DIY gravel cart suggestions required for stoning drainage trenches

[EdC]

I'm looking to canvas suggestions for a cheap gravel cart type set up for putting stone in drainage trenches.

I'm looking to put in some short lengths of drainage pipe by myself to drain some wet holes into the ditches. The lengths of the pipes is unlikely to reach beyond 20m or so, so I'm going to do it myself rather than get the drainage companies in. Whilst I've got the trenching sorted with automatic grading, I am trying to work out a good way of putting stone on top that won't cost the earth to fabricate and which I can use on my own without any assistance.

When I did some previously, I just filled up the teleporter bucket with stone then crabbed down the length of the pipe and manually shovelled it into the trench, but I'd like to try and make it slightly less backbreaking work as I've got a few to do.

Key things I want to deal with:
* Want to minimise compaction
* Would prefer to get it in the trench rather than some in the trench and some on top - my land is nice and clear of stones and I'd like to keep it that way!
* Would like to try and keep it fairly level in the trench

I know I could perhaps hire in a gravel cart, but it seems a bit overkill for the amount that I need to do. I do want to do some more in the future as and when I get the opportunity or situations require it, so would like to have something I can use again.

I did think about taking a small 3 tonne trailer with flotation tyres on it, adding a chute so I could shovel gravel down it and into the trench, but that requires finding a driver that can drive nicely down the side of the trench (or any driver at all, to be honest!)
I do have some old pea hoppers that would probably hold gravel which I could perhaps hold over the trench and have a chute from the bottom to let the gravel fall out, but I'm not sure if this would work.

If anyone has any good suggestions or examples of what they have used before, that would be most appreciated!

 

[jonnieboy]

I would just hire one
Talk to your local drainage contractor even better if you have used him for bigger jobs in the past
I ended up buying a cheap 2nd hand one, you will make a mess with anything else

 

[Hill Ground]

Could you fill an old seed bag with gravel, then the gravel running out of the bottom could be controlled by lifting the bag up and down from the loader seat?

As I type it occurs to me filling the bag might take more time than it would save?!

 

[goldeneagle]

A swivel dumper was what i considered and drive along side of trench. Would likely need a chute extension.

An old stone and clod separator would be a good donor, the megastars are quite short, would need a hopper and rear conveyor changed to a belt though.

Probably find once its cheaper to buy a purpose trailer than modify something once time etc is factored in.

 

[Fendt516profi]

Auger bucket

 

[john432]

You've already got a telehandler, but no one to watch and guide you tipping the stone in.. ? If the ground is firm enough you think you can tow a stone cart, then you should manage fine with a telehandler and bucket .. how about rigging up a camera or two to the bucket and have the screens in the cab.. their cheap enough these days..

 

[Cjm]

What are you using to dig the trench? I would look at building a hopper on skids that you can sit over the open trench that you can fill with gravel and drag along as you go

 

[melted welly]

We built our own out of a scrapped hopper, old trailer chassis and an old elevator as cross conveyor, mounted on cross conveyor frame from Reekie stone separator.

All I’ll say is, sometimes it’s best just to hire/buy the right thing of it’s something that’ll be seldom used.

Lot of fettling to get ours right, then the plonker on the tractor rolled it over first proper time out . Was just the stones we wanted in the track, not the entire gravel cart.

 

[Blue.]

I’m thinking of mounting a conveyer like this has.

Onto my gritter body,visibility will be the problem though,anywhere really wet you could fill the ditcher on the 360 with the gritter.

 

[EdC]

What are you using to dig the trench?

I've got a ride on Ditch Witch trencher with gps grade control. Ultimately I'm going to automate the grade, but I can't quite work out if my hydraulics are going to be US or standard (British) fittings without dismantling it (which i don't want to do just yet) as it was imported from the US. It is designed for laying utilities, but works fine for short runs. Wouldn't want to drain a whole field with it though as it is slower than a Marstenbroek!

 

[EdC]

You've already got a telehandler, but no one to watch and guide you tipping the stone in.. ?

When I did it before I basically shovelled gravel from the bucket, spreading about 2m manually before moving the teleporter and doing it again. The bucket is too wide for me to tip it into the trench unfortunately.

The hopper on skids/sees bag with chute are roughly what I had thought about doing using my old pea hoppers. I might have to bite the bullet and hire, but will try the hopper first.

 

[e3120]

When I did it before I basically shovelled gravel from the bucket, spreading about 2m manually before moving the teleporter and doing it again. The bucket is too wide for me to tip it into the trench unfortunately.

The hopper on skids/sees bag with chute are roughly what I had thought about doing using my old pea hoppers. I might have to bite the bullet and hire, but will try the hopper first.

It would be most common to tip into the trench while at 90 degrees to it. As suggested, a camera could be helpful until you're tuned in.

 

[Dave W]

I’ve got a 3ton swivel benford dumper for sale

 

[sjt01]

I've got a ride on Ditch Witch trencher with gps grade control. Ultimately I'm going to automate the grade, but I can't quite work out if my hydraulics are going to be US or standard (British) fittings without dismantling it (which i don't want to do just yet) as it was imported from the US. It is designed for laying utilities, but works fine for short runs. Wouldn't want to drain a whole field with it though as it is slower than a Marstenbroek!

NPT and BSP fittings seal one way but not the other. I cannot remember which though - M to F or F to M.

 

[EdC]

NPT and BSP fittings seal one way but not the other. I cannot remember which though - M to F or F to M.

I'll have to keep my fingers crossed it is the right way round for me!

 

[y2kf]

I've done a few drainage jobs now by using just the dumptrailer on bad ground,I get the stones tipped at gate of feald put 3 ton mini for loading stone and 13 ton on the drains and tidying up,I only fill dumptrailer no more than half full depending on ground,I drive too the end of each drain or as close as I can making sure when I stop trailer is parallel with digger sheugh bucket for unloading,if ur drains are not too long I can dig two drains 20ft apart or so and track down the middle between them can fill both at the same time,you can cover quite a bit of ground in a day this way on your own,no shoveling,easy too control putting stone in drains with digger,also you can tidy it all up another time if the weather is against you.if you can find a dumptrailer with floatation tyres better again

 

[Boohoo]

This is our "gravel cart", the 7ft version.

Hydraulic Transport Boxes | Fleming Agri - Hydraulic Link Box

Fleming Agri hydraulic transport boxes have a robust and solid constructionof reinforced steel plate to suit tractors from 45-130hp.

www.fleming-agri.com

It's cheap, it's fine for short drains, it fills and empties itself, it's compact, manoeuvrable and to reduce compaction you either put less in it or put it on a tractor with bigger tyres

 

[ConanPB]

We’ve done this 2 different ways in the past.Bulk load of stone tipped and bucketed into trench with load all. Soon get the knack of tipping correct amount, level with shovel in the trench. This year we had stone delivered in bags, one man cut the bag over the trench while load all operater reversed over trench , worked a treat, slightly more per tonne, but more accurate use of stone

 

[EdC]

Thanks everyone. From the sound of it, my pea hopper idea might work (should be equivalent to the bags). Otherwise, I'd never thought of scooping out of the trailer with the 360 to put stone in the trench with bucket parallel - saves lots of manoeuvres to get the teleporter parallel to the trench, so should hopefully help minimise compaction.

 

[suffolksmallholder]

Could you fill an old seed bag with gravel, then the gravel running out of the bottom could be controlled by lifting the bag up and down from the loader seat?

As I type it occurs to me filling the bag might take more time than it would save?!

Thats what I do for small jobs. Hang it over the trench. If I need to stop the stone I put it on the ground.
I’m using a 360 so I can do 32’ but usually run out of stone in 12’.
The best thing would be to have a serious think about the all important contraption that the trailer drags along in the trench and go from there. This may work better than a trailer.
SS