Poorman's Backhoe

obrien73 · Apr 17, 2005

Poorman\'s Backhoe

I picked up my new post hole digger on Saturday and since I didn't have any post holes to dig I figured what the heck! For any of you wondering it's a Gearmore D20 with a 9" auger.

It actually worked better than I had anticipated. I dug all of the holes (250' work) in about an hour and a half. It took the same amount of time for the cleanout. Don't think that I would attempt to dig footer like this, but it was better than doing it by hand.

obrien73 · Apr 17, 2005

Re: Poorman\'s Backhoe

1 More

frank_f15 · Apr 17, 2005

Re: Poorman\'s Backhoe

Seems to work for you, but one question? my son lives in LV and some of the ground around there u need explosives to budge it. why the difference? just the area with different soil?

notamustang · Apr 17, 2005

Re: Poorman\'s Backhoe

Nice to see someone else with a gearmore product, thought I might be the only one /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Good Idea, shure cheaper than a BH

DaveNay · Apr 17, 2005

Re: Poorman\'s Backhoe

My father-in-law used to work for a large contracting company, and his last job before retireing was at a co-generating plant being built outside Las Vegas. He has some stories about the hard soils out there. The cement like material is called Caliche, and it literally takes explosives to shake it loose. The largest equipment in the industry has about the same effect as my 855 with the rear blade trying to scape up an interstate highway. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif In some areas, it can be several feet thick. I think that the project he was working on was actually sited in a dry lake bed, and almost 100% of the material they had to move was caliche.

Dave

obrien73 · Apr 18, 2005

Re: Poorman\'s Backhoe

Frank we just got lucky at our house. The soil isn't as bad in Northern Nevada as it is in Vegas, but it is pretty darn rocky with a fair amount of clay - except at our house that is.

I've owned the place for 2 & 1/2 years and can count the number of rocks larger than an inch in diameter that I have found on one hand. We do have clay, but it is about a foot down.

Taylortractornut · Apr 18, 2005

Re: Poorman\'s Backhoe

Obrien73 several years ago there used to be a terracer plo that looked like a turning plow on dolly wheels as a trailed outfit. Right behind the curved part of the plow was a top mounted gearbox and an auger. It helped stack the dirt higher than the normal furrow.
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JoeinTX · Apr 19, 2005

Re: Poorman\'s Backhoe

Dave, caliche occurs here naturally and it is an extremely hard cement-like gravel when it is compacted. When spread, allowed to get wet and then compacted, it is probably the best natural road material I know of. The little Ford with a 6' blade just scrapes along the top of it when I'm trying to work the roads over.... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif