I called a guy in the morning, he was out that afternoon and dug three
nearly perfect 4 x 6 by 4 foot deep holes for $150 and was gone in about an
hour. Compare that to hiring a digger, getting it home, digging the hole and
taking the digger back.
You need a digger with a small bucket to get an accurate hole.
Mark N1UK
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dick Dievendorff" <dieven@comcast.net>
To: "'Jack Brindle'" <jackbrindle@me.com>; "'STEVE LANE'"
<steve.lane@dishmail.net>
Cc: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, 07 May, 2011 8:48 AM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] DIGGING A HOLE WITH A BACKHOE
> Although most of us can rent an excavator at a rental place and learn the
> basics in a short while, this reminds me of getting your college buddies
> to
> help move furniture - it might be quite expensive.
>
> I'd suggest that hiring someone who operates an excavator for a living
> might
> be a good investment.
>
> Some of these guys (and you need to find the right one) are real artists,
> and can be in and out of there in a hurry and can make the hole just the
> size and shape you ask for.
>
> You or I wouldn't be able to do that on our first try. We'd take more
> time,
> spend more for the additional concrete required to fill the larger hole,
> and
> the end result wouldn't be nearly as neat.
>
> It might be fun to drive the machine. But I wouldn't rent one to save
> money.
> The margin at equipment rental places is necessarily quite high, given the
> skills of the range of people that will operate the machinery and the fact
> that much of the equipment sits idle a lot of the time. They have to
> recover
> the cost of the machine pretty quickly.
>
> I'd rather hire a guy that knows what he's doing with his machine.
>
> Dick, K6KR
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces@contesting.com
> [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Jack Brindle
> Sent: Friday, May 06, 2011 9:50 PM
> To: STEVE LANE
> Cc: towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] DIGGING A HOLE WITH A BACKHOE
>
> What kind of quotes are you getting?
>
> This has been a very enlightening (and encouraging) discussion! Perhaps
> this
> is the year my Rohn 25 moves from the garage to the back yard and goes
> vertical...
>
> Jack Brindle, W6FB
>
> On May 6, 2011, at 9:21 PM, STEVE LANE wrote:
>
>> That's why I mentioned it. I have been pricing the rental equipment in
>> my area and think I can do it pretty cheap.
>>
>> On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 8:44 PM, Wes Attaway (N5WA)
>> <wesattaway@bellsouth.net
>>> wrote:
>>
>>> Well, you will get a 36" diameter hole. It should be pretty
>>> accurate. You will have to spread all the dirt somewhere.
>>>
>>> ------------------- Wes Attaway (N5WA) ------------------
>>> 1138 Waters Edge Circle, Shreveport, LA 71106
>>> 318-797-4972 (Office) - 318-393-3289 (Cell)
>>> Computer Consulting and Forensics
>>> -------------- EnCase Certified Examiner ---------------
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: towertalk-bounces@contesting.com
>>> [mailto:towertalk-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of STEVE LANE
>>> Sent: Friday, May 06, 2011 10:16 PM
>>> To: towertalk@contesting.com
>>> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] DIGGING A HOLE WITH A BACKHOE
>>>
>>> What about using an auger? I am getting ready to put up my w51 and
>>> have been thinking about using a 36 inch auger to bore a hole 5-6
>>> feet deep.
>>>
>>> Steve K9SL
>>> \
>>>
>>> On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 5:37 PM, Al Williams <alwilliams@olywa.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Dick Green WC1M" <wc1m73@gmail.com>
>>>>
>>>> SNIP
>>>>> As many have noted, it's hard to dig a perfect hole with a backhoe
>>>>> or excavator. The hole always ends up larger than intended,
>>>>> especially
>>> after
>>>>> you get in and square it up with a shovel. The pier wound up closer
>>>>> to 4'x4'x6' and was more trapezoidal than rectangular (i.e., wider
>>>>> at the
>>>>> base.)
>>>>
>>>> 1. Whys square the hole with a shovel? The only need might be to
>>> square
>>>> up the visible part above the hole!
>>>>
>>>> 2. "...wider at the base."? I only have maybe 50 hours using my
> small
>>>> BX22 backhoe but thats enough to know that the holes are always
>>>> "wider at the top of the hole". This is because most backholes have
>>>> two arms; the first attached to the low base of the tractor the arm
>>>> then
> tilts up.
>>>> The second arm attaches to the end of the first arm and tilts down
>>>> to the ground. It is difficult to get the outer arm's bucket deep
>>>> without the inner arm hitting the ground
>>>>
>>>> Digging a straight down hole requires a lot of coordinated tractor
>>>> moving toward/away from the hole while also changing both arm angles.
>>>>
>>>> 3. Readers contemplating having a deep, straight sided hole dug
> should
>>>> find a contractor with a backhoe that has a telescoping/sliding arm
>>> mounted
>>>> on the second (outer arm). This telescoping arm can dig straight
>>>> vertical holes 8 or more feet deep.
>>>>
>>>> k7puc
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
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