How to Correctly Grade Your Yard with a Bobcat Skid Steer

Our Bobcat and Kubota skid steers are the perfect machines to grade and level out your yard correctly. Whether your prepping for an RV pad, extending your yard or building a new patio, these skid steers are built for any size job and are the perfect machines for grading, excavating, demoing, clean up and more. Here are a few easy steps to get started grading your yard with a skid steer:

1. Start by removing any large rocks from the yard area. Any rocks roughly the size of a tennis ball or larger. (A skeleton bucket attachment which we also have available can make shorten the process.)
2. Before you begin any grading passes, fill in the lower sections with dirt until the yard is as level as possible, start from the highest point. If necessary, build up the dirt next to structures.
3. Let’s start grading now. While keeping your bucket low and flat, start to make grading passes to level out the parts of the yard that are too high. This dirt can then be used to fill the parts of the yard that are low.
4. A good way to check if your grade is accurate is to water the area. Puddles will form in lower areas that may require filling.
5. Clean up the final grade by using a hand rake.

Here are a few easy steps to spread gravel and prep your for RV pad or patio:

1. Mark the area being covered in gravel. You can do this with string and stakes or garden hoses.
2. Using your Bobcat skid steer, remove the top layer of soil from the area and grade to achieve your ideal level. Ensure you account for the height of the gravel being added on top of the graded area.
3. If you are worried about grass or weeds growing up through the gravel, this is the ideal time to lay down landscaping fabric/weed matting.
4. Now to add the gravel. Fill the bucket of your Skid Steer with gravel and lift the arms and bucket off of the ground (ensure you have a good view of the bucket and ground). Move forward over the graded area at a consistent pace whilst at the same time slowly tilting your bucket forward. This will dispense the gravel consistently over the area. You may have to add a few layers depending on the job.
5. To spread and level the gravel, use the same technique you would use to grade.
6. Clean up the final gravel spread by using a hand rake.

For more easy how-to-guides or to check out our machine availability, Contact us or call and ask one of our friendly staff members to help get you into the right machine for your next project.

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