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[w3526602]

Hi,

What it says on the label.

I've got a six yard ship on order, to remove all the spoil from my front drive excavations. Google says it will weigh 187kg (412lbs), which is a bit less less than twice me in my "shreddies" ( RAF parlance for "Drawers, Cellular", of the airtex persuasion.  Breakfast cerials were called "Soggies", and the yellow stuff you spread on bread was "grease").

(Eric Morecombe wore "Drawers, Empire", but you probably didn't want to know that.)

In theory, me and a neighbour should be able to lift one end (only half the above weight) between us, at a time, and swing it round. Does anybody disagree?

In Days of Yore, I would have barged it round with an S2 front bumper, but I suspect a Freelander is made of something like "Rootes-Metal" (Hillman, Singer, etc)

I've already filled a HIPPO bag, before realising how much it costs per ton ... £145 ... which is great if you only want to move no more than two tons, but do your own math ... and time is against you if you rent a proper skip. I seem to be able to load a ton per day without distress, using a spade.

602

[diffwhine]

I'm about 2/3rds of your age and consider myself reasonably fit and strong and without a Land Rover, I wouldn't try it. Although the weight of a skip is in that area, they vary considerably and can go to almost double that. In theory two people could easily manoeuvre something weighing about 200kg, but a skip is damned awkward to move as you need to overcome the resistance of a wide surface area and also a difficult lifting height / angle.
Personally I'd see what your skip man can do to get it into the right place. Don't forget that same man has to get it out again fully laden. If its been moved to a place where he / she can't recover it fully laden, you will end up with a  very expensive oversize plant pot in your garden.
Let them position it and don't try moving it. If you do try moving it, you will probably qualify for your blue badge much quicker than anticipated.

[kev]

I dragged a skip around with my 88” once.
There’s no way I’d try and move one manually.

[Wittsend]

Take the advice ^^^ or suffer a hernia.

If the skip is placed on soft ground you ain't going to move it.

You're paying the skip man - he will place it best he can for you to fill and him to take away.
I don't understand why you are asking the question 
You will have to take your spoil to the skip.

You need a team of helpers to shift your spoil - else the task will drag on and on.


 

[kev]

Take the advice ^^^ or suffer a hernia.

Been there, had two, also a slipped disc, due to my previous job.
I’m very careful nowadays.🤔

[Genem]

With the greatest respect John, this "Wrong side of 80, both knees hurt, I don't "DO" walking, if I can avoid it, and only take about 12" (300mm) strides when forced. " and shifting tons of earth up and into a skip just don't compute. If you are really intent on doing this work then get a bloke with a mini-digger to do the excavation job - Why was it not part of the original job-spec for the builder ?? 

 

[Wittsend]

  

[geoff]

John don't tell the Blue Badge brigade you can shift a Ton a day with ease .... let's hope your local office doesn't read this 

[Wittsend]

.... or film you.

Plenty of blue badge dodgers have been caught out 

[Rog-from-Bix]

when we have had an empty skip on a tarmac yard that needed slight repositioning before we filled it I used the weights on the front of our compact tractor to push it no way would I try to move one manually.

[w3526602]

Why was it not part of the original job-spec for the builder ??

Hi Gene,

Two blokes, £150 a day, EACH. I'd rather clear up behind them.

I was originally looking at having a grab lorry, but the cost upset Barbara, so I'll act the martyr.

Actually, it's walking that hurts. Standing shovelling also hurts, but in a different place, different reason. If push comes to shove, i'll call in the RAF Benevolent Fund (who paid for my ONC Mech Eng. course at tech college) to pay for the Occupational Therapist based at Crown Hill, about two miles from home. They quoted something over £600 to access Barbara, indicating that SSAFFA have previously picked up the £600+ fee for somebody else living in MK..  Barbara, she say "No!".

My builder has expressed concern about the work I'm doing while unable to walk properly.

Whatever ... my daughter took some photos of my front garden/drive, this lunchtime, mailed them to Barbara. Barbara has copied them to Wittsend, without asking me. Getting too clever, that woman. I assume Alan will tell me if he received them, or better still,  post them in the appropriate place on this forum. Note the raised brickwork.

The aluminium checker plate was originally the ramp, supplied by Social Services, with a flap to flip over the raised threshold, when the front door was open. SS have indicated they would like their ramp back, when Barbara has done with it.

602

[Wittsend]

One thing that worries me about your brickwork door ramp is; does it breach the damp proof course ?


 

[w3526602]

One thing that worries me about your brickwork door ramp is; does it breach the damp proof course ?

Hi Alan,

I can't see the DPC ... anywhere ... so presumably its behind the rendering ... and therefor already breached?

Hmmm? Why render a brick built bungalow? Other houses (mine is the only bungalow) in the street/estate are a mixture of bare brick or render. The estate was build in mid-1980s.

My garage is brick built (single thickness with piers), and the bottom two courses are a shinier texture, so I'm guessing that's where the DPC is.

Strangely, the 22ft LONG garage seems to use the same roof trusses as the 22ft WIDE bungalow.

Whatever, I'll ask my builder  (Irish ... with a degree) next time he calls. We usually have to nag him to present his account ... he just says that he knows we are "Good for it!"  He often does little jobs to make life easier for Barbara (struggling poles, etc), unasked, and FOC.

[w3526602]

PS.

Why was it not part of the original job-spec for the builder ??

We know that "clearing up" is not in the job spec. And at £300 a day, I'm happy to clean up behind him. Actually, he leaves the site tidy ... with an equally tidy pile of stuff for me to dispose of. Being "commercial" he would have to pay (and pass on) the fee for using the amenity site.

We have a metal "bird tree" in the garden, feeders and fat balls hanging from it's "branches". I was digging a hole in the lawn, but had to take a break, to take Wilkie to my daughters for his daily walk. By the time I returned, the hole was dug, with a length of plastic sink waste pipe concreted in, "tree" inserted, feeders and fat balls hanging, and birds tucking in. Mainly jackdaws and wood pigeons, occasional robin ... and a "daily" squirrel who is able jump over a metre, to and from the fence, all outside our living room window.

602

[Wittsend]

OK
So it costs extra to get the builders/labourers to clear the rubbish.

Pity is not nearer to Bob-a-Job week - you could have got a troop of scouts to do the work for you ... 

OR

You could copy the technique they used in the great Great Escape film and copied in the great Shawshank Redemption film.
Rather than walk round the exercise yard, dribbling the spoil away - you fill a couple of large buckets and take a visit to your local tip once a week for as long as it takes.
Most won't allow multiple trips in the same day.
Most have a limit on the volume you can tip for free at any one time.

It will give your and the Freelander a purpose - all the time sniggering behind the council's back that you've put one over them 

This will/would have saved you the cost of a skip hire and labours.

OR

If it's good top soil - advertise on your local Gumtree - free top soil.
And/or if you have hard core waste - advertise that.
People are always looking ....