Digging a swimming pool...?

[workmytractor]

I am curious if anyone has attempted to dig a swimming pool using an attached BH to their tractor. I have a MX5100 Kubota and the BH90 would be the backhoe I would use.

I have looked at the specs and it says it can dig up to 9 ft deep which would be more than enough to install the pool I am looking into.

I am looking for advice from anyone who has attempted anything related to this task prior to purchasing the backhoe attachment. What kind of problems will I run into? Will I need a dump truck to haul the dirt off due to limited reach of the backhoe?

 

[Taylortractornut]

You sure can, ive dug them with dads littl 970 and even my old 3550 Ford Industrial TLB. The old Ford is alot slower than your machine. The main thing will be your ability to plan your cut so you wont dig yourself into a corner so to speak with your spoil pile so you wont have to ecessively handle it. The second would be the ability to hold grade while digging. I have dug 6 foot pool that was 24 by 30. Id dig till dinner then turn around and off bear my spoils with the loader to another part of the yard. I did ram down into it to do the final dress up with the loader and then spread my base material.
A dump truck would be nice on the clean up side of it jus being able to load into it and haul a load off without havingto scoop it wit hthe loader unless its got a use onsite thats close. The last one I did I had the TLB out and I used my 12000 pound excavator on the job and had my friend and helper on the skid steer to off bear later we used my dump to speed up the job.

 

[toy1]

I put in a pool last year and used my KX080 and kx121 and a one point I was having a problem with water sepage the pool is 20*40. the Kx080 did all of the digging I did the basic 20*40 *5 feet deep across the entire length, then I went and dug the deep end and that is were I hit water. as fast as I could dig the water was coing in and caving in the sides, I trucked in 50 tons of 3/4 stone and used the 121 to dump it in the hole and the 080 was used to spread it, I had two pumps going during this process, I finally got it under control. I was able to get the floor poured and left a pump in to keep the water in check. I would say you can dig the pool with a back hoe as long as you have alot of time and do not run into issues boulders, water,ledge and what ever else mother nature has preinstalled for you. Also with a back hoe you will need a truck to move out the dirt, even with the excavator I used a dozer to push the pile out of the way,you are going to have to dig a much bigger hole then the pool and make ramps for the truck to go into and out of the hole. The more I think about it you are in for a alot of work with that size backhoe.

 

[workmytractor]

Sounds like my biggest issue so far would be the water table. I live on the gulfcoast where the average height above sea-level is probably around 30-50 feet. I am at about 28 feet above sea level at my house. The soil is sandy which will probably make the sides cave in pretty bad. Boulders will not be an issue...I am lucky to find pebbles around here

How much time do you think it would take to dig a round pool about 30' in diameter and about 5' finished depth?

 

[LBrown59]

I am curious if anyone has attempted to dig a swimming pool using an attached BH to their tractor. I have a MX5100 Kubota and the BH90 would be the backhoe I would use.

I have looked at the specs and it says it can dig up to 9 ft deep which would be more than enough to install the pool I am looking into.

I am looking for advice from anyone who has attempted anything related to this task prior to purchasing the backhoe attachment. What kind of problems will I run into? Will I need a dump truck to haul the dirt off due to limited reach of the backhoe?

I'l take the free dirt.

 

[EddieWalker]

Sounds like my biggest issue so far would be the water table. I live on the gulfcoast where the average height above sea-level is probably around 30-50 feet. I am at about 28 feet above sea level at my house. The soil is sandy which will probably make the sides cave in pretty bad. Boulders will not be an issue...I am lucky to find pebbles around here

How much time do you think it would take to dig a round pool about 30' in diameter and about 5' finished depth?

I would use the backhoe to dig a few test holes down to five feet and see what happens. If they fill up with water, then your water table is too high and putting in a pool isn't such a good idea. If the test holes stay dry, then I would dig the hole with the front end loader and build a ramp into the hole. The backhoe bucket is too small to be effective and even after you dig the dirt, you will have to handle it again with the loader to get rid of it. Make the ramp outside of the hole and when you are done, backfill it after the pool is in place. As for how long it will take, I would think a weekend would be plenty, but then you have to realize that digging a hole is easy, the hard part is always in getting rid of the material that you dig. If it's close to the hole, it will go fast, but the farther away that you carry that material, the longer it will take, which can easily double or quadruple your time.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[wedge40]

I would love to see this process. If you decide to tackle this job, please take some photos of progress.

Wedge

 

[Knight]

I started yo dig my pool with a John Deere 410.
It was going slow, I hired a excavator $500 and he did the whole job in 2 hours.

 

[Reg]

For ~$500 "hired in" and (presumably) "fully licensed and insured" ? that seems like a cheap blame target if/when things go bad.
I would call Dig Safe first, then do the test holes as described in earlier replies.

If I couldn't find a local excavator guy and JUST HAD TO D.I.Myself;
I would work from the shallow end and I would take the machine in.
I would approach it as a grading project, cutting down a slope.
I'm guessing that the FEL bucket with toothbar would do most of the work, certainly all the hauling out.
I would probably only turn around and use the hoe for really hard spots and rocks.

Crumbly edges below are not my idea of fun, crumbly walls around would be bad enough - for ME.
YMMV, etc.

 

[JohnDeere4300]

I would use the backhoe to dig a few test holes down to five feet and see what happens. If they fill up with water, then your water table is too high and putting in a pool isn't such a good idea. If the test holes stay dry, then I would dig the hole with the front end loader and build a ramp into the hole. The backhoe bucket is too small to be effective and even after you dig the dirt, you will have to handle it again with the loader to get rid of it. Make the ramp outside of the hole and when you are done, backfill it after the pool is in place. As for how long it will take, I would think a weekend would be plenty, but then you have to realize that digging a hole is easy, the hard part is always in getting rid of the material that you dig. If it's close to the hole, it will go fast, but the farther away that you carry that material, the longer it will take, which can easily double or quadruple your time.

Good luck,
Eddie

(Eddie gave some good info).......I would recommend the test holes also.

I have dug a couple pools before and made a ramp to get in the hole....it goes a lot faster.

What i done was, took orange spray paint & measure and paint how much that needed to be dug out.....Then i started on one end digging out & making the ramp, and once i got inside the hole, then i turned around & dug the dirt down, and turn back around & use my FEL to get the dirt out.

It just seems to go much better if you get inside the hole, because you can shape the sides much better from inside.....I dug these pools for friends & like (Eddie) said, the hard part is getting rid of all the dirt.....One friend wanted me to haul the dirt down to the river bank, and after about 30 some trips...I told him that this could take a week, So he went and borrowed a dump trailer....and then it went a lot faster.

I also dug a pond on my property and on one end it's 9ft. deep....and i made a ramp to get inside the pond also.

So if i was you i would dig some test holes like (Eddie said) and fix a ramp on the outside of where the pool will be....I didn't have to dig no test holes where my friends put their pool.


*If you dig this with your equipment take some pictures....I wished i had pictures of the pools & my pond that i dug, this was before i was a member here.....and i didn't think i would need to take pics. at that time....and you could use them in case someone else does a job like this.

Hope it works out.

 

[Reg]

Another point to consider is that "Digging the hole" is only the start of the project.
Lining the bottom with (? with whatever) and constructing the side walls will require some access to the bottom for equipment, people and materials.
i.e. "It ain't just a hole in the ground with straight dirt sides."
Equipment, materials and people will need to get down in there.
Again, I wouldn't dig from above, especially since I just noticed that you have told us you are on sand/sandy_soil.

 

[dodge man]

I dug our above ground 28' diameter pool with my BX2350. That may not make any sense, but it is installed on a hillside, so to make it level, the high side had to be dug out. I did all the work with the FEL and it was maybe around 60 cubic yards of dirt I removed in total. It was almost 4' deep on the high side. It took maybe 16 hours of my time on the BX and the pool guy spent another 8 hours getting it smoother and level. If you have an M available, I would think it would dig out a pool pretty quick. Like others have said just make a ramp at the shallow end. Think ahead on how much you want to slope back the sidewalls. If you have sandy soil, you might want to slope it back a little bit more for safteys sake. Also think ahead on how you are going to get the concrete trucks into the area.

On the other hand, it sounds like it might be a good excuse to buy a backhoe. I would think an M would power a pretty good sized backhoe that might dig a pool pretty quick, but I'm guessing it's a pretty expensive add on.

 

[Johndeere3720]

I dug a waterfall/pond with my dads 3720 Deere. All I used was the loader. I spent a full 24 hours atleast duging it, its on a slight hill on hard ground. The pond is 5 feet deep and 20x35 feet wide and long. the waterfall was the hardest since I had to let the gravity pull water down. Now it is ready for fish.

 

[Mustangous]

Another point to consider is that "Digging the hole" is only the start of the project.
Lining the bottom with (? with whatever) and constructing the side walls will require some access to the bottom for equipment, people and materials.
i.e. "It ain't just a hole in the ground with straight dirt sides."
Equipment, materials and people will need to get down in there.
Again, I wouldn't dig from above, especially since I just noticed that you have told us you are on sand/sandy_soil.

Yeah, that is a good point, I would like to have a pool one day and if i could figure out how to put in an inground pool that would be great. This tractor would really pay for itself then. Pool companies around hear start out at 20K, thats another tractor...

 

[Nat]

I sold and installed pools for 20 years, so speak with some expertise when I say this is a bad idea. I sold some pool parts to a couple guys that run equipment for a living, and I knew they would understand and follow directions when I told them how. Both said never again. And when I say pool parts that is what I mean. There is no such thing as a pool kit. A pool is made up of a lot of different parts and I used to buy pumps at one place, filters at another, order liners from somewhere else,ect.Each pool is different in the size,shape, piping, plumbing ,placement, lot's of variables.

Installing a pool isn't just digging a hole and adding water. If a concrete bottom and sides are your chioce, I'd bet that you can get a pro to come in and do it cheaper than you can buy all the material.
If a vinyl liner is your choice then the dig has to be perfect or the liner life will be shortened at best and may need a replacement liner before the job is done.
I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but a pool needs to be done by someone who knows how to install one correctly. ie; flow amount , return water path, filter placement, siting, ect.
An above ground pool is a different animal entirely. They are engineered to be installed by any compentant person. If the ground is graded correctly and installed per manufactors specs they are fairly easy to install and will work like they are supposed to.
On an aside note folks used to ask me how much a pool would be if they dug their own hole, since they had a backhoe/loader/bobcat ect. I told the I always add 2000.00 to the price if they did it them selves.
I hope this gives some perspective to this post. Most everyone has said yeah, do it. Eddie gave some good advice on what to do even before starting such a project, and I know Eddie. I would have no trouble with him installing a pool, but he is an exception, not the general rule. Installing a pool correctly is a lot of work and has to be done right or the finished product won't be what most people expect a pool to be. Later, Nat

 

[LBrown59]

I am curious if anyone has attempted to dig a swimming pool using an attached BH to their tractor. I have a MX5100 Kubota and the BH90 would be the backhoe I would use.

I wouldn't see where digging a swimming pool would be any different than digging a basement ,
They are both just a hole in the ground.

 

[Mustangous]

I wouldn't see where digging a swimming pool would be any different than digging a basement ,
They are both just a hole in the ground.

I would actually have to kindof agree... There are of coarse special considerations to take for everything, but I doubt its rocket science. The internet is full of information and would bet that one could very much educate themselves on what to do and how to do it. I am sure not everyone would be willing to tackle a job like this or is capable to, but I am sure a lot of us could do it. There are tons of very talented people on here! Just have to ask questions.

 

[Nat]

A basement is a square or a rectangle. All the is needed is to dig it app 3' wider than the basement and keep the floor to the desired elevation. A vinyl liner swimming pool must fit the future liner exactly. I wish I knew how to draw a dig plan for a pool on the comp, but don't know how. A standard pool must meet NSPI specs and they are exact. We had to dig them so that from the tip of the diving board straight down you had to have a set distance, then out 4' from the tip of the board it had to be another set distance. The slope from the shallow end could only be a set amount per foot, not to mention that the side walls slope in 3'6 from the base of the vertical wall section . I can't explain what I mean very well. I always told my kids that the smartest person they will ever meet is the one that can explain exactly what they want to convey in the least amount of words.
With todays lawsuit society I quit selling pools bacause it was to much of a liability. I knew one guy that got sued after a child drowned in the pool. The fact that he installed it correctly and did every thing right won out for him in the end, but only after many thousands of $ for his defence. The fact that the child climbed over the fence and was unattended was the reason, but lawsuits always go for anyone that is in a mile of it.

Digging a pool to NSPI specs is an exact science, and requires a very skilled guy at the controlls. If he just wants to dig a hole and add water that is within the capabilities of most anyone, but make sure it is under cover of an armed guard all the time and if the guard falls in and drowns, he'll get sued anyway.
Again, I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but I also don't want anyone to start on a job without having a set of facts to go by. Most everyone on here said sure, go ahead and dig one, I figured someone needed to lay out another opinion. Later, Nat

 

[harpoonalt]

Have to agree with Nat. At our last house, we put in an in-ground pool and had professionals do it. There's a lot to it and it has to be pretty precise or you'll have problems. This was a vinyl liner in-ground. Others may be different but our pool had metal sides that had to be put on a ledge of dirt, then the floor was some sort of soft concrete over which the liner laid. I wish I had pictures, but I remember being impressed with how good the excavator operator was at getting his levels and pitches. Some people just have the knack and if you do, go ahead and do it. Love to see pictures too! Great site for pool maintenance is poolforum.com. Once we got off the Baquacil and learned to manage chlorine, our pool was crystal clear and a lot less work. Good luck!

 

[Reg]

When we lived in Switzerland someone showed up opposite one morning with a loader and proceeded to dig into the ground in a direction away from the road.
By noon he was all done, he had started digging the driveway ramp to the garage, from there he dug out the garage and entire basement.

Swiss construction is "different" to US construction.
Over time we saw MASSIVE amounts of reinforced poured concrete go in, including the ground floor (called 1st floor here) above the basement and of course the required bomb shelter and wine cave.
So maybe that was why I said I would start from the shallow end and haul out with the bucket..... I should add that it was a decent sized loader.