mini excavator needed...

[mobsled]

a trencher would work great actually as long as it goes deep enuf. My mini hoe can dig 10 feet deep so I guess you could call it a "big mini". I am in Minnesota so we dig everything in at LEAST 6 feet usually try to get closer to 8 just to be extra safe. Cause you know dam well that if it breaks its gonna be in the dead of winter and it will probably be 40 below zero and miserable. You are correct about the poly line and pressure fittings, thats the good stuff. Make sure they are very clean and get the stiffeners that go inside the line. We use them all the time, it is very rare to use copper on anything now days, around here anyways. And when you backfill DO NOT just start flinging dirt, cover the hole line with 3-4 inchs of dirt with a shovel to make sure you dont backfill it with a rock sitting on the line or you will be digging it back up next week when the rock crushs the line. START HOGGIN!!!!!

 

[JDKZRT]

no mess?? I have a hard time beliving that. I would think that High pressure water is gonna make a hell of a mess, which is prob. why the guys on their crews are all wearing rain/mud gear.

I've never seen it in action, just cant belive that.

How do you backfill?

You need to watch one of these outfits in action, with a good operator. Simply amazing.
You backfill with new dirt.... not a big deal if you are re-filling a 4 inch trench.
I saw a city crew replace the packing in my neighbor's main shut-off valve (on the city waterline). It was 11 feet deep and under his driveway. They removed 4 paving stones about (10"x10"). Hole was dug packing replaced (using some long tools and holders), hole re-filled and 4 paving stomes replaced in less than 1 1/2 hrs.....11 ft. deep .... by a city crew! Try that with a hoe.
After seeing this, I've taken some interest in these outfits and they do some amazing work..... I've seen holes they've dug that look like they were done with a sharp shovel, and there is no mess.

 

[ArcticBoy]

Trenchers suck around underground utilities though.

 

[mobsled]

so does a excavator. the only half way easy way around wires is with a excavator digging deep cuz you can under cut under the wires and the dirt will adventually fall off the wires and theres no shoveling needed, since its only gonna be 2-3 ft deep I would get a trencher.

 

[mc2stroke]

Well I have a bunch of sand to lay the bed for the line. Renting anything is becoming a PITA as the snow has the road all messed up. I may have to hunker down for a few days or do it the old fashioned way it looks like.

This is going to be my last day of work until January 5th. So hopefully tomorrow I can start making some progress on the S-hole I call my lovely home

 

[mc2stroke]

German/Irish Back hoe...

Well I went with the old fashion german-Irish back hoe and dug out about 27' of trench yesterday. Then blasted through the shop floor and foundation. We got the piped just buried today a bit before the snow hit seattle again. But no water in the house yet as it was to hard to get everything and people lined up with this piss poor weather. I got have the ditch back filled about a foot deep and then the snow filled in the last foot LOL!!!! Looks like it will be a few days before I get the water back on but oh well.

Thanks for all the help peeps. Half fun riding, I'm having fun trench'n a new way..... LOL!!!

 

[thegaymexican]

i wouldn't call it mini... but i can bore a deep hole. or at least beat up the sides.

el-braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap-o