|
Excavator to rent for foundation drainage?
QUESTION:I need to excavate part of my foundation to install footing drains. I'll be
digging down about six feet, and about two feet wide. What size and type of
excavator would be best for this work? I have heard conflicting advice about
whether a Bobcat "mini excavator" would be adequate for this job. Someone
else suggested a "mini trackhoe."
ANSWER: I'd go with the small trackhoe. Just don't get the Terramite type back
hoe unit. They are worthless unless you are working in sand, and even
then the controls are crap. I rented a Takeuchi (spelling not
guaranteed!) track hoe a year ago to dig some trenches (after renting
the TM and having to break rocks with a pick so it could pick them up!)
and it worked superbly. Stable, sufficient power to break up rock and
nicely hydraulic controls that can be feathered smoothly, unlike the
on/off switches that the Terramite calls controls.
I had no problem running one for the first time last year. Many years
ago I worked as a logger and was quite proficient with a Prentice boom
log loader which is similar in some respects, but still quite different.
I, however, wasn't working right next to my house much as I was
digging ditches for downspout drains. The only time I had to work near
the house was at the very start of each ditch and I arranged the track
hoe such that I could just barely reach the house foundation. That way
an errant lever pull wouldn't knock a hole in my basement wall!
If you go very slowly, you'll probably be fine. Just don't try to get
cute (moving multiple axes at one, etc.) when working along side your
foundation. And plan to take about 4 times longer than a pro would
take, maybe even more. It took me 3 hours to dig 100' of ditch. I'd
guess a pro could do that in an hour or so. But it was fun and I saved
a bunch of money. The Takeuchi rental was $180/day.
|
|
|
|
