Loading…
6
Pro tip: stop trusting the load chart when the ground is wet, I learned that the hard way
Was rigging near a drainage ditch outside Toledo and the outrigger pad sank about 4 inches into soft dirt on the first pick. The chart said I was fine on capacity but nobody ever talks about ground bearing pressure in the books. A guy from the site crew walked over and said his old company lost a 60 ton machine the same way, tipped right over because the pad punched through. Now I carry 3 sheets of 3/4 inch plywood under the cab and check the soil with a rebar probe before I even set up. How do you guys judge ground before a lift, do you dig a test hole or just eyeball it?
1 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In1 Comment
nathankim2d ago
Used to roll my eyes at guys dragging plywood around, figured if the chart says you're good then you're good. Then a buddy of mine punched a pad through soft fill on a job and I watched a 40 ton machine lean like it was thinking about going over. Scared me straight, no joke. Now I walk the whole setup first and poke around with a rod, and if it slides in easy I know I'm digging or spreading. Wet ground after rain is the worst because the top looks fine and the bottom is soup. Chart only tells you what the machine can do, not what the dirt under it can take.
0