Leveling a yard, please help save my life!

10-15-2008, 12:30 AM	#1
bob johnson bo johnson   Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 1	Leveling a yard, please help save my life! Hello everyone and thank you in advance for your suggestions/opinions, I need all the help I can get. I recently bought a house with a 3000 sqft backyard. The yard was leveled off using rail road ties to create multiples tiers of dirt. There is aprox 1000 sqft of dirt that is raised up 8 inches, and another 800sqft or so that is raised up 16 inches above the desired surface level (the desired level should be even with the concrete patio slab). I removed all the railroad ties and had them hauled away but now I am faced with the task of removing all the extra highly compacted dirt from the backyard. Does anyone have an opinion on what tools are the best to accomplish this task? I considered renting a bobcat but wasn’t sure how well they work on compact soil. I really need something that will break up the tiers and help me move the excess dirt to the front of the house where it can be hauled away. Any thoughts on what would be the best way to break up all the existing soil and move it to the front of the house? My trusty pick axe shovel and wheelbarrow don’t seem to be doing the trick. I have a good amount of room on each side of the house so getting equipment to the backyard shouldn't be a problem. Please let me know any ideas/thoughts you might have. Thank you for your help!

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10-15-2008, 06:48 AM	#2
Bondo Master General ReEngineer     Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Chaumont River, Ny. Posts: 3,160	Leveling a yard, please help save my life! Quote: I have a good amount of room on each side of the house so getting equipment to the backyard shouldn't be a problem. Ayuh,.... Hire a contractor with a loader,+ dump truck,... Then the waste can be directly loaded on the truck,+ moved... No sense in handling it twice...