footing with a garden tiller

[frazoo]

Starting my footing next weekend, while tilling my garden yesterday, my wife suggested using the tiller for the footing (continous type).  Anyone tried this?

frazoo

[diyfrank]

How would a tiller be of use? 

If you mean  loosening the dirt and then hand dig the footing, you better pack a big lunch.

Are you just doing a small shed or something larger?

[frazoo]

I'm not talking about a scratch the surface tiller, but one that will dig 6-8" deep at a pass.  Actually, before the rain started this a.m., I went  down to the property and dug half of my footing (a 16 foot and 30 foot long trench), and did not need to pack my lunch .  Took a little less than 2 hours.  No digging, just shoveling out the loose dirt, much easier than a pick/mattock and shovel and a hell of a lot cheaper than renting the small 'hoe.   The only drawback is that the footing is three inches wider than the minimum required, but that could be a good thing since I want to face the block with stone anyway.  If you have a decent heavy-duty tiller or have access to one, give it a try.  Will post pics next weekend if everything dries out again.

frazoo

[diyfrank]

Pictures are good!

I'm a fan of do it yourself, Do it the hard way, Do it the cheap way. My shovel also gets a lot of use.

[NM_Shooter]

Are you going to compact the soil below the footing before pouring?   Does the tiller disturb the packed soil under the footing?

[frazoo]

Are you going to compact the soil below the footing before pouring?   Does the tiller disturb the packed soil under the footing?

No need to compact, I stopped just short of the depth I needed, then scraped the shovel along the final 1 inch or so, ending up with undisturbed earth in bottom of footing.  You have to watch your depth, or you will disturb the hardpack.  This worked well for my clay soil.  I wish I had someone with me today for pics. On next trip, I'll have wife take pics as I go along layer by layer, then the final shoveling out to hardpack.  At the onset, I was worried that the tines would gouge or bounce from side to side, making a much wider footing than needed.  After the first 8 inches, the side guards on both sides of the tines served as guide to keep the tines going straight and true.  Small trackhoe would have cost me $320.00. 

frazoo

[Jeff922]

That's a really cool idea, gotta remember that one