Relocating the kitchen garden after getting rid of the concrete around it.

You can nicely see the difference between the good soil and the clay rich stuff below in the spot where I scraped too deeply.

The big grading bucket moves dirt fast but unfortunately it just started raining, to my great annoyance. Sprinted out to rescue some stuff and now having coffee while hoping it doesn't get too muddy to continue. 😫

Like most excavator work, it requires a bit of strategy. Here I'm piling the good soil in the middle, then I'll have to move the bad soil over it to fill the gap left behind and then distribute the good soil in the new hole.

#Gardening #ExcavatorGardening #MiniExcavator #Homestead #Soil

Next job: Removing the concrete pylons that formed a foundation for a greenhouse that must've collapsed some time ago.

We want our kitchen garden in that area (the soil is great), but a bit further from the big spruce as its roots compete with anything we tried to grow there last year.

The huge concrete beam is a little on the heavy side for my machines. You can see the excavator at tipping point there, but just about lifting it and I did wheelies on the tractor but managed to drag it out the back gate with some tricks.

One more to go.

#Garden #Gardening #Excavator #ExcavatorGardening #MiniExcavator #Concrete #Homestead #Digging #DIY

Pre-jungle season is running out soon. Time to tackle goat pen #3.

Difficult access, the former outdoor service pit was in front of it, which is now just a ditch. I scooped up some dirt and built a causeway, then got rid of the ingrown fence and creeper roots.

Now I can drive the mower into there and keep it from overgrowing again.

The thorny fuckers inside got chipped into the hole and the non-thorny shrubbery got chipped onto the new causeway.

Treasure so far: The usual bunch of steel, a large concrete chunk and enough scrap wood for a few sauna sessions. Some of it even already dry.

#Homestead #Cleanup #GoatPen #Fence #MiniExcavator #Digging

Continuing unfinished jobs from last year: Taking down old fencing in the garden.

Four of these posts were cast in concrete, so I got some help from a strong arm.

The fence is fine mesh, good for a chicken coop, hope to re-use some of it.

The posts steel profiles and pipes of varying size. Gotta Mjölnir-smash the concrete off.

Sifted through where the fence was, as last time I found lots of steel, but here was only junk. Still good to have that fished out though. Rubbish in the bin, concrete in the pile and a lot of playing "plastic scrap or maple leaf?"

#Homestead #Fence #DIY #MiniExcavator #Cleanup #Garden

Since our nightly visitor didn't want to do it, I had to clear the driveway myself. Put the grading bucket on and practiced a bit in the yard. Not great, but works better than the dozer blade using arm swings, but not really the right tool.

Great for pushing those snow mountains further out though, as they're getting too high to throw over with the shovel.

Cleared the bulk with the machine, taking shoveling breaks to warm up.

We can leave by car again if we want to.

Cut off from the barn in the meadow with the old firewood though. The path is just over the hill and the snow drift is too deep for the tractor trailer. Almost got it stuck there and turning was a struggle.

No big deal, the new firewood is ready with a bit of cubby drying.

#Snow #Excavator #MiniExcavator #Homestead

Pushing it.

#Snow #Excavator #MiniExcavator #Homestead

Lots of very heavy snow arrived. Got some help pushing it.

#Snow #Lithuania #Winter #Excavator #MiniExcavator #Homestead

Hydraulic porn.

#Hydraulic #Hoses #Excavator #MiniExcavator #Plumbing #Machinery #Engineering

Grmpf, not the best day. Excavator was in the way of something else, so I drove it out, decided to do some quick jobs to charge the battery up and then parked it outside the barn. Upon turning the key again, nothing at all, not even the solenoid clicking.

Keyswitch ok, battery ok, so I had to trace wires (no diagram, although it's not complicated) until finding the culprit: A failed crimp on a ring terminal where the instrument wiring connects to the starter/battery plus.

Easy fix, put everything back together, two hours down the drain. 😮‍💨

#Excavator #MiniExcavator #Repair #DIY #Homestead #Electrical #Troubleshooting