[TowerTalk] DIGGING A HOLE WITH A BACKHOE

Sat May 7 07:47:52 PDT 2011

Yes my operator digs footings for a living with his Bobcat. The holes that 
he dug were nearly perfect and the pile of excavated soil was placed just 
where I wanted it. Sure beats dragging a digger home from a rental store and 
learning how to use it.

Mark N1UK

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Wright" <ham.ks4o at gmail.com>
To: <TowerTalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, 07 May, 2011 10:26 AM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] DIGGING A HOLE WITH A BACKHOE

> You need a backhoe operator with the right skills.  I know from limited
> backhoe experience that I don't have the skill to dig a trench, let alone 
> a
> rectangular hole.  The guys who plant septic tanks are the best I've seen 
> at
> digging rectangular holes.  And as Mark says, they can be amazingly fast 
> at
> doing what they do every day.
>
> -jim KS4O
>
> On Sat, May 7, 2011 at 9:31 AM, Mark Robinson 
> <markrob at mindspring.com>wrote:
>
>> 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 at comcast.net>
>> To: "'Jack Brindle'" <jackbrindle at me.com>; "'STEVE LANE'"
>> <steve.lane at dishmail.net>
>> Cc: <towertalk at 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 at contesting.com
>> > [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Jack Brindle
>> > Sent: Friday, May 06, 2011 9:50 PM
>> > To: STEVE LANE
>> > Cc: towertalk at 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 at 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 at contesting.com
>> >>> [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of STEVE LANE
>> >>> Sent: Friday, May 06, 2011 10:16 PM
>> >>> To: towertalk at 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 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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