Pressure Digger

[theweber]

Do any of you guys screw in anchors with a pressure digger? Back in the old days it was done but i cant find any info on it.

[Koga]

"pressure digger" used. I've screwed em in by hand , used the pole settin truck auger, and put down what we called bust anchors where ya dig a hole throw the anchor in then spread the bottom out with a pipe over the shaft. Also used a rock anchor jack hammer type. But never heard the term pressure digger.

Koga

[77liner]

If we are talking about the Texoma Digger (pressure digger) back in the day we would dig the pole holes while the poles were being framed and then screw the anchors in. It was pretty efficent with a good operator:)

[theweber]

If we are talking about the Texoma Digger (pressure digger) back in the day we would dig the pole holes while the poles were being framed and then screw the anchors in. It was pretty efficent with a good operator:)

This is my pressure digger i use but the boom is shorter then the picture. I can set a 55 ft pole with it.

http://altec.com/ealtec/SilverStream/Pages/equip_profile.html?MODEL=HD35A-10


but we call it a rock hole truck

[Koga]

I learned something.

Koga

[Orgnizdlbr]

This is my pressure digger i use but the boom is shorter then the picture. I can set a 55 ft pole with it.

http://altec.com/ealtec/SilverStream/Pages/equip_profile.html?MODEL=HD35A-10


but we call it a rock hole truck

We have/had a similar digger called a Hiway digger

[powerhotdog]

I know elliot in Nashville Tn. has a pressure digger unlike the one listed in the pic they call it the rock dock. It requires the use of a large portable air compressor.

[Bull Dog]

Ive seen one that uses water to dig dont know if thats what you mean. Big tank with air forcing water into the hole with a vaccum to remove mud.

[old lineman]

Ive seen one that uses water to dig dont know if thats what you mean. Big tank with air forcing water into the hole with a vaccum to remove mud.

The process is called "daylighting". The heavy duty truck has a large, strong steel tank and has water on board.
The tank is used to hold waste water and soil from the hole it's digging.
This ends up being a slurry and is hauled away to a dump site.
The wand with the high pressure water from the reservoir on the truck is used to cut the circumference of the hole It's heated and comes out of the wand at very high pressure, it cuts through frost like butter.
Simultaneously there is a large flex pipe used to vacuum away the loose (muddy) soil.
It's the best procedure for 'daylighting' URD including fiber optic cables there is. The water pressure won't damage a cable and the cables can be accessed without any physical damage caused.
In addition there is no mud or damage to lawns beyond the pole hole itself. Once a pole is set all you have to do is back fill and tamp stone dust into the hole and everyone is happy, especially the home owner about his lawn.
One company that provides this service is Badger Daylighting, there are others.
The Old Lineman

[JAKE]

yeah we use the large "helix" anchors the bottom section has 3 i guess you would call them flutes on it and its about 4' long and the extension sections are 4' long and you keep putting extensions on it till you get a 1/4 twist out of it. works great on the bottomless pits

we also have used the other kind of screw in's with a 3/4" 8' rod with a single flute on the end. i belive our adapter we have is made by chance. we have a texoma 280? (piece of crap! )

we still use the 20k expansion type anchors 99% of the time thats what they want us to use

i want one of thoose new dry kelly terex's with the joystick control

[SouthwestEquipment]

JAKE, the new Texoma's are nice - sounds like you have a 270. The 330's are the better ones if you can afford to get one. Buying a used one is more affordable than new.

theweber, yeah you still have to screw in an anchor depending on the job you're doing and the company you work for. ha

[lewy]

This is my pressure digger i use but the boom is shorter then the picture. I can set a 55 ft pole with it.

http://altec.com/ealtec/SilverStream/Pages/equip_profile.html?MODEL=HD35A-10


but we call it a rock hole truck

I had never heard of one of these before.
I noticed you said you can set a 55' pole with it, is that the biggest pole you can set?
Does this machine also dig the pole holes?
Can you set transformers with it?
For us because of all the U.G. quite often we can only set the pole.
When we do get to dig & install a pole & PISA anchor we do it all in one setup.
It looks like the truck has some limitations that a normal RBD does not, if its main advantage is just installing anchors, seems like a lot of money tied up for a specialized truck.

[Highplains Drifter]

I had never heard of one of these before.
I noticed you said you can set a 55' pole with it, is that the biggest pole you can set?
Does this machine also dig the pole holes?
Can you set transformers with it?
For us because of all the U.G. quite often we can only set the pole.
When we do get to dig & install a PISA anchor we do it all in one setup.
It looks like the truck has some limitations that a normal RBD does not, if its main advantage is just installing anchors, seems like a lot of money tied up for a specialized truck.


Lewy, what ever the boom height is and the picking point of the pole (just above balance).I have set a 70 with one. They usually have a steel winch ( I have never used one with a Sampson winch) and the boom and stingers are all steel. I wouldn't consider using one to hang a pot. It digs a straight hole and does it five times faster then your dangling auger. Have you ever tried to use a 36" auger on a dangling boom truck? Now the big ones are computerized and will give you the hole depth.



http://www.nescosales.com/img/_J01/10882fp.jpg


CAT 325 crawler, Cummins diesel,
73,000ft/lbs touque, 28,000lbs crowd,
12,000lbs service winch, 53' mast height

[lewy]

Thats some heavy duty stuff.
We have 24" augers which for us has always been plenty, vary rare for us to put in anything bigger than an 80' & even an 80' is rare.
I would be guessing that these things are more suited for transmission work, as like I said earlier seems like a lot of money for a very specialized truck.

[wtdoor67]

Worked for a small rat contractor that only had this type of digger. We did mostly distribution work but it was capable of setting at least a 60 footer or so. You could hang a pot with it but had to set up carefully.

Later worked at a transmission maintenance outfit that used one. You could set about an 80 or so I think. Had a squirt boom and claws. Like someone said it would dig a hole most truck mounted diggers wouldn't hack. I think that's why contractors used them so much.

Once while near Sherman/Denison area we went by the factory and looked around. This was in 73 or 74. I remember they were making some special for the North Slope. Talk about big. Don't know what they were gonna use them for on the Slope.

Saw an old boy turn one over once when he picked up a reel of wire on the side of it. It just had small round outriggers that wouldn't take a side load. Didn't hardly hurt the digger. Think it broke off the exhaust pipe on the digger engine. Nothing else hurt.

[theweber]

My truck has a 24' boom and it extends up 10 more feet. We use it for distribution line work .I keep a 18" ,20" and 24" auger in it. we have 24",30",36",42"48" and a 60" at the shop. I can dig 15' deep hole. It is a sweet ride.

[lewy]

My truck has a 24' boom and it extends up 10 more feet. We use it for distribution line work .I keep a 18" ,20" and 24" auger in it. we have 24",30",36",42"48" and a 60" at the shop. I can dig 15' deep hole. It is a sweet ride.

I am curious why you would need such big augers for distribution? We have set some big poles as well & a 24" has served us fine. For the few times that a 24" might not have been big enough, it been a long time since we set a 100' pole, it would be cheaper for us to contract the hole out.

[Highplains Drifter]

I am curious why you would need such big augers for distribution? We have set some big poles as well & a 24" has served us fine. For the few times that a 24" might not have been big enough, it been a long time since we set a 100' pole, it would be cheaper for us to contract the hole out.


Could be differences in soils...

[Trbl639]

Could be differences in soils...

Only time we ever used em was when it was rock and we couldn't 'shoot' the hole........or a regular digger just couldn't hack it!

[lewy]

Only time we ever used em was when it was rock and we couldn't 'shoot' the hole........or a regular digger just couldn't hack it!

When ever we need a hole in rock we hire a contractor similar to these guys & this is how they do it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDlq7U1O3A8

[Trbl639]

Dang it boy!! That sucker is loud!!!! Never seen one of those..........
Worked a job in LR, January of 83 ( I think) simple 2 pole extension with a Y bank and UG service........spent most of the first day, getting 1 hole punched for a 40/5, hit rock just as we got depth (had truck pto problems) anyway got the corner pole framed and set.....moved over to the bank pole, and started off about 18 inches down in rock.........called a mechanic to bring us some rock teeth, kept grinding, no luck, next step was a Jack hammer....too close to traffic and an apartment complex , so we couldn't shoot it..........spent the rest of the week trying to get a hole deep enough for a 45/3 and 3-50KVA's........was 6* the second morning on the jack hammer and 2 inches of snow..........worked up a sweat real quick like!!:D I think that was the hardest hole I ever tried to punch!!

A rig like that would have been nice!!!

The guy I replaced on the Trouble truck, took a foreman job up in the hills of N Arkansas, they had to shoot holes all the time, anyway, they had one stubborn one......shot it several times with a standard load and it just wasn't happening, so they increased the shot load, laid the blast matts over the hole and a 45/5 on top of the matts and hit the button........got a big boom.....matts and the pole airborne, and part of the pole landed right across the hood of a brand new (about 1 week old) digger truck:eek:........His first time supervising a 'shoot', he had fun explaining that one!!

Another guy I used to work with, worked our G.O. (Transmission/Sub-station Bunch) before he broke out, said they were adding on to a sub, and needed to shoot some rock for a footing, right under the 115 coming into the sub.........said they laid their matts and then chained a bunch of cross-ties together on top of the matts, and hit the button..........he said it was kinda spooky watching the cross-ties and chains flying up in between the phases of the 115...inside the fence..........luckily they didn't knock the line out!!!

[wtdoor67]

Foreman I had once said they were shooting a hole in Ozark, Ark., I believe, and said they blew the blast mats up in the 3 phase and wrapped up the phases and took out the line.

Worked on a transmission crew once and the guys still laughed about shooting some holes, again in Ark. Lotta rock over there. Anyway after a shot not getting good results the old lead Lineman said. Let me show you how. He expended their entire store of dynamite. Said they had a tremendous explosion, and resulting in a hole about 30 foot across and about 2 foot deep.

Had some class once on using Kennepac but never used it.