kent Posted April 27, 2016 Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 Services can kill you as much as land you a bill Even the pro gets it wrong and they are extremely cautious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted April 27, 2016 Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 If you dont want to faf around with disc cutter on the slab, just put the teeth under concrete, curl the bucket a bit for leverage, then give it a whack with big hammer where you want it to break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppythedog Posted April 27, 2016 Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 Unless you've driven one before I would suggest paying a bit more for a driver, I didn't (how difficult could it be after all) and in all the fun of it forgot to measure how deep I was digging. I now have a shed base with about 2 feet of hardcore and a concrete slab that would support a small house Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longchalk Posted April 27, 2016 Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 (edited) Cat scan the area. Then scan again.If it's a mini digger slow and steady or you will bounce around like mad. Best bet is park it away from anything and have a go til you understand what each lever does. Don't track with the blade down and don't ever think that you won't hit services just because you are only grading. Go through any main and best case is a fair few £ getting it repaired. Get a zero tail swing and never let anyone inside your swing area. Lastly the red lever is only meant to be down when your bum is. Working for a excavation company we CAT scan every dig, and order in utility plans from all main providers for every site.. Gas, water, cable, leccy etc... But even still, there are occasional 'strikes' on unidentified services. Drains, cables laid to garages and heating oil pipes are all immediate suspects in domestic properties. If you go dredging around without proper prep you risk a nasty surprise. Unless you laid the old drive yourself of course and cab guarantee you know what's underneath the top 6". Edited April 27, 2016 by Longchalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royboy Posted April 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 Give over ! Your all starting to put me off ha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet1747 Posted April 27, 2016 Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 Go and rent one great fun for the whole family. I hired a mini digger last November to put new septic tank and pipes in , great fun even kids played on it weeken hire I used Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royboy Posted April 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 Well I've pulled up all the old Tarmac and now I'm having second thoughts on hiring a digger on my own, it's a mix match of concrete slabs, concrete footpath and sand and stone, so not sure what's under the well compacted sand and stone, I've not had much look with trade people so does anybody have a man and digger in the North West or no of any reliable good ones that won't have me off ? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flynny Posted April 27, 2016 Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 PM on its way Flynny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulnix Posted April 27, 2016 Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 You may find the insurance is only for damage to or theft of the machine.it will not cover the cost of repairing any damaged services.you could need public liability also as any interruption of any service to others is claimable against yourself.when you add it all up the cost of Man and machine is not expensive. This, insurance covers me for when I am contracting out but not for me on my own land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet1747 Posted April 27, 2016 Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 Hire and do it your self it's easy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sako751sg Posted April 27, 2016 Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 Hire and do it your self it's easy I agree. If you have decent co ordination it should come easy enough. Obviously as mentioned services are an issue so make sure all is clear on that front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royboy Posted April 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 I agree. If you have decent co ordination it should come easy enough. Obviously as mentioned services are an issue so make sure all is clear on that front. Next to the man hole cover there's a big patch of sand and stone, will this indicate that there's a sewer pipe running under there ? I might have a did and see what's under there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet1747 Posted April 27, 2016 Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 (edited) I agree. If you have decent co ordination it should come easy enough. Obviously as mentioned services are an issue so make sure all is clear on that front. I hit next doors water my water my calour gas pipe and my sewer pipe all with out the digger lol, all in one stretch of 30 meters and three hours , even cat scan would not have found the pipes , the gas I dug and found marked it and carried on, it was a root grown round the bloody thing five feet away that did the damage , next doors water I found twice on my land under the extension just marked this with the digger phew! my drive was Tarmac there was a part of it two feet wide that the new pipe work had to go under thought tunnel under with a spade no problem untill if chopped straight through water pipe yep next doors and went straight through it like butter So in theory the digger wasn't the problem on any damage , water board came out turned water off as stopcocks were seized , he wasn't allowed to fix pipe but very kindly gave me the parts and talked me through it even got stopcock changed by him as I did repair, calour gas came out and fixed pipe that was my only bill 120 quid Edited April 28, 2016 by bullet1747 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digger Posted April 27, 2016 Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 (edited) If there's no pipes entering the man hole at the depth you found the sand etc you should be safe but always hand dig next to a chamber. Measure the depth to the top of the pipe and note flow direction. As you move upstream allow a rise of 1 in 4 and the opposite downstream. Allow for branches into the main run from your or neighbouring properties. Anyone with more than a modicum of sense can drive a digger. Big difference between driving one and operating one ! Edited April 27, 2016 by digger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royboy Posted April 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 If there's no pipes entering the man hole at the depth you found the sand etc you should be safe but always hand dig next to a chamber. Measure the depth to the top of the pipe and note flow direction. As you move upstream allow a rise of 1 in 4 and the opposite downstream. Allow for branches into the main run from your or neighbouring properties. Anyone with more than a modicum of sense can drive a digger. Big difference between driving one and operating one ! Haha can you repeat all that !! Hopefully I won't be digging as deep as the pipes ha, ive found the original footpath to the front door so maybe I'll just flag over the top of that to save digging that up ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digger Posted April 27, 2016 Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 Can o worms mate. Is the original path sound ? What's it composed of ? I've excavated 96m2 today and the patio under the tarmac I removed was as sound as the day it was laid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royboy Posted April 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 It looks mint, the problem with doing that though is the footpath of flags would be higher than the rest of the drive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digger Posted April 27, 2016 Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 Have you got any pictures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royboy Posted April 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 Have you got any pictures? I'll take some tomorrow when no cars on drive and better light Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGD Posted April 27, 2016 Report Share Posted April 27, 2016 Whoever said there is a world of difference between driving and operating a digger got it spot on. And what size is mini? For me a 1.5T is mini, 0.8T or 1T is micro and can be as much use lifting concrete as a toffee hammer is for banging in 4" nails. You'll probably get man and (the right) machine for about £30 an hour plus diesel and vat. Give it a day and a lorry with clamshell to take spoil away, go to your work and come home when the job's done right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet1747 Posted April 28, 2016 Report Share Posted April 28, 2016 Whoever said there is a world of difference between driving and operating a digger got it spot on. And what size is mini? For me a 1.5T is mini, 0.8T or 1T is micro and can be as much use lifting concrete as a toffee hammer is for banging in 4" nails. You'll probably get man and (the right) machine for about £30 an hour plus diesel and vat. Give it a day and a lorry with clamshell to take spoil away, go to your work and come home when the job's done right. Agree totally , but where's the fun and adventure in that lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royboy Posted April 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2016 Agree totally , but where's the fun and adventure in that lol If people like me didn't balls things up other people wouldn't be in a job ha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royboy Posted April 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2016 Well ive bottled out and hired a man and digger for Monday, £180 for the day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted April 28, 2016 Report Share Posted April 28, 2016 Well ive bottled out and hired a man and digger for Monday, £180 for the day Booo, where is the fun in that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royboy Posted April 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2016 Booo, where is the fun in that. He said I can have a go when he's finished ha I've ripped all the old Tarmac up and put it in my skip so I can take old hardcore to a lad I know that want it, just speaking to him and he prefers it with Tarmac in !!! Looks like job tonight is pulling it back out of skip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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