Many people who decide to build their own garden pond are interested in one of two reasons: either they want to save money on the cost of a professional landscaper, or they want to be more hands on with the digging and upkeep. However, digging a pond with a mini-excavator is not as easy as you might think. Here is how you do it.
First, you need to make sure that the soil that you are going to use is very firm. If you don’t have a lot of earth to work with, then you should really consider purchasing a pond liner first. Make sure that your pond liner is flexible enough to allow the water to drain properly, but firm enough to resist any pressure from the digging process. It’s also important to note that your pond liner is not going to last forever and will deteriorate over time. You will probably have to replace it within a few years anyway, so why not plan ahead and protect it at least as best you can?
Next, you will need to get a mini-digger. There are a variety of different types to choose from, and this decision will largely depend on how much you want to spend on the equipment. Some people are interested in using just a small hand-held mini digger to pump out the pond, while others will use a larger, more industrial-strength version. Again, this decision will largely be up to you. The important thing is that you can clearly define the area that you want to excavate so that you know exactly what kind of excavator to get.
Now that you have the right kind of equipment and a mini digger, you are ready to start your project. What are you going to do next? Fortunately, if you follow the instructions that come with your pond cleaning equipment, you should have no problem. There are a few things to keep in mind however, such as the distance that you want to excavate. You don’t want to make the mistake of digging too far away or else the pond could be overfilled and cause an overflow.
When you start to dig out your pond using a mini excavator, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind. First of all, make sure that you are sitting directly under the area that you will be excavating. This is best done with a chair, ladder, or something else that will keep your weight off of the footrest. When you are sitting, you should have the excavator seat directly underneath your waterline. If you don’t, you will need to put something underneath your back to brace yourself for the ride.
After that, you should open up the front of the mini excavator door. There, you will find the controls and other important parts. Check them and make sure that they are in working order before turning the machine off. Next, you should fill the pond to the appropriate level with pond water. When you are trying to figure out how much water you need, it is better to have an accurate number than to go over. This is because you may end up excavating more water than you need, causing the water levels to go down and the pond to freeze.
After you have filled the pond to the proper level, you can start the process of draining the rest of the water out. Before you do this, however, you might want to turn on the small pump located next to the excavator head. This will help to discharge any excess water. However, you should only turn it on while the pump is on as it will likely damage the pump and the motor over time.
In order to answer the question, “Can you dig a pond with mini excavator?” the next time you are at your local garden center or hardware store, you will be able to ask the sales person for their advice on finding such a machine for your use. Most of them are more than happy to tell you that yes, you can. However, this isn’t always the easiest thing to do when you are shopping around for one. Fortunately, by taking a little bit of time to do some online research, you will be able to find exactly what you need at a price that is right.