# Need help with cubic feet and cubic yard calculation



## griz7674 (Feb 4, 2009)

Our local Menards is selling a 40 pound bag of garden mix top soil for $1.19. Unfortunately, the bag makes no reference to cubic feet etc. I compared it to a bag of miracle grow and they appeared the same size. The miracle grow clearly states 1 cubic feet. 

When I get online I am being told that one cubic foot equals 70-100 pounds although I am getting widely varying answers. My goal is simply this, I need 10 cubic yards of good top soil and need to know how many bags of this soil I need to buy. I know there is 27 cubic feet in 1 cubic yard. I am again being told that 1 cubic yard is about 2000 pounds. This would imply that my 40 pound bag, assuming it is 1 cubic foot, weighs about 1000 pounds per cubic yard. 

Any advice you can give me is appreciated. I just cannot imagine that this bag only fills a 1x1 foot square 6 inches deep.

Bob


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

A bag of Portland cement contains 1 cu.ft. and weighs 96 lbs. (for a reference)

Measure the length, width and height of one of the bags of garden mix and calculate the volume.


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## frankva (May 21, 2009)

If I needed that volume I would be calling someone that delivered with a dump truck. Bagged stuff is spendy.
http://www.lenntech.com/calculators/volume/volume.htm

Don't know if that helps but I have been using it for a project. 231 cubic inches = 1 gallon. I think... 

Low tech way would be to buy a bag, dump in 5 gal bucket, measure volume of the cylinder. Don't forget the soil will settle.

Have fun.


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## frankva (May 21, 2009)

If it helps I have a bag of Moo Doo brand manure in the shed.

Label says "30lb 30 dry quarts 34 dry liters."


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## oldasrocks (Oct 27, 2006)

you can't compare weight to volume. Lead weighs more that feathers but try to compare cu ft of lead to feathers for weight.

10 cu yards would b a couple dump trucks full. Forget bags. Our main garden that we put in 10 yrs ago consisted of 5 truckloads of horse manure and 4 truckloads of sawdust. Add 200# of nitrogen and 10 bags of line to start it. Pure nitrogen can be bought from a farm supply store fertilizer outfit.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Yes forget about weight in this case.

What is your existing soil? You may be able to grow a nice garden without the expense of buying soil.

Mine is nearly all sand and with the addition of manure and straw bedding I've had some very nice lush gardens. My next garden spot is going to start out as a chicken or pig pen covered in 6-12" of sawdust or wood chips. Within a year or two there should be some good soil with lots of fertility, organic matter and soil structure.


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## griz7674 (Feb 4, 2009)

This soil is for a new landscaping project we're doing. We are basically replacing a rock garden etc. The best rate for soil we can find bulk wise is $35 a cubic yard. But, they also charge $75 per load for delivery. Unfortunately, their truck only carries up to 3 cubic yards.

We were quoted the same thing with mulch but Menards has the bagged mulch and buying it bagged was much cheaper then buying it in bulk when you subtract out the multiple tips etc.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Could you do the hauling with a small trailer? I see people do that all the time around here.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

In Square Foot gardening, we have to mix our soil mix by cubit feet, and a 40# bag of compost is considered 1 cf. I would think the same is true of topping soil. Obviously some might be a tad more or less, but since we are not baking a cake, close enough works.


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## mistletoad (Apr 17, 2003)

A cubic yard of top soil weighs about 1 - 1.5 tons depending on moisture content (wet obviously being heavier). Assuming your soil was bagged dry it would take 50 to 75 of them to make 1 cubic yard. That brings it to $60 - $90 per cubic yard. The bulk delivery you quoted comes out to $60 per cubic yard and that is what I would go with (except I would never buy topsoil).


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

mistletoad said:


> A cubic yard of top soil weighs about 1 - 1.5 tons depending on moisture content (wet obviously being heavier). Assuming your soil was bagged dry it would take 50 to 75 of them to make 1 cubic yard. That brings it to $60 - $90 per cubic yard. The bulk delivery you quoted comes out to $60 per cubic yard and that is what I would go with (except I would never buy topsoil).


Your calculations are right for sand or gravel, but mulch (bagged topsoil) weight much less due to the humus in it. A 40# bag of most composts, mulches, humus enriched soil will be about 1 cf. 27 bags equals 1 cubic yard (3x3x3=27).

I just got a delivery of 20 cubic yards of gravel aggegate and it weighed 22 tons. Much heavier than mulch or humus-enriched topsoil.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

This may not answer your question, but here is a great little program I have used for years on all my computers.

http://joshmadison.com/software/convert-for-windows/


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Those bags usually are about 4" thick, 18" wide, and 24" long. 4x18x24=1728. 12x12x12=1728. 1728=1 cubic foot.

Martin


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## tallpines (Apr 9, 2003)

Griz, where are you located?

We just brought home 1 ton of good compost on our own (snowmobile) trailer.

1 ton equals 2 cubic yards

Cost us $52 --- no tax.

Going for a second load on Tues.


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## griz7674 (Feb 4, 2009)

We are south of Champaign about 20 minutes. 3.5 hours from Wisconsin border.

Bob


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## tallpines (Apr 9, 2003)

griz7674 said:


> We are south of Champaign about 20 minutes. 3.5 hours from Wisconsin border.
> 
> Bob





I guess that's a tad too far for hauling.
Our source is closer to the Steven's Point area of Wisconsin.


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## dezingg (Feb 25, 2010)

griz7674 said:


> Our local Menards is selling a 40 pound bag of garden mix top soil for $1.19. Unfortunately, the bag makes no reference to cubic feet etc. I compared it to a bag of miracle grow and they appeared the same size. The miracle grow clearly states 1 cubic feet.
> 
> When I get online I am being told that one cubic foot equals 70-100 pounds although I am getting widely varying answers. My goal is simply this, I need 10 cubic yards of good top soil and need to know how many bags of this soil I need to buy. I know there is 27 cubic feet in 1 cubic yard. I am again being told that 1 cubic yard is about 2000 pounds. This would imply that my 40 pound bag, assuming it is 1 cubic foot, weighs about 1000 pounds per cubic yard.
> 
> ...


You are working too hard on this. Forget the weight entirely. If the bag is indeed the same size as the MiracleGro bag, then it is a cubic foot. As you say there are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard. That's 27 bags. But you say that you want 10 cubic yards ... that's 270 bags. You might want to re-calculate your costs. 270 x $1.19 = $321.30 plus tax. How many trips will it take you to haul 270 bags?

And for the record, a cubic foot is 12 inches by 12 inches by 12 inches. (You already knew that!) Not certain why you mention 6 inches, unless that's the depth you want ... in that case each cubic foot bag can cover two square feet of area to a depth of 6 inches. 270 bags equals 540 square feet at a depth of 6 inches. Is this really what you had in mind?


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## T-Bone 369 (Jan 18, 2007)

Griz7674 - 

That must put you somewhere around Tuscola - always nice to see other flatlanders here. 

The U of I has a manure exchange data base to match people looking for manure with those that are looking to get rid of it. I know there are several people in Champaign County listed with surplus. You might take a look if you have a truck of trailer. 

http://web.extension.illinois.edu/manureshare/


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

griz7674 said:


> Our local Menards is selling a 40 pound bag of garden mix top soil for $1.19. Unfortunately, the bag makes no reference to cubic feet etc. I compared it to a bag of miracle grow and they appeared the same size. The miracle grow clearly states 1 cubic feet.
> 
> When I get online I am being told that one cubic foot equals 70-100 pounds although I am getting widely varying answers. My goal is simply this, I need 10 cubic yards of good top soil and need to know how many bags of this soil I need to buy. I know there is 27 cubic feet in 1 cubic yard. I am again being told that 1 cubic yard is about 2000 pounds. This would imply that my 40 pound bag, assuming it is 1 cubic foot, weighs about 1000 pounds per cubic yard.
> 
> ...



.............Buying top soil by the bag when you need 10 yards is very $$$$! Should you decide too order a 10 yard load of top soil , be SURE and tell them you want it....."Screened"........or filtered which should remove all rocks , foreign material , root stalks , etc ! Ten cubic yards purchased in bags is just  in my opinion ! , fordy


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## griz7674 (Feb 4, 2009)

Well, I went ahead and bought it in the bags. It averaged out to $32 per cubic yard delivered to my house. The closest I could find it in bulk was $35. The bagged soil is clean and ready to use.

Bob


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## tallpines (Apr 9, 2003)

Sounds like a good outcome.


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## frankva (May 21, 2009)

griz7674 said:


> Well, I went ahead and bought it in the bags. It averaged out to $32 per cubic yard delivered to my house. The closest I could find it in bulk was $35. The bagged soil is clean and ready to use.
> 
> Bob


All raked out? Watered? Planted?

Teasing. Sometimes it is easier to pull the trigger and spend the money. I need to remind myself of that. I tend to "make do."


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

I had a similar situation several years ago when I needed a lot of sand in one plot. My favorite source has always been a sandbar on the Wisconsin River. I can haul about 750# of it in 5-gallon pails in the back of my pickup. WalMart had 40# bags for about the same $1.19 as the OP paid for topsoil. With the round trip to the river being just over 100 miles, plus cost of gasoline, it was cheaper to buy 20 bags and have the shocks overloaded for less than a half mile.

Martin


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