I decided to hit the easy button here. The shed place said they can do a post and beam foundation for $713. I figured around $500 in equipment/materials to do a gravel base myself. My time is worth more than $200. I can't wait to get this done so I can have only car stuff in my garage.
Hang on, y'all.
The tractors you rent won't do the trick unless it is super soft soil. Huge difference between a loader and a bucket.
Loader: Flat front blade used for scooping up a pile of mulch on the ground
Bucket with teeth: Used for excavating or digging up ground.
Using a loader bucket to excavate will be incredibly frustrating. Even with soft soil you'll likely dig up the yard with the tires more than you dig your foundation. The softness of the soil is proportional, and the bucket always provides more drag than the tires have traction. That is why most excavation equipment uses tracks instead of tires.
A tractor with a flat-nose loader is ONLY for loading stuff above ground. A bucket with teeth is used for breaking ground. Period. You're talking to a farm boy with 40 years experience with tractors and I currently own about 9 ranging in size from an 18 hp lawn/garden up to a 45hp diesel New Holland with tires taller than me.
Can it be done? Maybe. Is it the right equipment for the job? Not even close. Massive difference. They'll even make you sign a waiver at Home Depot that says its not for excavation. I know that because I used to work there.
Using a loader to excavate is like using a disc before you plow. Wrong equipment.
I was wondering about that. Thanks for the education Curtis.
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