Awesome Scott I’m glad to hear that, I’m the same way myself, I like to watch things Iv never done before and once Iv seen them done I can do them on my own no problem. Glad you enjoyed!
Smooth as butter!!! I can "run" a loader but you my friend "operate". Like so many other guys out here, I too learn by watching. In the grading and sloping the hillside video, you talked about picking a line to start your cut then working from there - that is when it clicked for me. It would be awesome if on one of your jobs you could go into this concept a little deeper and to show us rookies how its done. That video taught me so much! Thank you!! I know some guys like the sped up version of the job but when you do normal speed it is easier to see how you adjust the bucket, the line you take and all the nuance involved. I think that is why I was able to lean so much from that other video. Thanks so much brother!! Take care!!
Hey thanks buddy! I’m glad to hear that video helped you out so much , it’s prolly why that video got so many views too so you prolly weren’t alone in thinking that! I def do plan on doing another video like that soon so stay tuned. I enjoy when I can explain as I go along but when I’m on a job site it can be tough cuz I don’t like to waste time but when I’m working alone at my house it can be much easier for me to take breaks and stop to explain in detail what I’m doing and why. But you have it correct, basically you want to get your grade cut first in a bucket or two’s width and then carry that grade on once your have it where you want it using that grade you started with as a guide. Thanks for watching!
Thanks man I appreciate that! I actually havnt been as smooth as I use to be (IMO) only because my loader valve has been quite sticky this summer.. my loader valve has been sticking and acting up lately because I’m in desperate need of changing my hydraulic oil and filters making it difficult for me to be as smooth as I use to be with it (and it’s been driving me crazy) lol I plan on changing the hydraulic fluid soon which should take care the the sticky loader valve issues Iv been having this summer. As for back dragging I know what you mean about how it gets lumpy and bumpy.. this is normal, you just have to find the right pressure and bucket lip angle for the material your trying to spread and for the amount your trying to spread at one time as it will always change depending on those factors.. sometimes I start off in float and end with down pressure, other times I start off with down pressure and end with float.. other times I don’t use float OR down pressure but just rest my bucket on top of the high spot as I backup.. I also change the angle of my bucket often.. if I need to drag out a lump or a high spot then I start with the bucket curled more aggressively:. If it’s a really small bump then I start with the bucket angle less aggressive.. you’ll get the hang of it, just gotta stay at it! Thanks for watching 👍🏻
Thanks buddy glad you enjoyed and are learning certain techniques as well, sometimes that’s the best way to learn.. I’m the same way.. if i can just watch something be done first I know I can do it afterwords 👍🏻
Thanks man I’m glad to hear it! I appreciate you supporting the channel. Keep at it and you’ll be a pro in no time! The BX is a great machine to learn on too 👍🏻
Another great driveway job. I should have called you to come play on Thursday, when I got about 46 ton of road millings dumped in my driveway. The BX handled it fine, and now it's all leveled out and rolled.
Wow 46 Ton you must have been a busy guy Thursday! Glad to hear you rolled it out after cuz you almost need it with millings but once you roll it out they are good.. I never rolled mine and under the millings in my driveway was a real hard base so they never settled or packed. They make a special spray you can spray the millings after with a week sprayer and it hardens them like Asphalt again you should check into it. Glad to hear your BX handled it no problem!
Nice work the grading came out great, I remember that guy asking you for a quote when you were plowing your driveway. Thanks for taking the time to film the job, great video and job . God bless brother.
Yep that was the guy! He was thrilled when I was all finished, he said his driveway had been all messed up for years too and he’s very happy to finally have his driveway back again and draining properly. God bless!
Thanks Greg I appreciate that! It def takes some time for sure but you’ll get the hang of it! The BX is a very user friendly tractor to get good with, and the great part is once you can run a Kubota bx smoothly you can run just about any other tractor about just as smooth! Thanks for watching
Yah I always wanted one specially for when I do pads. Driveways it’s not quite as needed only when your building a fresh base but still be nice to have. Harbor freight has a cheap one Iv always looked at when I went in there, I may pick it up this summer when it goes on sale. Thanks for watching joe 👍🏻
Thanks Jason, the customer was really happy, he was all smiles when I got done and can’t wait to have me back to fix that flower bed boarder for him. You did great on your last video as well!
I’m new to watching your videos. Could you tell the time it takes you to do these jobs? I don’t have a tractor yet but with bad knees I’m looking to get one for around the house
Hey Stuart, so I back drag both in float and out of float.. I often go back and forth between float and no float sometimes even in the same pass.. it takes time to learn when to and not to use float but you’ll get there with time! One video that may really help you is my “biffs loader tips” video review video.. where I break one of my videos down and explain my thought process as I back drag and how I do what I do. Best of luck!
Thanks chad, I watched your last few videos as well, liked the one about what you do for power outages. I plan to buy a PTO generator for the back of my BX before next winter, Iv always wanted one.
I actually do both as well but I find when the stone is wet and heavy like this was (as it just finished raining before I got there I can dump it and spread it manually much smoother than if I shook it or let it pour out like sugar.. all depends on what I’m trying to do too.. if I’m just filling low spots I will sprinkle it like that but if I’m putting in a fresh top coat I find it easier to dump it in one spot so I can manually control the spread myself. Hope this helps!
Haha yep those are my stakes! I rode red the garage, it’s a 24x32 pole barn.. just hope it’s gonna be large enough but it certainly will be for now .. figure I can always expand later down the road when I need to.. I could only go so long too with my permit because the back of the building had to be 50’ off the road
Thanks buddy, it all depends on the situation but I’m normally going between float and no float during the same pass.. I go in and out of float quite often depending on what I’m doing and will often use float as a height or depth gauge before clicking it back out
Another great video 👍Mr Biff I was wondering how is the oversized injectors working do you notice any more power I can’t wait to see you do the turbo but I do believe one thing if you do not use your PTO that much I don’t see the point I think that is where all that extra power is going to pay off the best I know I would sure love extra power when I’m running my snowblower thanks again for another great video
Thanks Mike! Yes I’m def gonna be adding the turbo still hands down.. just waiting on the right time to finish building my turbo kit. Your correct the tractor will run and operate very much the same when doing loader work and other easier tasks on the engine but when pulling rear implents, using the PTO or pushing hard is when you’ll really see the power increase. I may also gain a little fuel economy once it’s done too which is good, as of right now it is using slightly more fuel than it did before but that’s to be expected.. once the turbo is installed it will bring it back to where it was originally if not slightly more efficient
Of course I strap it down.. I just don’t always show it on camera cuz who wants to see the same piece of equipment being strapped down every single time.. I have plenty of other videos showing me strapping it down and how I do it. As for a grader box, I owned one before this but sold it due to it being a 6’er. I planned to find a 5’er with the money but was never able to come across a decently priced 5’er in my area.. so I just continued to use the bucket as I am very fast with it. Certain jobs would be faster with the box please, but jobs where I’m only spreading 5 or so ton of stone wouldn’t be IMO, and I can do a much nicer more detailed job with my loader bucket as you have so much more control over it. Someday I’ll get another back blade, this video is also really old. Check out my more recent ones. Thanks for watching
Here your allowed to use straps or chains/binders. Chains with binders are always the best though and most secure. If i was hauling it state to state and not just 5-30 min down the road id also use binders but it’s not really needed with such a small machine on such a short travel
Great job again and I have been asked by one of my neighbors to repair his badly washed out driveway. It's a perfect job for my BX 1880 and the FEL but my question to you is what do I charge for it.. The drive is about have the length of the one in this video. I don't really need the money but I should charge something for doing it. I believe he has enough gravel to make the repairs.
Hey thanks buddy. Agh that’s a tough one because I’m not sure what type of relationship you have with your naibor or your going rates in your area.. and with out seeing what kind of work needs to actually be done it’s hard to make that call.. also depends a lot on how fast or slow you work and all that.. id say if your just regrading it out for him maybe $100 cuz he’s your naibor… if it’s a real quick job maybe even less but if it’s a full regrade then you may want to charge more but it sounds like a great first job to get your feet wet and experiment a bit.
You can charge around $100 an hour depending on your skills and where you live but every community is different so you could either get away with even more per hour or maybe much less.. just depends. Thanks for the comment!
My old single axle trailer could haul up to about 3200lbs cuz it had a heavy duty axle. I wouldn’t trust a trailer with a max capacity of only 1500lbs as the tractor with the loader can weigh more than that so just be very careful and don’t drive fast or far. How did you end up making out? My new trailer is a tandem axle.. you can see it in my latest videos
My trailer is a 5x12 .. you won’t be able to fit a backhoe on it as the BX is roughly 14’ long with out a backhoe with rear weights on the hitch.. so with a 12’ trailer I need to have my bucket on the front rail to be able to fit it.. a backhoe MIGHT fit a 14’ trailer but it’s gonna be pretty tight. Make sure you buy a tandem axle not a single axle like I have.. I’m at the end of my weight limit on my single axle
Hey Candis, I use rear suitcase weights for ballast.. that’s all I ever use unless I actually need to use an implement on the back for a job.. otherwise the suitcase weights work awesome and they don’t hang low or stick way out like a rear implement would so you can be more productive. I currently run 8x 42lb weights on the rear as well as filled rear tires.. most people get along just fine with only 4x 42lb weights but I had to double it as I have increased my hydraulic pressure over the years to get more lift out of my loader. Thanks for watching!
I do quite a bit of everything.. it all depends how packed the material is and how high it is.. if I only wanna pull a skim coat then I float it, If I wanna pull a lot of material then I add pressure.. but most times I’m going back and forth between float and pressure all in the same pass.. so I’ll start in float then click it out as I back up, or I’ll start with pressure and then click into float when i feel iv pulled enough material to fill the low spot
Every video I watch I learn more. I’m still a total novice, but learning technique from your videos is shortening the learning curve
Awesome Scott I’m glad to hear that, I’m the same way myself, I like to watch things Iv never done before and once Iv seen them done I can do them on my own no problem. Glad you enjoyed!
Smooth as butter!!! I can "run" a loader but you my friend "operate". Like so many other guys out here, I too learn by watching. In the grading and sloping the hillside video, you talked about picking a line to start your cut then working from there - that is when it clicked for me. It would be awesome if on one of your jobs you could go into this concept a little deeper and to show us rookies how its done. That video taught me so much! Thank you!! I know some guys like the sped up version of the job but when you do normal speed it is easier to see how you adjust the bucket, the line you take and all the nuance involved. I think that is why I was able to lean so much from that other video.
Thanks so much brother!! Take care!!
Hey thanks buddy! I’m glad to hear that video helped you out so much , it’s prolly why that video got so many views too so you prolly weren’t alone in thinking that! I def do plan on doing another video like that soon so stay tuned. I enjoy when I can explain as I go along but when I’m on a job site it can be tough cuz I don’t like to waste time but when I’m working alone at my house it can be much easier for me to take breaks and stop to explain in detail what I’m doing and why. But you have it correct, basically you want to get your grade cut first in a bucket or two’s width and then carry that grade on once your have it where you want it using that grade you started with as a guide. Thanks for watching!
You are the master with leveling with the bucket. I always end up with a roller coaster instead of smooth
Thanks man I appreciate that! I actually havnt been as smooth as I use to be (IMO) only because my loader valve has been quite sticky this summer.. my loader valve has been sticking and acting up lately because I’m in desperate need of changing my hydraulic oil and filters making it difficult for me to be as smooth as I use to be with it (and it’s been driving me crazy) lol I plan on changing the hydraulic fluid soon which should take care the the sticky loader valve issues Iv been having this summer.
As for back dragging I know what you mean about how it gets lumpy and bumpy.. this is normal, you just have to find the right pressure and bucket lip angle for the material your trying to spread and for the amount your trying to spread at one time as it will always change depending on those factors.. sometimes I start off in float and end with down pressure, other times I start off with down pressure and end with float.. other times I don’t use float OR down pressure but just rest my bucket on top of the high spot as I backup.. I also change the angle of my bucket often.. if I need to drag out a lump or a high spot then I start with the bucket curled more aggressively:. If it’s a really small bump then I start with the bucket angle less aggressive.. you’ll get the hang of it, just gotta stay at it! Thanks for watching 👍🏻
Great Video! as always, I'm learning from watching so I can Practice on my bx23s, great little tractors.
Thanks buddy glad you enjoyed and are learning certain techniques as well, sometimes that’s the best way to learn.. I’m the same way.. if i can just watch something be done first I know I can do it afterwords 👍🏻
Love the music and I love watching you work. I learn so much watching how to do the job! Thank you!
Thanks man I’m glad to hear it! I appreciate you supporting the channel. Keep at it and you’ll be a pro in no time! The BX is a great machine to learn on too 👍🏻
Great way to spread the gravel ,you can see how much is going down on the drive . GREAT VIDEO
Thanks Gary, he’s glad he’s got his driveway back too, he said it’s been in bad shape for a long time now. 👍🏻
Another great driveway job. I should have called you to come play on Thursday, when I got about 46 ton of road millings dumped in my driveway. The BX handled it fine, and now it's all leveled out and rolled.
Wow 46 Ton you must have been a busy guy Thursday! Glad to hear you rolled it out after cuz you almost need it with millings but once you roll it out they are good.. I never rolled mine and under the millings in my driveway was a real hard base so they never settled or packed. They make a special spray you can spray the millings after with a week sprayer and it hardens them like Asphalt again you should check into it. Glad to hear your BX handled it no problem!
Another awesome video! I need to put all your bucket work into a playlist and binge. - Driveway maintenance coming up soon here when it dries out! 😀
Thanks buddy! Yes you should! Let me know how tie driveway turns out, I’ll keep an eye out for it!!
Will do, Mike!
thanks for sharing your video, it came out perfect, it looks like you got the perfect slope
Thanks man glad you enjoyed!
Nice work the grading came out great, I remember that guy asking you for a quote when you were plowing your driveway. Thanks for taking the time to film the job, great video and job . God bless brother.
Yep that was the guy! He was thrilled when I was all finished, he said his driveway had been all messed up for years too and he’s very happy to finally have his driveway back again and draining properly. God bless!
Great job Biff enjoy your work .
Thanks buddy, glad you enjoyed!
Great video!! You make it look so easy. Still trying with my BX2380 but a lot of struggles. Keep up the great videos. I really enjoy them!!
Thanks Greg I appreciate that! It def takes some time for sure but you’ll get the hang of it! The BX is a very user friendly tractor to get good with, and the great part is once you can run a Kubota bx smoothly you can run just about any other tractor about just as smooth! Thanks for watching
Once again, excellent loader work
Thanks man I appreciate that, glad you enjoyed!
Been waiting on your video biff 👍 as always another amazing video.
Thanks boss. I see you changed your profile pic to your 1025R.. must be hard to find a favorite having both machines!
Looks good. I see a plate compactor in your future
Yah I always wanted one specially for when I do pads. Driveways it’s not quite as needed only when your building a fresh base but still be nice to have. Harbor freight has a cheap one Iv always looked at when I went in there, I may pick it up this summer when it goes on sale. Thanks for watching joe 👍🏻
Nice wrap-up on this project. Looking forward to the next.
Thanks Jason, the customer was really happy, he was all smiles when I got done and can’t wait to have me back to fix that flower bed boarder for him. You did great on your last video as well!
Viewed, Liked, Subscribed, Shared! Great content, love driveway work!
And the FEL Master strikes again 😉
Haha thanks Glenn, Glad your enjoyed buddy!
I’m new to watching your videos. Could you tell the time it takes you to do these jobs? I don’t have a tractor yet but with bad knees I’m looking to get one for around the house
I was wondering if you back dragged with bucket in float mode. Hopefully I’ll be able to produce similar results.
Hey Stuart, so I back drag both in float and out of float.. I often go back and forth between float and no float sometimes even in the same pass.. it takes time to learn when to and not to use float but you’ll get there with time! One video that may really help you is my “biffs loader tips” video review video.. where I break one of my videos down and explain my thought process as I back drag and how I do what I do. Best of luck!
Nice job! The driveway looks great
Thanks chad, I watched your last few videos as well, liked the one about what you do for power outages. I plan to buy a PTO generator for the back of my BX before next winter, Iv always wanted one.
Have you ever tried the Mike Morgan method of letting it fall like rain. I do what you do and his way as well.
I actually do both as well but I find when the stone is wet and heavy like this was (as it just finished raining before I got there I can dump it and spread it manually much smoother than if I shook it or let it pour out like sugar.. all depends on what I’m trying to do too.. if I’m just filling low spots I will sprinkle it like that but if I’m putting in a fresh top coat I find it easier to dump it in one spot so I can manually control the spread myself. Hope this helps!
Looks like stakes for your new garage possibly????
Haha yep those are my stakes! I rode red the garage, it’s a 24x32 pole barn.. just hope it’s gonna be large enough but it certainly will be for now .. figure I can always expand later down the road when I need to.. I could only go so long too with my permit because the back of the building had to be 50’ off the road
i like your videos when you are backdragging is the loader on float or are putting down pressure on it thanks
Thanks buddy, it all depends on the situation but I’m normally going between float and no float during the same pass.. I go in and out of float quite often depending on what I’m doing and will often use float as a height or depth gauge before clicking it back out
Nice job Mike!
Thanks buddy, hope your doing well!
Another great video 👍Mr Biff I was wondering how is the oversized injectors working do you notice any more power
I can’t wait to see you do the turbo but I do believe one thing if you do not use your PTO that much I don’t see the point I think that is where all that extra power is going to pay off the best I know I would sure love extra power when I’m running my snowblower thanks again for another great video
Thanks Mike! Yes I’m def gonna be adding the turbo still hands down.. just waiting on the right time to finish building my turbo kit. Your correct the tractor will run and operate very much the same when doing loader work and other easier tasks on the engine but when pulling rear implents, using the PTO or pushing hard is when you’ll really see the power increase. I may also gain a little fuel economy once it’s done too which is good, as of right now it is using slightly more fuel than it did before but that’s to be expected.. once the turbo is installed it will bring it back to where it was originally if not slightly more efficient
I wish we could upgrade the hydro pump like you can on the 1025r.
get a box blade for that thing and be done in half the time! also the video cuts, but do you tow that thing around without strapping it down at all???
Of course I strap it down.. I just don’t always show it on camera cuz who wants to see the same piece of equipment being strapped down every single time.. I have plenty of other videos showing me strapping it down and how I do it. As for a grader box, I owned one before this but sold it due to it being a 6’er. I planned to find a 5’er with the money but was never able to come across a decently priced 5’er in my area.. so I just continued to use the bucket as I am very fast with it. Certain jobs would be faster with the box please, but jobs where I’m only spreading 5 or so ton of stone wouldn’t be IMO, and I can do a much nicer more detailed job with my loader bucket as you have so much more control over it. Someday I’ll get another back blade, this video is also really old. Check out my more recent ones. Thanks for watching
Good Job Biff! Love the Vids!
Thanks Mac! That hill was sketchy! Haha
In my state you have to tie down tractors with secure load binders, so they don't take off in the event of an accident.
Here your allowed to use straps or chains/binders. Chains with binders are always the best though and most secure. If i was hauling it state to state and not just 5-30 min down the road id also use binders but it’s not really needed with such a small machine on such a short travel
Great job again and I have been asked by one of my neighbors to repair his badly washed out driveway. It's a perfect job for my BX 1880 and the FEL but my question to you is what do I charge for it.. The drive is about have the length of the one in this video. I don't really need the money but I should charge something for doing it. I believe he has enough gravel to make the repairs.
Hey thanks buddy. Agh that’s a tough one because I’m not sure what type of relationship you have with your naibor or your going rates in your area.. and with out seeing what kind of work needs to actually be done it’s hard to make that call.. also depends a lot on how fast or slow you work and all that.. id say if your just regrading it out for him maybe $100 cuz he’s your naibor… if it’s a real quick job maybe even less but if it’s a full regrade then you may want to charge more but it sounds like a great first job to get your feet wet and experiment a bit.
Thanks for the video !
Thanks buddy! Hope you have a happy Easter! Sorry I’m just seeing your comment!
Great video dude. I saw gravel price in comments but how much (ball park) does spreading the gravel bring?
You can charge around $100 an hour depending on your skills and where you live but every community is different so you could either get away with even more per hour or maybe much less.. just depends. Thanks for the comment!
Really nice job you did there how much does 5 ton of stone cost thanks
Thanks buddy! The stone was roughly $25 a ton.. so figure about $200-$250 after tax or so depending on delivery fees
how much weight can your trailer hold? I am buying a bx tomorrow. My trailer can hold 1550 pounds. would that hold it?
My old single axle trailer could haul up to about 3200lbs cuz it had a heavy duty axle. I wouldn’t trust a trailer with a max capacity of only 1500lbs as the tractor with the loader can weigh more than that so just be very careful and don’t drive fast or far. How did you end up making out? My new trailer is a tandem axle.. you can see it in my latest videos
How long is that trailer? I'm wondering if I can get away with a 12 or 14' trailer for a new BX23S w/ backhoe?
My trailer is a 5x12 .. you won’t be able to fit a backhoe on it as the BX is roughly 14’ long with out a backhoe with rear weights on the hitch.. so with a 12’ trailer I need to have my bucket on the front rail to be able to fit it.. a backhoe MIGHT fit a 14’ trailer but it’s gonna be pretty tight. Make sure you buy a tandem axle not a single axle like I have.. I’m at the end of my weight limit on my single axle
Really nice job. How much does 5 ton of stone cost thanks
Thanks buddy! The stone was roughly $25 a ton.. so figure about $200-$250 after tax or so depending on delivery fees
Thanks a lot for replying back
Looks like back draging a pile is better than vibrating a bucket.
Do you typically have an attachment on the back to balance the front loader weight?
Hey Candis, I use rear suitcase weights for ballast.. that’s all I ever use unless I actually need to use an implement on the back for a job.. otherwise the suitcase weights work awesome and they don’t hang low or stick way out like a rear implement would so you can be more productive. I currently run 8x 42lb weights on the rear as well as filled rear tires.. most people get along just fine with only 4x 42lb weights but I had to double it as I have increased my hydraulic pressure over the years to get more lift out of my loader.
Thanks for watching!
Nice job!
Thanks Dave!
Are you floating the bucket when you back drag? Or keeping it fixed?
I do quite a bit of everything.. it all depends how packed the material is and how high it is.. if I only wanna pull a skim coat then I float it, If I wanna pull a lot of material then I add pressure.. but most times I’m going back and forth between float and pressure all in the same pass.. so I’ll start in float then click it out as I back up, or I’ll start with pressure and then click into float when i feel iv pulled enough material to fill the low spot
If you watch my more recent video (Biffs loader tips) “Video Review” video it may help you understand as I think I touch base on it there
Maybe you should add a video of driving the Dodge truck from the driver’s seat.
Would love to! I’ll see what I can do buddy!
360p? Now you know your work deserves at least 1080p 😂
Haha yah my bad, it’s gonna be 4k in the next few hours.. upload is a bit slow tonight