I’m starting a new project with neighborhoods that will require a lot of pot holeing.(water, gas, sewer, Verizon, cox, etc. I’ve always done this with laborers and shovels in the past. I know the vac trailer will be safer and less damages than dudes with shovels and picks. I guess my question is speed of vacuum trailer vs person digging? Looking at 500 or 800 gallon trailer units. Plan was to dump mud at utility company equipment yard, let it dry then fill potholes back in with old spoils that have dried. Dump location is 15mins from neighborhoods I’ll be working in. What has been your experience with Ditchwitch or Vermeer vacuum trailers? Worth the money? Looking at used trailers roughly $30-50k.
Ground is in Virginia not rocks but hard clay in summer time.
I suggest you rent one and see. They are a serious investment and that hard clay may prove to be a bugger.
With decent guys a vac trailer will beat 2 guys hand digging if you need more your going to need a high output or step into a truck
I just bought one, and wish I had sooner. I asked a lot of questions from the vemeer sales guy. He told me I wanted a 800 gal not a 500. It would mean doing 2 jobs in a day vs 1. Also 1000 cmf blower would allow you to use a 4" hose. (Less clogs) I have a 15' 4" and it is a bear to handle and if it sucks down in the ground it is easier to shut the vac off then try to pull it while it is running. If you only have one guy then a boom or the strong arm to hold the hose and tube upright makes things easier. I built a strong arm out of a gate I bought on homedepot.com and some 3' round I had from a playground demo. Also got a rip saw nozzle. All turbo nozzles are not created equal. It was expensive but man the difference is significant
I have over the yrs dug a few holes for fence, 8x8 for equipment mounting, daylighting buried pipes and a few other things. The company had a truck and it is amazing how quick an operator with a pressure washer to cut can make a hole. Got shovels beat by a long shot.
Have seen one that they use extensively for a oil patch company that I was contracted to. They seemed to like it compared to a shovel. Simon C
Thanks for the replies. Still shopping.
I was lucky enough to find one that went for what I felt like was reasonable ($25k on purple wave) I had plenty of wiggle room if I had to replace the engine and the blower Low hours (1375)and the in-house mechanics the place I that sold it apparently didn't know the basics of troubleshooting and the owner just threw it out to auction. When I buy used I touch everything, nothing worse than get it working and then it **** the bed when you need it and having to go rent one or worse holding up the person you are working for because your equipment failed. I just got this thing maybe 2 months ago and I tinkered with it for a month (a hour here and there) and have already billed out $12k for it and $4600 of that was 2 pot holes and then just sitting on site for 2 days while the boring guys were boring, waiting to suck out spoils HeavyEquipmentForums