----- 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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