hazards of working near a peat bog

[fergusonforestry]

There's plenty of machines disappeared forever in the bogs up here.

 

know a guy who lost a brand new excavator, went down so quick he had to use the roof hatch!

[kinderscout]

I was just about to post, make sure you have working roof hatches they can come in useful.

[Fredward]

Heard loads of horror storys about peat, a train derailed over here, lost in the peat, tried to salvage it with a crane, then that disappeared! I've heard of them losing bulldozers and all sorts! All depends on the depth as to how far it will sink

[HGBMX]

don't do this

[caledonian bob]

I worked on them for over 20 years harvesting peat for compost. Low ground pressure is the trick, double, trebble wheels or wide bog tracks. Know the limits of your machine and if you feel it sinking stop and get assistance to pull it out as most of the time you'll make it worse if you keep trying. If you are on fresh ground try not to break the sod, use a different track each time if possible.

[penfold]

Strict no smoking policy. I think there is still a fire burning on Thorne Moor near Doncaster which started about three year back.

[JLA Arborists]

Beat me to it. A fire can smoulder in peat for years

[Matthew Storrs]

I worked on them for over 20 years harvesting peat for compost. Low ground pressure is the trick, double, trebble wheels or wide bog tracks. Know the limits of your machine and if you feel it sinking stop and get assistance to pull it out as most of the time you'll make it worse if you keep trying. If you are on fresh ground try not to break the sod, use a different track each time if possible.

 

good advice, from my experience of working with machines on peat, if you break the surface you are unlikely to get your self out- get a pull before it gets too late:thumbup1:

[wrsni]

Has anyone had a good or bad experience working near/in a peat bog? hints and tips are greatly appreciated , Thanks

 

If you think you're stuck, get the winch immediately, don't try working your way out as you'll almost certainly just work your way further in.

 

Was clearing sheughs for a man in my early contracting days with a standard 2wd 3CX and there was couple of fields to do which were just pure peat but had been grazed with sheep and had a good thick wad of grass over them. Was doing fine until a wee bit fell back in behind me and like an eejit I moved back one bucket width to get it. That was it, obviously the grass would carry the wheels over it once but go back on the existing track and we were gone. Managed to hold the digger up between wheels and careful positioning of front and rear buckets but wasn't ever getting out under my own steam. Realised what I was dealing with first time I tried to heave myself out but just pushed the dipper straight down in until the jib was level along the top of the ground, and that was with a 5ft sheugh bucket on it!

 

Got a hand off a neighbour with a winch the next day and was very .relieved to see the digger sitting back out on a hard road.

 

Potentially scarey places!

[Brushcutter]

Lot of good advice. A friend of mine managed to bog an harvester digger base. The forwarder couldn't pull it out....the county couldn't pull it out. The digger hand to dig it out then winch it out.

 

 

Bog mats could always be an option the less pressure you put on the surface the less likely you are to have a dangerous expensive day.