Leveling with Dingo, pls advise

[mirz]

this time decided to hire someone with dingo and all attachments to level my backyard (11m X 7m), and to remove few sleepers and their posts.

guy quoted me $280 for first 2 hours and then $80 per hour after that.

wanna know is this rate fine or he is over-charging me? plus for a almost flat surface area how long should it take to level it plus remove retaining wall sleepers and posts (5 posts, no concrete in base, and about 7 sleepers)

i am estimating 3 hours, what do you suggest :?

[Honorary Bloke]

This is a question for Dazzler. :) Oh Dazzler . . . :rolleyes:

[namtrak]

I'd get some more quotes, I'd also look at hiring it yourself (if your that way inclined)

The going rate is anywhere between $65 and $90 an hour.

Without looking at the job it's hard to say how long it may take, and sometimes these things can get a bit protracted (hidden rocks, hard surfaces etc)

And a Dingo may not be the best tool for the job, for bigger jobs it only levels surfaces relative to its own position, and being a smaller machine can become a bit problematic.

Having said that though, removing the old retaining wall should only take 20/30 minutes if that. And if the area is a normal sized backyard with good topsoil then a couple of hours should do it. However if the soil is solid clay or harder then the dingo is almost useless.

Cheers

[mirz]

This is a question for Dazzler. :) Oh Dazzler . . . :rolleyes:


yeah, Dazzler just started his new business, would be cool to see his response here.

[Stevenp]

Up until a couple of months ago I worked for a Bobcat/soil supply company and the going rate was $80 per hour , but no extra for the first couple of hours as you have been quoted. He is charging you travelling and setup by the sound of it. Have a look around for a better deal.
can you get a bobcat into your yard? It will do it a lot quicker, less $$$$
Hope this helps. Cheers Steven.

[mirz]

I'd get some more quotes, I'd also look at hiring it yourself (if your that way inclined)

The going rate is anywhere between $65 and $90 an hour.

Without looking at the job it's hard to say how long it may take, and sometimes these things can get a bit protracted (hidden rocks, hard surfaces etc)

And a Dingo may not be the best tool for the job, for bigger jobs it only levels surfaces relative to its own position, and being a smaller machine can become a bit problematic.

Having said that though, removing the old retaining wall should only take 20/30 minutes if that. And if the area is a normal sized backyard with good topsoil then a couple of hours should do it. However if the soil is solid clay or harder then the dingo is almost useless.

Cheers


i am going to post some pics here to give more idea how this area is. basicaly it was lawn with big garden on almost about half of total area,and rest of area was almost covered by a bodgy kind of shed (ex owners made it for their dogs and storing bottles, no concrete in bottom, it was just all wood)

about a month ago i hired a dingo and cleaned a bit, and trench it make it ready for resurfacing. but i could not use dingo to get rid of half of retaining wall sleepers and posts.

there are no rocks involved. few bricks around but i will clean all that before someone will start this job. and no more satellite dish :) i have installed it next to side wall.

what i want to get rid of rest of retainging wall inc posts. take all soil from garden beds and spread all around and level it.


here are pics for your review (pls click on pic to see in bigger size):

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/3738/2007nov180171280x768rt4.th.jpg (http://img110.imageshack.us/my.php?image=2007nov180171280x768rt4.jpg)

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/1939/2007nov180181280x768kc1.th.jpg (http://img110.imageshack.us/my.php?image=2007nov180181280x768kc1.jpg)

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/9230/2007nov180191280x768tg3.th.jpg (http://img110.imageshack.us/my.php?image=2007nov180191280x768tg3.jpg)

http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/5683/2007nov180201280x768tc5.th.jpg (http://img70.imageshack.us/my.php?image=2007nov180201280x768tc5.jpg)

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/2309/2007nov180211280x768pw9.th.jpg (http://img440.imageshack.us/my.php?image=2007nov180211280x768pw9.jpg)

[mirz]

Up until a couple of months ago I worked for a Bobcat/soil supply company and the going rate was $80 per hour , but no extra for the first couple of hours as you have been quoted. He is charging you travelling and setup by the sound of it. Have a look around for a better deal.
can you get a bobcat into your yard? It will do it a lot quicker, less $$$$
Hope this helps. Cheers Steven.


thanks for your reply. i am not sure if bobcat can go to my backyard or not, but you can give me idea if its possible.

access to my back yard is through single garage (drive through kind of garage has roller door on both ends, so i think its about 3m clearance, and height is standard ceiling for garage 2.4m high)

can bobcat go through this place?

Edit: Garage door is not 2.4m high, its less than that.

[Stevenp]

thanks for your reply. i am not sure if bobcat can go to my backyard or not, but you can give me idea if its possible.

access to my back yard is through single garage (drive through kind of garage has roller door on both ends, so i think its about 3m clearance, and height is standard ceiling for garage 2.4m high)

can bobcat go through this place?

Edit: Garage door is not 2.4m high, its less than that.

Maybe the bobcat wont fit, but if you get a quote from a bobcat bloke, ask him how much room he needs, he should know how high his machine is. There are all sizes of bobcats.
I think you will find that a dingo will struggle with what you are doing, they are pretty light and not much good for anything thats a bit heavy, like pulling up posts and sleepers. See if you can find someone with a smallish bobcat.
Hope this helps Cheers Steven

[dazzler]

Hes a cheeky bugger!

$60 - $85 sounds about right.

Dingo should do the job, a tracked one even more so. The dingo will struggle to pull out sleepers if they are in the ground a ways particularly the non tracked versions that will tend to spin.

He will also need a 4 in 1 bucket to carry the sleepers away but most good ones will have one.

3 or 4 hours work at most I reckon to get it done properly.

But if they are loose then no probs. Check they have a levelling bar which is a frame that drags across the ground and does the final levelling ready for turf.

Yep, get a few more quotes!

[Planned LScape]

The price sounds about right to me too, you might be able to get guys for $65-75/hr that dont need the attachments. I have a dingo myself but use it for landscaping jobs, if doing a job I would be charging close to that too. By the time as an owner operator you put on your machinery hire cost to cover fuel, maintenance, servicing, trailer, insurance etc (hire companies around $34/hr) then put your labour on top, you have to be making it worthwhile.

You could get a bobcat for similar money, most machines will be 1650mm wide and will fit through a single rollerdoor in a carport, a dingo is 1050mm.

[mirz]

thanks for response, much appreciate that.

i tried to take those sleepers and posts last time with Dingo, but not much luck (but that was me by myself with close to no experience with dingo).

Planned LScape, do you think Dingo can take those sleepers and posts out with some attatchment?

if Bobcat can do this job and go through available access, i would prefer to call Bobcat guy to do it.

will ring later today few Pros from local newspaper to get quotes from Bobcat Specialists.

[dazzler]

Hey


This is not a place for a bobcat as the area is too small. Remember everytime the bobcat has to turn it digs a furrow which defeats the levelling. Stick with the dingo IMO. Just remember that skid steers are for moving material and levelling with a small amount of digging.

I would look at getting the posts out myself before the dingo arrives or at least loosening them up which is as simple as digging along the footings on one side so it can break free.

LScape, are you sure on the price. $140 an hour is big excavator territory up this way.

He is in effect charging $80 and hour for the first two hours plus another $120 for travel.....

Maybe thats the rate down there but it just seems an awful lot :?.

Whats the weather like down there......might have to move :p

[monkeyman]

Hear in Sydney its usually $75 an hour 4 hours min if the operators any good he can turn without scrubbing up the ground and get the job done easy and quicker than a dingo , go for the skid steer or small excavator access shouldn't be a problem

[China]

As some others have said go for someone with a bobcat it will take less time,the dingo is not designed to do that type of work and will find it hard going, and take more time i.e. more time more moneymost bobcats will have no trouble getting through your shed

[addo]

Mirz, you can't "level" that yard.

I'm not sure how literally you meant that description of intended works, but you need to preserve two details - one is the height around your fence - or it may fall over in wind due to insufficient anchoring. Second reason is the comparatively low floor level in your house.

You don't want an insurance company declining a claim on the basis that substandard works in the yard that have contributed to the problem.

Whichever way you end up going, make sure there is adequate drainage for extreme rainfall, and any termite barriers or dampcourses are not breached.

Regards, Adam.


p.s. For earthworks in a yard that size, I would use a small tracked excavator (with rubber tracks).

[mirz]

so far i talked to two persons (both with bobcat) will be here on mon to give me quote.

another person with Dingo was not answering his mobile, so i will try him tomorrow again.

my garage door clearance is 2.7m wide and 2m high, and both guys with Bobcat said they wont have any trouble with bobcat to pass through that.

i have tried to move those posts with digging around them and banging them with crowbar, but much luck :( they are deep and soil in bit depth is very hard to dig. (and may be my hands as computer programmer are too soft for soil, lol :))

dazzler, its melbourne's weather, if you dont like it, does not matter, wait for half an hour and it would be different , LOL

[mirz]

Mirz, you can't "level" that yard.

I'm not sure how literally you meant that description of intended works, but you need to preserve two details - one is the height around your fence - or it may fall over in wind due to insufficient anchoring. Second reason is the comparatively low floor level in your house.

You don't want an insurance company declining a claim on the basis that substandard works in the yard that have contributed to the problem.

Whichever way you end up going, make sure there is adequate drainage for extreme rainfall, and any termite barriers or dampcourses are not breached.

Regards, Adam.


p.s. For earthworks in a yard that size, I would use a small tracked excavator (with rubber tracks).

thanks Adam for your reply.

i am planning to make a garden bed of bit less than a meter wide and about 50cm high with retaining wall of those Big Boral or C&M stones walls. which will give a very good support to rear fence fence on both sides is not much of issue, as they are on ground level and would be better to keep those sides clear from any garden beds.

in my backyard there are 4 points to collect storm water which takes that to main storm water line.

also have plan to lay agri pipe behind retaining wall to take all water to storm water pipe.

main purpose to level this backyard is that (ex owners) distributed this small backyard into 4 different Zones, all have different levels and different purposes.

Zone 1: lawn with grass
Zone 2: garden bed for plants with retaining walls about 40cms higer than lawn.
Zone 3: Vegie garden, very uneven and had not much sun
Zone 4: Shed for 4 dogs and to store bottles (divided into half in middle) was built in very bodgy way. even used old tables topes in it as floor and they were wet and giving bad smell.

it was their liking, and i have no objection on that. i want bit open space with hardy grass, and hardy plant behind my retaining wall. so kids can run around a bit and play.

[Terrian]

$55 - $65 per hour for a dingo, many will charge travel as well, min of 4 hours is usual, kennards charge about $190 for 4 hrs hire for a dingo (just to give you an idea)

Bobcat about $85ph (again with min 4 hrs)

As previously mentioned, a bobcat is overkill for your job, ever thought of a BBQ working bee ?

[Clinton1]

Mirz,
Have a chat to Ollie at Craigieburn "Shady Gum" nursery, just up the road.

He did a job with me and organised the bloke to remove a lot of soil from my place. (Poor extension to the house, by previous owners, meant a lot of work to get drainage right).

Ollie had a bloke with a dump truck, dingo and tracked excavator combo come in and sort it out. The hire on that was about same as the hourly hire of a dingo, but the excavator was quicker so it worked out far cheaper.
Sorted out the soil dumping problem as well.

Hope you are thinking of the fall to the stormwater.... that area is clay and waterlogs in winter. Then you get water building up in low spots and creating havoc if thats near the house.

[Ron Dunn]

I've always thought that no-one can level with [Wild] Dingo, because no-one can understand a word the silly old bugger writes.

[Planned LScape]

The guys who havent seen a dingo work would be surprised as to what work it can do. On a few of my larger jobs I have also got in a bobcat and my dingo has done more work in smaller places and gone up steeper inclines than a bobcat, obviously doesnt have the SWL of a bobby nor can hold as much though. Getting those posts out with a 4 in 1 bucket will be a sinch with a bit of persuasion.


Looking at the photo's you posted Mirz a retaining wall will be a good idea. When you level the yard keep in mind heights of finished levels, and how much you will need to excavate below them.

[DavidG]

Pity I was not closer to you.
That job would be a breeze for "Tonka Toy" although I would probably wipe out the Sat antennae

http://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=47391&d=1180776886

[mirz]

The guys who havent seen a dingo work would be surprised as to what work it can do. On a few of my larger jobs I have also got in a bobcat and my dingo has done more work in smaller places and gone up steeper inclines than a bobcat, obviously doesnt have the SWL of a bobby nor can hold as much though. Getting those posts out with a 4 in 1 bucket will be a sinch with a bit of persuasion.


Looking at the photo's you posted Mirz a retaining wall will be a good idea. When you level the yard keep in mind heights of finished levels, and how much you will need to excavate below them.

i have used Dingo about a month ago, and i was very impressed with its functionality. i just could not take those sleepers and posts out of ground with it. though i hired it with trencher and 4in1 bucket. ( i will call it just lack of practice to use it ) plus those posts are bit deep in ground and i could not catch them in 4in1 bucket otherwise, dingo had enough power to pull them out.


what do you guys think, if i hire this following Post Hole Digger plus a Dingo for 2 days (weekend), and dig holes around posts and take them out. and then try leveling soil all around with dingo.

http://www.kennards.com.au/library/16/publish/Asset/15224_271063_post_hole_diggersLRG.jpg


are these post holes digger any good for hard soil?

[mirz]

Pity I was not closer to you.
That job would be a breeze for "Tonka Toy" although I would probably wipe out the Sat antennae

http://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=47391&d=1180776886


Thanks DavidG for offer :; but it would be too big for my place. anyway i have already moved that satellite antenna from there, and got rid of concrete underneath it.

stand for satellite antenna is now surving no purpose and if someone need that let me know.

i have installed satellite antenna on a new pole with side wall to gain max space in backyard.

[mirz]

another guy just quoted me $330 for half day and then $66 per hour.

this one sound better than first deal which was $280 for first 2 hours and then $80 per hour.

[Wood Butcher]

What is his defination of "half day"?

[mirz]

What is his defination of "half day"?

i assumed it would be 4 hours, and now can feel my mistake. should have confirmed it with him.

and my assumption does not mean what he meant by half day :doh:

thanks for pointing this out.

[addo]

I reckon there's way too much double handling potential here.

First I'd lay out the retaining walls/planter/callemwhatyouwill.

Then set posts (assuming they're to be backed with treated pine half-rounds), and build up, making sure to start a little below FGL. I'd also make sure that water could leave from behind the new retaining walls - whether using drill holes and geotex, or ag line, or some other means.

Next, I'd do the remaining earthworks. Now there will be less dirt to shuffle, and much of it can go into the planters which already exist. No point scooping old stuff out the ground if it's not going to interfere - just becomes another hole to fill, that will later sink down with time... Cut old posts off 150 below FGL and you're good.

The post hole digger - a mate and I used one with extensions, to sink 1800 deep holes in clay. Yes, you read right! :oo: Sticking was a regular occurrence. You grip the shank above the auger with your Stillsons, and then pry with a crowbar against them to pull the auger straight up like uncorking a bottle - DO NOT TWIST IT. For 600 deep holes, it would be OK but really it's a two-man job and can be tough (like when it gets stuck!).

No point making it too hard. :wink:

Cheers, Adam.

[Planned LScape]

Mirz if you want I can give you the number of a couple of local dingo guys within 15 minutes of you, and charge at same or lower rates than you have gotten so far. Although I have my own machine I use it to supplement landscaping works I do full time and the next few weeks will be most likely 6 or 7 days a week.

It might pay to see what works you need done, what you need moved, what you need taken away, dug out etc and get a guy in for a half or full day to do the lot- it'll mean less work and pain for you and the job will be done quickerm and you can move on to the next stage of your project over chissy

Send a PM if you want their numbers

btw... as for the auger- western suburbs including Roxburgh Park is all volcanic rock hard black clay, an auger won't make light work of a hole in most instances. You may need to break the bottom of the hole up with a crowbar and fill with a bit of water to get the auger teeth to bite otherwise it just polishes the bottom, and causes much frustration

[mirz]

PM sent. thanks Planned LScape, will wait for your reply.

last night two bobcat guys promised to appear to give me quotes for this job, but no one bother to even call me to tell that they can not make it. is this normal here?

i found it very non-professional. only good part was that i did not take time off from work for these guys.

[Planned LScape]

PM sent. thanks Planned LScape, will wait for your reply.

last night two bobcat guys promised to appear to give me quotes for this job, but no one bother to even call me to tell that they can not make it. is this normal here?

i found it very non-professional. only good part was that i did not take time off from work for these guys.

I get told it's very common.... I guess I have a conscience and make a time to go do a quote if I have organised one, and ring if I am late or can't make it that night. I think it's poor work ethic to knock back work...even if too busy all you have to say I will do the quote but it cant be done for x weeks or months.

The last few months I'd say every couple of customers have other contractors who have no turned up.

[mirz]

thanks Planned LScape, your recommende person did a great job today, was quick, and very professional.

pass me thanks to Tim, cheers

will post new pics here soon

:2tsup:

[Planned LScape]

Good stuff Mirz, glad to hear Tim did a good job