[TowerTalk] DIGGING A HOLE WITH A BACKHOE

[STEVE LANE]

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 at olywa.net> wrote:

>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dick Green WC1M" <wc1m73 at 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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