Dirt Scoop for Compact Tractors

Richard L. Parish, PhD, PE

A dirt scoop is a handy attachment for small tractors. It will allow you to dig, move, and dump small quantities of soil, gravel, sand, or other materials much easier than you can do with a shovel and wheelbarrow and much less expensively than with a front-end loader on your tractor.

Description: A dirt scoop may be called by other names such as a rear bucket, slip bucket, or slip scoop. It mounts on the 3-point hitch of a tractor. It is raised and lowered by the tractor, and usually has a manual dump, triggered by pulling a rope. The scoop or bucket can be reversed (by hitching to either end) thus allowing you to dig in either forward or reverse, depending on the requirements of a given project. The normal mode of action is to scoop up a load of material in the bucket, haul it wherever needed, and dump it.

Advantages: The most important advantage of a dirt scoop is low cost. One can be purchased for less than $300. It provides a low-cost mechanized alternative to a shovel and wheelbarrow. It is very useful for small digging projects around a homestead and for very small grounds maintenance jobs. It is certainly not as versatile as a front-end loader, nor does it match the capacity of a front-end loader, but it’s cost is much less. Because it mounts on the rear of the tractor, good traction is available for digging.

Limitations: A dirt scoop cannot handle as great a load as a front-end loader. Because a dirt scoop is behind the tractor, visibility may be limited and awkward. Dumping may or may not work well with a partial load.

A simple dirt scoop is a useful implement for your compact tractor and performs some of the functions of a front-end loader, although not as efficiently.