy!

Thanks buddy! The pad turned out really nice and is still there holding up perfectly today! I will be revisiting this job site this spring for some driveway work and will show you guys how the pad is holding up!

Thanks buddy! Yah we had quite a bit of rain the passed week before I started this job as it typically rains alot in the fall here in NY and the dirt was nice and soft! Thanks for watching man and I'm planning to head over to your channel this weekend when I get some time so I can check out your grapple comparison video! Did you make a video on your most recent job too? Would love to watch!

Thanks buddy! The pad turned out really good, I have a 2nd video where I poured/graded the stone.. the pad is still in perfect shape and holding his new shed very good over the last year. He’s had no issues 👍🏻

Thanks man, congrats on your very first tractor! I bet your stoked to get out there and use it! Which tractor did you end up going with? I’m glad to hear my videos help out so many newer tractor owners, I’m sure with some seat time you’ll get use to it really quick. I’v been slowly getting things ready for winter, next week they are calling for snow already. 👍🏻

@@BiffsEquipment We got 1/4” of snow overnight here in the Maritimes. I went with a Kioti CX2510, the main reason is the 🤝 friendly service I got and believe I will get going forward 🙏

@@sheetmetalwork very cool man! The Kioti you bought is a great machine also! Honestly any bug tractor brand these days makes a pretty nice machine. There is small differences in power and lifting capabilities but can all do roughly the same amount of work. Another big difference would be in their design with how the leaves are setup and how easily or not easily they can be maintained or repaired but aside from those things they are all very close. I think you’ll be very happy with your purchase specially having a great dealer that supports you cuz that’s half the battle! 👍🏻

@@BiffsEquipment I really do appreciate you taking the time give me some advice and who knows there’s a big chance that I’ll be asking you for more in the near future😀.

@@sheetmetalwork no problem man, I know what it’s like to have a question and ask it just to waste your time and not be answered and it sucks, I try not to do that to the people who subscribe and enjoy watching my videos, when people support me I like to try and support them back. Hopefully I’ll always be able to keep up with the comments but if for some reason I miss your comment don’t be afraid to comment a 2nd or 3rd time incase I missed it. Thanks again, stay safe!

Thanks Tony 👍🏻

It’s Perfect for the size jobs I do and always gets the Job done efficiently. Doesn’t bother me at all

@@BiffsEquipment no offense intended. I love my kubota.

Thanks Brad I appreciate it! Hope to release another short video this weekend!

Thanks Rob!

Thanks Tony!

Thanks buddy, it was a fun Job 👍🏻

Thanks Leo, I have actually watched lots of videos of it and definitely agree with you! Hope to get one soon, its been on my BX checklist for a long time now. I will be ordering one come spring for sure. Thanks for watching!

Thanks Patrick! Cant wait to get out there again this summer doing side work for you guys specially with my new grapple and pallet forks!

@@BiffsEquipment yes summer can come fast enough. I don’t mind plowing and sanding but we haven’t even got enough snow to plow. One storm this winter so far. Crazy winter. I have lots of jobs to do in the dirt

Thanks buddy, appreciate you supporting my channel!

Don't need to shoot grade until the sand/gravel is in. Plenty of room to find level then. Color of the marking paint doesn't matter, it was dug up within a couple of hours after application.

Shut up Mike, you don’t know what you’re talking about.

Thanks!

Hey Kevlar, I only went by feel ok this job and used my eyes as a visual for keeping it level and flat, the pad turned out really well tho and you guys will be seeing the finished product sometime this spring when I go back to this Job to do some other work. I live in western NY about 40-50min from Erie PA. Thanks for watching!

Haha, You got that right

Thanks buddy, it does about the same to be honest. I have many videos digging and grading all kinds of soil on my channel with this machine. If you watch the one where I dif a gas line that’s a good one, or watch the one where I installed a drainage pipe and gas to dig it out with the factory bucket, that was mid summer when the ground was like concrete and there was a bunch of hard stony rock I had to dig through.. that video is a year or so old but you’ll find it scrolling through my videos. I forgot what I named it but I think it’s “digging a ditch with the FEL” or something like that

@@BiffsEquipment Thanks for taking the time to reply. I will take a look at the videos you recommend. I'm looking to by a BX25D secondhand. Just wanted to see to it working in the environment I have. Thanks again.

Thanks buddy, yah Iv actually been wanting to build my own toothbar for awhile now.. either that or I may just buy the Piranha tooth bar. The Piranha would help a lot with the type of work I do and for the money you really can’t beat it if your doing a lot of digging and land clearing. Hopefully this spring/summer you guys will get to see something on my bucket. Thanks for watching!

But teeth on a bucket makes it harder to get a fine grade

Hey thanks Roy! As for how I did it with out digging in too deep.. it takes a lot of time in the seat to truely learn the feel and to be able to imagine in your head what exactly your loader is doing going by feel since you can’t always see exactly what your doing.. what I do is once I dig out the sod in an area and get the debth I want, I then lay my bucket flat at that pre dig debth and I drive forward (do not use float!) just set your loader down with your bucket flat and push into it in low gear.. if you feel or see your loader/boom starting to sink as you drive forward then that means your starting to go below the grade you already cut.. so if you see this happening then you need to curl up a bit on the bucket or you could even try booming up a little with the loader as your driving into it to maintain the same digging debth.. sometimes if your loader is sinking too low you need to back up a touch.. readjust your loader or bucket and then drive forward again.. you do this because sometimes it’s easier to adjust it when the loader or bucket isn’t under a lot of pressure.. its really hard to explain but some day I plan to make a video explaining all of this to you guys. I hope this helps!

Thanks for the reply will try this out as have some sod to take up soon Would love to see video of how you do it. I use 2nd gear in low myself. Good videos glad I found your stuff and subscribed ☺️

Hey Gary, to be honest I can’t even remember what I charged for this, I usually don’t tell prices when I do the job because it seems like no Matter what people are saying they charge people either think it’s too much or too little because prices fluctuate so much through out the US. I should be going back to his house soon this spring so I’ll show you guys how the pad turned out and talk about it a bit more. Thanks for watching 👍🏻

@@BiffsEquipment thanks brotha!

Thanks man, digging this pad out was cake work for this tractor.. didn’t even struggle. I have lots of other videos where I dig and rip out stumps and what not with out music .. sometimes I use music and speed it up sometimes I don’t because it all depends on how long the job takes sometimes I have to speed up the videos and add music so the tractor doesn’t sound like a chipmunk lol if you dig around on my channel you’ll come across lots of other videos with out music or being sped up. Hope this helps!

Hey Dave, my tractor is a 2013 BX2370 but has the same loader as the one yours has as I have the bx80 loader on my BX70.. your tractor is just the newer version of mine but you also have 26hp when I only have 23hp which will help with using PTO driven implements like mowers, brush hogs, etc and giving the machine a bit more grunt/torque. Aside from that it’s basically identical.. your loader valve is down on the fender too where mine is up by the steering column. Congrats on your new purchase your gonna love it, my buddy bought the same machine and he hasn’t been able to stay off it for months!

Thanks Mike I appreciate it buddy! I am actually from NY but Iv been told many times I have an accent that sounds Canadian 😂 Thanks for watching!

Hey man, I wanna say it took me roughly 2 hours give or take... not long at all. Thanks for watching!

Hey Mike, sorry I'm just seeing this comment. I think a lot of it just comes with time spent in the seat and getting as feel for what's going on with the bucket as your using it. Do you have a loader level indicator? If not I highly recommend them for beginners as they will help you out tremendously with knowing exactly where the lip of your bucket is at at nay given moment specially when lowing the bucket all the way to the ground when doing grading work. It might seem difficult at first but you'll get there.. I have a level indicator myself but I don't use it anymore.. Now adays I just look at the top of the bucket and I'm able to judge from that exactly where my bucket is at. Hope this helps!

so your not floating the bucket here?

Good question. I’m not sure if there is really a “trick” per say.. but more of a thing you get from having experience and repetition. Also using the tractor as a gauge can help a lot as well by keeping a steady eye on your front bucket when grading.. when back dragging you can watch the bucket edges and the imprints it leaves on the ground your back dragging.. if one side of the ground is low and the other is high then you’ll see only a bucket edge imprint on the high side.. so then you know to take material from the high side and drag it into the low. I use that a lot as a technique among other things and backdrag at different angles allowing me to get a nearly perfect grade in areas or jobs I do. To do this tho you must always be sure your tractor is on as level of a surface as it can get because if your tractor starts on an angle then your gonna grade or dig at an angle.. so it’s all about keeping your tractor on level ground when your doing work like this.. after awhile you start to get an eye for it and can immediately tell when a spot or area is high or low just by sight or by the way the tractor feels as you drive over it. Hope this helps!

You are correct i said the wrong thing. I made it 2' wider on the length and width for some overhang of the pad to the shed. I will be revisiting this job in the spring so stay tuned if you wanna see what it turned out like with the new shed in place. Thanks for watching!

As for the bucket it was just the regular cutting edge, nothing special with it, does the trick just fine most the time tho some day I’d like to get a tooth bar for the front. As for 2wd or 4wd I was in 4wd mostly the entire job as it helps with traction when digging into hard ground with the bucket. Hope this helps!

Thanks Marc! I’m glad you enjoy my videos and hope you’ll watch more, I try to tell people that you don’t need to have a Kubota BX to watch my channel because all sun compact tractors behave very similar and have very similar loader lift/power and I don’t discriminate on tractor brand! Haha as for the optimal RPM.. somewhere around 2600-2800 is optimal on my tractor.. all depends at what speed you want your loader to move at.. if I’m doing more detailed work I may dial it down to 2600 but if I’m trying to work at a faster pace and want good power Then I’ll run it between 2800 and sometimes even 3k. Hope this helps!

Hey thanks for the comment. This is a tough question to answer because there are many variables.. one is the location in which you live.. lots of states/towns having totally different going rates.. whether you live in a more high end area or a lower end country side.. another variable is knowing how fast you work and what your abilities are.. if you work fast like me then you’d prolly wanna charge more otherwise you’ll screw yourself and by the end of the Job you won’t make much as you did it too fast.. likewise if this is your first actual job with your tractor, such as first real grading work and that sort of thing then you’ll also want to take that into consideration and keep the price on the lower side so that even if you didn’t do a perfect job your customer can still be happy knowing they got what they wanted done for a good price even tho it’s not “perfect” so there are lots of variables.. around here guys would charge anywhere between $65 an hour to $100 an hour.. aside from that I don’t think I can give you an exact number with out seeing the actual job at hand and having more details. Hope this helps and best of luck on your job buddy!

Great question man, Iv actually been wanting a 4-1 bucket ever since I first bought my tractor.. I feel I’d use all 4 functions quite often actually but finding the bucket to purchase has been tough as they only just recently started selling them here in the states at Kubota dealers in the last year

Hey Collin, a tooth bar works great when digging really rough/rocky ground but I find it’s not really needed in the area I live in. Sometimes I wish I had one tho in the dead of summer when the ground is hard/dry like concrete but when it’s got some moisture in it I usually am fine just with the normal cutting edge. “BXPanded” makes and awesome toothbar for the BX called a Piranha toothbar.. i always planned to buy one for when I have to dig harder ground but havnt yet. It’s nice because it’s a slim style toothbar which means you could do quite a bit of grading even with it on.. where with a standard thick toothbar with actual meaty teeth you’d only be able to grade using the very back of your bucket as the big teeth would disrupt the soil or gravel when trying to smooth it out.. so because of this you’d prolly wanna take it on and off all the time so I’d avoid those types. Hope this helps!

@@BiffsEquipment thank you. I'm taking delivery of my 2380 on Friday and already have some work lined up for it. I think im going to buy one of the bars just to protect the bucket from getting bent so I'm thinking the straight bar will do.

Hey Joe, I’m not sure what video you are talking about with the pond, I havnt dug a pond with my tractor. The only tires I have ever run in my videos are the Carlisle WT300 tires, these tires are amazing, they right between a turf tire and an R4 tire.. Easy on the lawn as they have smoothed edges to each lug with more shallow lugs yet they still have plenty enough lugs to get through mud/snow.. these tires IMO are the BEST but if I didn’t have these tires I would absolutely opt for a typical R4 tire.. most people run R4 tires as they are the best all around tires.. now if you plan to never go in muddy conditions, and never plan to plow through deep snow then the turf tire may be better for you but the first time they cake up with mud or snow they become slicks and won’t get you far unless your on pavement. Best of luck! Let me know what you end up going with. Here is a video I made a long time ago about the tires I run on my tractor and why.. and I also talk about other types of tires that work well too. LINK BELOW: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Doc1yNMbGuY.html

@@BiffsEquipment My apologies, it was another you tube video of a BX23 digging out a pond. But you still answered my question. No matter what we get, we'll probably start with R4s. I am watching your cheap/best sub compact tractor tires.

I live in NYS, We do have some decent dirt in some areas here, other areas its mostly clay so it depends on the location. Thanks for watching!

Hey Del, the cutting edge is actually the factory edge on the LA340/344 loader, nothing special tho I do hope to get a tooth bar for it soon. I may just build my own haven't decided yet but yah it cuts real nice through sod the way it is.

Hey Allen, hope you been doing well man, yah I do plan to either build my own toothbar or I may just buy the Piranha tooth bar, I feel the Piranha will be perfect for the type of work I do with my tractor specially clearing land so stay tuned and hopefully this summer you guys will see one on there

I just eyeballed it for the most part, it’s just a pad for a shed so it doesn’t have to be dead perfect but should be close.. typically you’ll end up shimming the shed once it’s placed on the pad anyways ever so slightly to get the shed itself perfect and level but spending the extra time on the pad wouldn’t be worth the extra expense in this particular case but it all depends on the home owner and what they want.

Hey Gregg, I just did it by eye actually. It’s pretty darn close and the rest of the leveling is done with shimming the shed since either way you typically are gonna have to level the shed independently anyways once it’s set there as it usually disturbs the gravel a bit once it get puts in. Just get it as close as possible by eye if you don’t have a laser

The trailer has a 3500lb heavy duty axle. It’s a good old heavy duty trailer and is just large enough to allow for proper tongue weight.. that being said the trailer is too small and I am replacing it with a tandem axle trailer in the spring. Thanks for stopping by.

Hey buddy, my tractor is actually a 2013 Kubota BX2370.. but my loader is a brand new loader from a BX2380 machine.. as when I purchased my tractor used it did not have a loader. If you plan on using the mid and rear PTO a lot for more than just mowing then I would recommend a 2370 or a 2380.. the 1880 is only 18hp instead of 23hp which is fine for normal jobs but when you start getting to use the PTO a lot you’ll notice it may not have quite the torque you want/need. Also the 18hp models have smaller rear tires so less ground clearance and traction but that also may not be a concern to you.. Hope this helps!

I can’t really remember.. I wanna say between $400-$500 but I could be off by $100 either direction

Its actually a 46" bucket I believe.. I haven't measured it in awhile so don't quote me on it but I know its smaller than a 54"

To be honest I cant even remember as iv done so many jobs since. Thanks for watching Joey!

My trailer is a 5x12 single axle.. though I do plan on upgrading it next season.. I’v been meaning to for awhile as I quickly run out of room on it and am close to the weight limit of the trailer so I don’t like to take it any farther than I have to but it does get the job done, I been using it for 2.5 years now and it’s been holding up great .. tho I did beef it up myself by adding braces and what not to the frame 👍🏻

Hey Dave the top link was actually from a buddy of mine, came off an old snow blower frame I think so I don’t have any numbers for it or specifications but next time I bust it out I can give you guys some measurements if you’d like.

@@BiffsEquipment that would be great.

If I don’t explain everything I do people get upset and ask how I did this and that, If I do explain it all then I occasionally get people like yourself saying it’s too much. Can’t please everyone 🤷‍♂️