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 . . .

[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 . . .

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):

[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

[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).