I need to dig out my pond, its about 100 feet by 100 feet when full of water in winter it gets smaller in summer. I want to make it bigger and deeper maybe as deep as 20 feet on one side. The side I want to dig has no water now. So ill be starting with a dry ground. Should I buy or rent, what size should I get and about how much would it cost me to buy one used?
Mini Excavator buying or renting
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North Idaho Wolfman
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Renting would be a lot smarter in this case, as your not going to use it over and over again.
Washington state has some pretty tight rules when it come to use, and storage of water!
I would check authorities first, as the fines for expanding a pond without approval or permits can be pretty steep.
Washington state has some pretty tight rules when it come to use, and storage of water!
I would check authorities first, as the fines for expanding a pond without approval or permits can be pretty steep.
Like North Idaho Wolfman said. Make sure you have all your Is dotted and Ts Crossed. Cause the government wants there hands in everything. I know around my parts depending what you are doing with your pond depends on the requirements. If you are using the pond for AG purposes like watering cattle then you have a lot less restrictions. But if you plan to dig a pond for pleasure then the list of requirements is endless. With the Soil and Erosion and EPA.
With all that Said. Using a Mini Ex to dig a 100'x100' pond would take forever. Even using a 7,500lbs or 10,000lbs machine with a 24" bucket. Not to mention your reach on a Mini ex would be around 9-10'. You would need something like a track loader or a full size excavator. And even with that depending where you are hauling the dirt you would need a dump truck to haul the dirt away from the pond.
UnionMan
With all that Said. Using a Mini Ex to dig a 100'x100' pond would take forever. Even using a 7,500lbs or 10,000lbs machine with a 24" bucket. Not to mention your reach on a Mini ex would be around 9-10'. You would need something like a track loader or a full size excavator. And even with that depending where you are hauling the dirt you would need a dump truck to haul the dirt away from the pond.
UnionMan
Although I love having my mini x and use it a lot when it comes to cleaning out a pond it's not much better than a shovel except for dressing up the banks. Mine is a 7K machine and simply doesn't have enough reach. Even the biggest mini x wouldn't be able to dig 20'. Like UnionMan said it will take forever with a small trackhoe. A good operator on a big machine can move more dirt in one day than a mini can move in a month. When I was working at the quarry I loaded almost 400 40 ton loads of dirt by myself in one shift with a Linkbelt 4300.
Unless you're just wanting to do it yourself and take your time it may be more cost effective to hire a contractor with a trackhoe and dozer. That way as the dirt comes out it can be pushed away and dressed up at the same time.
Another thing to think about, if you have a lot of top soil would be to sell it and apply that money toward the work. It goes for about $400 a load around here.
Unless you're just wanting to do it yourself and take your time it may be more cost effective to hire a contractor with a trackhoe and dozer. That way as the dirt comes out it can be pushed away and dressed up at the same time.
Another thing to think about, if you have a lot of top soil would be to sell it and apply that money toward the work. It goes for about $400 a load around here.