The area I live in has such hard clay soil that is it almost imprenetrable, even with a pick-end maddox. Would a spade attachment on a demolition hammer help dig large holes for planting.
Would the mid-large size, such as the Makita 1500HB work?
Thanks
An architect and a handy homeowner team up for an exterior upgrade with energy efficiency, comfort, and durability as part of the plan.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
Florida. In places we have hard pan, a clay sand mix, that is so tough that a full, overhead, swing by a health 300 lbs man full of beans and armed with a good pick will leave a hole that can be filled with a tablespoon. Most of the material removed hits you right in the mouth.
To dig 500' of footers in this stuff we ended up using an electric jack hammer, the spot was under a 6 story building and inaccessible to heavier equipment, with a clay spade bit that was designed for the job. The tool came in at a good 50 lbs. Set tool, hammer down to depth, pull handles to you to break the piece off, lift hammer and place in new position. Wash rinse repeat. It was a tough and noisy job and the jackhammering had to be rotated through the crew to allow the backs to recover a bit.
In the mid-60s I often drove the delivery truck for the rental department where my father worked; and every day we dropped off a couple of 150CFM Gardiner-Denver compressors, a couple of full-size breakers (well over 100#), and dozens of pick and 8" spade bits; all to dig holes in Toronto's clay. Don't see that much anymore for planting trees, they now have these trucks with a large clam-shell digging attachment on the back which makes a perfect divot for a tree with one swipe, about $50/hole. Worth the money ? After a couple of hours of digging by hand, it can sure sound like it. Sometimes in a backyard I see them swiss-cheesing a hole with a 2-man 12" auger and then cleaning it out by hand.
.
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
Edited 8/22/2002 12:08:36 AM ET by Phill Giles
We're on adobe here, and that approach is used quite a bit. I bought a Bosch 11236 to dig a small footing in my crawl space. (It was the biggest one that would fit.)
If you'd rather spend time than money, another way to go is to soak the area with water for a few days. Put a ring of dirt around it that you can fill maybe 6" deep, and fill it twice a day until the stuff becomes digable. Let it dry just enough to not be a muddy mess, then dig it out. If you encounter still more hard stuff farther down, stop digging and go back to soaking.
-- J.S.
In our area, we have hardpan mixed with cobblestones.[San Diego] I think it's called "schiess".
The soaking idea sounds good but I don't think it would dissolve the cobblestones. However, this suggests maybe using a pressure washer to cut away the hardpan. Another alternative is the .50 caliber machine gun.
Why would a tree want to live in that stuff?
-Peter
I live in Memphis where the red clay in the summer is like brick add gravel to the mix and you can't even get a two man auger to dig. For postholes the best method is a tractor with auger that can hydraulically push down. To do it by hand I have used a hammer drill to start breaking the ground up I use a long auger bit also a steel tamper bar to break the clay loose after drilling.
GOOD LUCK
ANDY SZ2
> this suggests maybe using a pressure washer to cut away the hardpan.
Couple this with a shop vac on steroids, and you have one of those new vacuum excavating systems. I tried to rent one for my footing job, but they haven't made their way out West yet.
-- J.S.
John, I'm glad you mentioned it first. <G>
A friend of mine discovered he needed to dig a hole less than a foot in diameter, pretty deep, and no way to get to it with equipment.
We took two Rigid shop vacs, an SDS chisel bit, and a 5 foot section of 3/4 black pipe.
Cut the SDS bit in half with a grinder, slip the pieces into either end of the black pipe, welded them securely (root pass 6010, topped with 7018; instant 6' chisel for a demolition hammer. One guy on the SDS hammer, one guy on the shop vac, and one guy emptying dirt, I was amazed at how fast we could dig.
Murphy's 4th Law of Combat Operations: If it's a stupid idea but it works, it ain't stupid.
DRC
We have that same clay that makes a strong man tired.
That Makita 1500 (40 lb.) hammer with a clay spade works just fine.
It's still not easy work, but a whole lot better than picking at it by hand.
DRC
Rent a Bosch electric jackhammer and marry a physical therapist.
Funny you should say this as I thought about what talents I wanted in my second wife and the first thing that came to mind was the ability to give me a good massage so I ended up marrying a physical therapist.Turned out to be one of my best ideas yet.
ANDYSZ2
So what does your wife think about your other relationship with the Bosch Brute?
Excellence is its own reward!
She and the rest of the family think I'm a machine anyway. But she deals with my tool buying fetish pretty well .
ANDYSZ2
My wife, the physical therapist with a masters degree from UCLA.....gets more massages from me then the other way around.
I need to correct that situation pronto !
Alan