Min Size Digger needed

bazbrady

Hi ,looking to find out whats the smallest size digger i need to lift a one tonne bag of clean washed 20mm stone.Im using the stone as a soak pit and will drop the one tonne bag into a hole,so the digger only needs to lift the bag barely above ground level over to the excavated hole,any ideas would a 3 tonne do it or will i need 5 or 6 tonne?? thanks

kerosene

15/20 mins with a shovel and wheelbarrow would do you.

bazbrady

I have to get a digger anyway for the weekend for other works around my site ,but only need max 3 tonne for those works,if i taught the 3t would lift it fine if not id go bigger ,no interest in shovelling it to be honest ,ive 3 soak holes to do so its actually 3 seperate tonne bags

Bullocks

bazbrady wrote: »

I have to get a digger anyway for the weekend for other works around my site ,but only need max 3 tonne for those works,if i taught the 3t would lift it fine if not id go bigger ,no interest in shovelling it to be honest ,ive 3 soak holes to do so its actually 3 seperate tonne bags

3 tonne will lift it just about and maybe have to drag it a bit depending on the digger. If you have the option of a bigger digger though it would be safer.
I do it regularly with our 3 tonne and it's not best practice I suppose especially on the tracks

bazbrady

thanks bull think i will go with a 5 t so,cheers

GinSoaked

If you keep the load close in then a 3tonne digger will just about do it. iirc 800kg would be the limit.

listermint

You don't lift entire bags into holes you drop the stone it with the shovel from the bag.

Anyone used to this machine would fill the hole from the bag in under ten minutes.

Getting a larger machine to lift the bag is pissing money into a ditch.

Bonzo Delaney

As per a poster above, by the time a novice on a digger doesn't matter if its a 3 t or 30t machine figuers out how to strap and lift only a 1t bag of stones over a hole safely it'd be done with a barrow and shovel in 30min with out breaking in to a sweat max 20 barrow loads.

GinSoaked

I can see the logic of putting the bag in the hole in one piece as it gives a nice tidy edge to the soak away. But OP could just buy an empty bag (about a tenner but you can be ripped off more for them) put that in the hole first and shovel and barrow from the delivered full bag into the empty one.

bazbrady

First off i will be using an experienced driver so he will have no issues lifting the tonne bags,second if i just drop the stone into the hole,silt soil will eventually move its way through and impede the drainage stone from doing its job hence keeping stone in the bag and putting a membrane over the top,much better job in my opinion.Also your still missing the point ,i need a digger for other works for the weekend anyway so really dont get the pissing money away comments,thanks

Calahonda52

1: who sized it at 20 mm?
2: have you done the % void calcs?
3: will the silt not just block the bag from the outside?
4: so you have an experienced driver and he can't advise, given that he is the one putting his life on the line: experienced driver in what?

Bonzo Delaney

In a nutshell no with a 3 t machine. It might lift it off the ground a few inches upagainst the blade but I wouldnt go dangling it over a hole . Or there'd be more than the stone in the hole.
If a 6t machine can easily get access in to do all the other work a 6t will do it. Just make sure you've the proper straps/chains to lift it

Lumen

Not being smart, but isn't 2m3 a bit small for soakage?

dok_golf

Will the bag around the stone not impede the soakage ? ( No idea if it will, just curious)

GinSoaked

dok_golf wrote: »

Will the bag around the stone not impede the soakage ? ( No idea if it will, just curious)

The bags are normally made of a woven polypropylene material a bit like heavy duty weed membrane.

The bags are supposed to drain water as you don't want water staying in the bags when they are left outside in the builders yard.

bazbrady

Calahonda52 wrote: »

1: who sized it at 20 mm?
2: have you done the % void calcs?
3: will the silt not just block the bag from the outside?
4: so you have an experienced driver and he can't advise, given that he is the one putting his life on the line: experienced driver in what?

So was looking at drainage stone for soakaways online and alot seem to mention 1" or 2" clean round stone so will see whats available locally.If i cover the top of the bag with couple layers of mypex \membrane and place wavin inside this it shouldnt get contaminated,have done this for a prevuois garage roof soakaway 10 years ago and have had no isues.Im basing the 1m3 bag on the assumption this can cover 30 square meter roof area under normal rainfall looking at some the uk building regs.The driver is on big excavators everyday wouldnt be use to small machines under 10t,so i havent asked him yet as he like most only knows his own machine and capability either way i am getting a 5-6t machine so its irrelevant

listermint

bazbrady wrote: »

First off i will be using an experienced driver so he will have no issues lifting the tonne bags,second if i just drop the stone into the hole,silt soil will eventually move its way through and impede the drainage stone from doing its job hence keeping stone in the bag and putting a membrane over the top,much better job in my opinion.Also your still missing the point ,i need a digger for other works for the weekend anyway so really dont get the pissing money away comments,thanks

It will be fine without the bag tbh. You wont impact it by just putting stone in the hole.

You are over thinking things. If you are that concerned put the weed control down in the hole first. But i wouldnt bother.

Pissing money away is apt.