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
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> TowerTalk mailing list
>>> TowerTalk@contesting.com
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>>
>>
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