What Old Excavator Operators Knew That New Ones Forgot

What Old Excavator Operators Knew That New Ones Forgot Most new operators learn to dig. Very few ever learn to read the ground first. After thirty-one years running excavators in Tennessee and Kentucky, here are the nine things the old operators knew that a lot of new ones were never taught. Most of it was passed down by an old operator named Clyde, who started on a cable dragline in the 1960s and used to ask one question: what was the ground telling you before you started? In this video: Walk the ground first: plants, low spots and soil color that tell you where the water is The squeeze test for moisture, and the ribbon test for clay Move the dirt once: topsoil, spoil piles and where they go Respect the trench wall: why a cubic yard of dirt can weigh close to 3,000 lb Know what's under there: 811, paint colors, tolerance zones and potholing Dig with the stick and the bucket, not the boom (and feather the controls) Set the machine up right, and why you start a trench at the low end Reading grade stakes and running a string line before GPS Fill in lifts, and never bury stumps or topsoil SAFETY: This video is general information from field experience, not engineering or legal advice. Always call 811 before you dig and follow your state's rules on locate marks and tolerance zones. Trenches 5 feet deep or more need a protective system (sloping, benching, shoring or a trench box) unless they are in stable rock, and a competent person must inspect them. Keep spoil at least 2 feet back from the edge. Follow your machine's operator manual and your site's safety plan. What did the old-timer who taught you always say? Tell me in the comments. Subscribe for more practical dirt knowledge. #excavator #heavyequipment #dirtwork #operator #excavation #construction #oldschool #grading