[Cob] re: building east of the mississippi

[Amanda Peck]

Glad you've got easy to dig dirt where you are.  I'm not that far away, and 
what's down there varies wildly in my case--ran into shale putting in the 
mailbox, shelf ROCK with the dog pen, smallish rocks and silt at the barn, 
nice usefully sized rocks by the spring we ruined.  The silt, incidentally, 
may have been blown in from the Dust Bowl.

That said, I had someone else use a rented Ditch Witch to run electricity 
down to the barn.  It was SOOOO FAST, just churned those rocks up.  We 
rented it in the next county for four hours, had it back, and run through 
the car wash in about two and a half.

But it only put a 4-6 inch ditch in the ground.  Perfect for what I needed, 
but I'd hate to try to do four or five passes to make a wider trench with 
it.  This was a trailer-mounted, self-propelled walk behind job, ran over a 
hundred dollars for the half/day.  There ARE bigger ones, but this is what 
you are likely to find for rent around.

A twelve-inch auger on a tractor worked pretty well both for setting poles 
and for digging holes in two lines so that it would be easier to make a 
foundation trench.  We didn't go down all that far.  And since I've got turf 
tires on the tractor, it might have been easier on the ground than a 
backhoe.

Charlie Daniels of the Charlie Daniels Band broke his arm or wrist using one 
of the hand-held gas-powered augers.  I've had some small power tools get 
stuck and whip my hand around violently, the air rachet may have broken a 
fingertip.  The prospect of a hand-held auger frightens me.  Might be safe 
enough in some soils.

Backhoe is probably the best bet where I am, there are lots of independent 
backhoe people around.  Hiring one with an operator.  Or renting a small 
backhoe from the local rentall center. (terramite is one brand).  Lance in 
Australia used an excavator, and that would be good too.

..................
Francine asks (snipped a bit):

I've already started some foundation work, but
planning on using some mechanical help for the trenches.
Has anyone used a "ditch witch" for trenches or any other
rental machine?  Fortunately, my ground is pretty easy to
dig in!