[AT] Pulling a sheepsfoot with a Ford 8n

[Warren F. Smith]

>>I would suggest that the biggest problem you might find with
>>pulling a
>>sheep's foot with a rubber tired tractor is traction and
>>rutting if the soil
>>is at all moist.

The problem there is that if the soil is so moist that the tires are rutting
I'd suggest that the soil is too wet to be trying to compact it. In that
case it's best to lay it down loose and let the sun/wind dry it then compact
it. A 4000lb roller is probably not heavy enough for a 6" lift either.
Grading contractors usually only place 6" lifts with a huge vibratory sheeps
foot compactor. You may want to try 3-4" to start out. We have mostly a
sandy red clay in our region (Upstate SC). A good field test for moisture
content is to grab a small handful and roll it in between your palms. If it
makes a "rat turd" w/out completely crumbling or sticking to your hand the
moisture is just right. I know other soils work differently but I think you
could get good advice by eating lunch at the greasy spoon closest to a big
earthmoving jobsite. Sheepsfoot compactors have a tendency to bring moisture
to the surface but the soil won't dry as fast that way as it will if its
"fluffed up".

I'm not a gloom and doom guy but a dam is a serious undertaking. A dam
failure can affect many people downstream/downhill so it's well worth the
time you're spending to do some research and do it right the first time. You
didn't say how many cubic yards of dirt you were packing or how big the pond
is so maybe you're just building a small livestock watering pond. In any
event, I think you should have no problem pulling or stopping the roller
with your tractor, just make it worth your time!

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