May need advice: digging trench for retaining wall. I'm out of ideas other than manual labor

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Last year, my 65' long backyard dog eared picket fence blew over. Not wanting to re-install 4x6 lumber that will just rot again, I purchased enough retaining wall blocks for the 4' height x 65' length. I starting digging 10" backwards to the base of retaining wall block line for drainage rock purposes. Then, starting digging 24" deep between the 6' spaced wood fence post cement blocks. Was actually doing pretty ok. I would say 12" depth for over half... almost to 24" for the rest. Then tire slashing stuff happened and all that got put on hold.
Fast forward to this year. Either I am 1 year older (52) or this smoke is wearing me out faster. Living in northern NV, we have had fire season all summer long where the air quaility index has been super red. This sunday was not TOO horrible so gave it a shot.
I love doing DIY stuff. But I think I met my match. Before looking to hire a contractor or heavy machinery assistance... any one have ideas to not only dig 24" depth (frost line) for underneath retaining wall blocks...but also removal of these HUGE concete fence posts? I actually sledgehammered one last year and it took all day.
I am open to renting something from HD or such.
The problem I see... no way to get any machinery down low. Would love to try a backhoe but...IMG_20200810_184521.jpg
 

sebastiantombs

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I'd rent a mini tractor with a back hoe and bucket from HD for something like that. Looks like you're dealing with rocks as well. No fun at all. Looking at the pic, you ight need to do some initial grading to get the tractor in, but that would be well worth that extra time. Those things are around $250 a day here on the East Coast.
 

sebastiantombs

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I'm not sure but HD can answer that question for you. It should be well into the 100's of pounds, say 500 or so especially with the front bucket full of dirt to countr balance.
 

fergenheimer

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An air spade might work. You would blow all the dirt away. This would just leave the big stuff to be picked up. If you have access to the left side, I think a mini excavator could fit in there. A cubic foot of concrete at about 150 pounds should be doable. An air compressor and Jack hammer would tear them up in no time.
 
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Flintstone61

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I'm 60. I'm lookin at this goin,,,,,might be time to hire a couple retaining wall guys, while I go to work...and make money and save my back.....I'm a diy type, to a point. bulged disc's to prove it :slap:
My best friend does retaining walls when the grass slows down. I can lift the the 80 lber's but my discs say" WTF are you doing?" So he doesn't let me do it anymore.
It's a one day job for 2- 3 young bucks. (edit) ok maybe a 2nd day, thinking about the nasty footings. maybe they can jack hammer em just enough to get you down to 24"
 
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mat200

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Fastb

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In a pinch, I've used a pressure washer. Messy, but can cut slices in the glacial scree we have here (dirt/clay that's as hard as concrete).
The slices (slots) I cut w/ pressure washer can be used to break away the dirt between the slices. And a bar helps.
Like I said, in a pinch. Not for a 65ft long deal.... Or for concrete removal...

Good luck.
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Being another old fart, I say hire some young guys that need money more then you do and let them have at it.
They will probably use a jack hammer to bust the concrete up and remove them.
The big jack hammers will do a lot of work quickly, but they need a huge amount of air.
Best to let someone with less brains do that work.:banghead::smash:
 

th182

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Rent a mini excavator! I did so to install some drainage and irrigation this spring. Best money I spent for the project! Would have taken me all weekend just to dig but had it done in a morning with the machine!! Now I’m trying to dream up reasons to rent it again since it was so much fun to operate.
IMG_8022.jpg


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Fastb

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Year's ago, as a young man, the job required breaking post holes through a thick concrete driveway. The boss rented an electric jackhammer.
Shit. The thing was much heavier than a pneumatic (usually the case w/ air vs electric tools).
AND it had much less power. My back ached for days....
 

mcapeed

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Consider leaving the post in ( cut off above grade) and build your footing over/around them if you can. Otherwise soak them good with a hose and use the suggested mini excavator.

You can also use a chain and a jack to pull them. Harbor freight sells the tools and they are cheap vs all the time invested in doing just one.

I never use wood in the ground. Always steel posts as the wood rots much faster than we like!


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Consider leaving the post in ( cut off above grade) and build your footing over/around them if you can. Otherwise soak them good with a hose and use the suggested mini excavator.

You can also use a chain and a jack to pull them. Harbor freight sells the tools and they are cheap vs all the time invested in doing just one.

I never use wood in the ground. Always steel posts as the wood rots much faster than we like!


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my jack nearly buckled so I say chain/jack is a no go :) These are massive footings. 24" deep. I am unsure if I can even get an excavator boom due to the angle of attack from backyard (no access other than from backyard).
Well, I should say I eventually wiggled this footing out thanks to the jack. But did take 4-6 hours.
IMG_20200530_183749.jpg
 

Left Coast Geek

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I'd be using the front loader on my tractor to pull that post up, same deal with the chain, just tied to the tractor's front loader. leave some heavy implement on the back of my 1948 8N so it doesn't nose dive, give the engine some RPMs, then yank it out with the loader. I might try and wrap the chain around the rocks.

you could do the same with that digger shown earlier, just watch your overall angles (don't do it from far back, get the tractor close as you can so its pulling up on an effective short arm)
 

fergenheimer

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Holbs, I saw your hi-lifter Jack in the background of the original picture and was horrified. When newly married, my wife and I tried to Jack my 4x4 up and change the tire. Things shifted and the operating pipe hit me in the back of the head. I was busted up and bleeding. She had no way to help me or find her way out of the swamp, didn't know where she was when she hit the hardtop and couldn't call for help since this was long before cellphones. If you're working alone, how long would you lay there if your jack did that to you? I've had them shift and drop trailers, doing up tailgates and aggravate me when pulling poles on level ground. Please be careful with those things!
So with that close up, I think you could go at it with a concrete saw like you used when you put in the side privacy fence. Cut in as far as you can then use hammer and chisel to split into manageable chunks. I have done this with smaller posts set in concrete. Your location though is challenging. Good luck!
 
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my jack nearly buckled so I say chain/jack is a no go :) These are massive footings. 24" deep. I am unsure if I can even get an excavator boom due to the angle of attack from backyard (no access other than from backyard).
Well, I should say I eventually wiggled this footing out thanks to the jack. But did take 4-6 hours.
View attachment 98568
Damn, someone wasn't messing around with those footings! I just did both sides of my backyard fence (one side at a time) and used a long jack like yourself...easy, but nothing like you have. I would refer to the dynamite video up above OR get ready to higher some young studs! Wow.
I am a DIY type of guy, but at 58 and my back saying FU every time I do some DIY, be careful.
 
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once the fire & smoke move along (here in Reno...the air quality all summer long has been in the red), I'll try jack & chain between 2 posts and pull them towards each other. Once they start to move, I can take it from there.
At work, we use a scissor lift on a trailer and use those ratchet load binders and chains. Maybe that would be safer to use than the jack to pull them.
temp3.jpg
 

sebastiantombs

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I'd say to use a 20 or 30 ton hydraulic jack to pull them, not a ratchet jack on a relatively flimsy piece of iron. I've seen utility guys pull a telephone pole, which is typically buried 6 to 10 feet, with no problem in places where they can't get their trucks into. Just use a big base for the jack so it doesn't bury itself.
 
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