How to Work Effectively in Sandy Soil
Whether you’re excavating, transporting materials, or simply navigating a site, sandy soil can present challenges in terms of traction, trench stability, and other aspects of construction and earthmoving projects. To help you overcome these issues and minimize costly delays, we’ve put together some crucial tips and recommended practices for efficiently digging and operating in sandy environments.
Excellent resource to service all CASE and Takeuchi machines in the metro area. They can get anything. The staff is always helpful and very knowledgeable.
Excellent dealership with strong core values!
Purchased a Intimidator tree puller from them. Good price and friendly service team.
Response from the owner: Thank you very much for the 4 star review. We would love to hear how we can improve to a 5 star! If there is anything that you need please feel free to reach out to one of our six construction locations. Thank you again for taking the time to give us a rating.
Roger was a great salesman to deal with.
Response from the owner: Thank you very much for the 5 star review! Roger focuses each and every day to give a world class customer experience. We hope to see you soon. Thank you again for taking the time to give us a review.
Response from the owner: Thank you very much for the 5 star review. We strive to deliver a world class customer experience every time we see you. Thank you again and we look forward to seeing you soon.
Jenny is the best!! She will take care of you!
Response from the owner: Pam, thank you! We are grateful for your 5 star review. Jenny does an excellent job and is very focused at providing a world class customer experience. Thank you again and we look forward to working with you in the future.
My experience was great.. I spoke with Jenny and she was more than a huge help. Very professional, friendly and knowledgeable.
Response from the owner: Thank you, Syretha! We are very grateful for your 5 star review. Jenny does an excellent job and is very focused at providing a world class customer experience. Thank you again and we look forward to working with you in the future.
Good guys good equipment
Response from the owner: Thank you very much for the 5 star review. We appreciate your business and strive to deliver the best equipment and service in the industry. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Response from the owner: Thank you very much for the 5 star rating. We strive to deliver a world class customer experience each and every day. Thank you again and we hope to see you soon.
My husband rented equipment and worked with Josh. He was very respectful and new what he was talking about to help with all my husband's needs and questions. Very pleased and will be using Luby again in the future!
Response from the owner: Thank you very much for your review and rating. We appreciate your business Jenn and we look forward to seeing you soon. Thank you again and we hope you have a great day!
Great place for equipment and mechanics!
Response from the owner: Thank you very much for your review and rating. We appreciate your business and look forward to seeing you soon. Thank you again and we hope you have a great day!
This is a great piece of equipment. Kevin Peeler is very knowledgeable and made the process easy. We actually didn’t meet until he drove on the job site with my Takeuchi TL6. He earned my confidence over the phone.Mnnnmm
Response from the owner: Thank you very much for your review and rating. Luby Equipment and Kevin are focused on delivering a seamless customer experience on every sale. Thank you again and we look forward to seeing you soon.
Jenny was the best, answered questions on several calls that other dealers could not. I live in KC and shopped auctions, dealers nationwide, Facebook market place. Got my best deal on my TL12V2 machine from Luby with extended warranty. Drove to Fenton and picked up machine. Machine was as described and ready to go as promised. Jenny’s friendliness and listening to my wants sold me! Her boss should give her a raise thanks again!
Response from the owner: Thank you very much for the review and 5 star rating. Our goal is to deliver a world class customer experience on every transaction. We are thankful for your business and look forward to seeing you soon.
This was my first experience with Luby Equipment. Jenny Swafford was my sales person. She promptly made a deal with me working out the transportation and all the details. She kept me in the loop every step of the way and gave me many detailed pictures of the piece of equipment. I do many deals in my line of work and I can tell you she is among the best. I would do business again and hope I can. My experience with Lubys has been the best. I could not be happier. Good job Jenny I wish there were more like you doing business would be a much funner experience. Mike.
Response from the owner: Thank you Mike for your review and rating. Our goal is to deliver a world class customer experience each and every day. We appreciate your business and look forward to doing more with you in the future. Thank you again for the kind words and hope you have a wonderful day!
Response from the owner: Thank you so much for giving us a 5 star rating. We strive each and every day to deliver world class customer service. We appreciate your business and look forward to seeing you soon.
I recently purchased 2 machines from Luby Equipment and worked with Jenny Swafford. She was fantastic to work with and I am very pleased with the equipment and how easy Luby was to work with. Highly recommend them to anyone looking to purchase equipment.
Response from the owner: Thank you Steve for giving us a 5 star rating. We are very appreciative of your business and look forward to working with you again.
Response from the owner: Thank you so much for the 5 star review Michael! We strive to reach our customer's highest expectations!
Response from the owner: Thank you very much for rating us. We strive to deliver the best customer experience in the industry. Please let us know if there is anything that we can do to improve.
Response from the owner: Thank you very much giving us a 5 star rating. We are grateful for your business and look forward to seeing you soon.
Response from the owner: Thank you very much for the 5 star rating! Our goal is to give each and every customer the best customer experience in the industry. We look forward to seeing you soon and hope you have a great week. Thank you again for your continued business.
Response from the owner: Thank you very much for rating us. We strive for a 5 star rating from our customers so please let us know how we can improve your experience. Thank you again for rating us and we look forward to seeing you soon.
Response from the owner: Thank you Mike for giving us a 4 star review. Our goal is ensure our customers are happy with the services they receive each and every time they do business with us. If there is anything in particular that we can do better, please let us know. Thank you again for your review and we look forward to doing business with you soon.
Great service and great staff
Response from the owner: Carlos,Thank you very much for rating us! We appreciate it and look forward to doing business with you in the future. Please let us know if there is anything that we can do to improve.
Response from the owner: Thank you very much for rating us. We strive to be the best construction equipment dealer in the area.
Response from the owner: Thank you very much for rating us! We look forward to doing business with you in the near future.
Pricey, but thay are willing to help you with parts and repair, fast if you need
Response from the owner: Thank you for your review Richard! We always appreciate your business!
Response from the owner: Thank you for the review! We appreciate your business!
Great rental store best prices on case A++
Response from the owner: Thank you for your review! We appreciate your business!
Select appropriate CTL and Excavator tracks
When working in sandy conditions, maintaining adequate traction can be difficult, particularly on slopes. We recommend opting for wide, high flotation CTL and excavator tracks. These wider options distribute weight more evenly, reducing ground pressure and lowering the risk of sinking into soft, sandy terrain.
Pick suitable skid steer tires
For non-tracked equipment like skid steers, both solid and air filled tires can provide sufficient grip in sandy soil. Look for skid steer tires with deep tread patterns, as these will offer the necessary traction to maneuver effectively on loose surfaces such as sand, gravel, and similar types of ground.
Exercise caution while digging
When excavating sandy soil, it’s crucial for operators to prioritize accuracy, restraint, and gentleness. Loose soils are easily disturbed, and cave ins are more likely to occur than when working in denser soil types. By proceeding slowly and steadily removing material in smaller amounts, you’ll enhance stability,
minimize the risk of dangerous and time consuming collapses, and improve overall project productivity.
Utilize the right bucket
Selecting the right excavator bucket or skid steer bucket is vital for successfully completing any digging or loading task. For loose, sandy soils, choosing a general purpose excavator bucket or skid steer bucket with wide teeth and curved edges is typically the best choice. These designs help minimize soil disturbance while still allowing for efficient digging and the movement of large material volumes.
Maintain clean tracks
Sandy soil often causes abrasion between components, accelerating wear on CTL and excavator tracks. Throughout the workday, use a shovel to clear the undercarriage and a pressure washer to remove sand and dirt from hard to reach areas.
Apply ample lubrication
Due to its abrasive nature, sand can be particularly harsh on your undercarriage, bucket, bushings, and pins. When digging in sand, we advise ensuring that all these components are well greased, lubricating them several times throughout the day or approximately every five hours. This practice helps keep sand away from sensitive parts, and any accumulated sand will be expelled when new grease is applied.
Implement proper trench protection
Installing trench protection is particularly important when digging in sand. Sloping and benching techniques, which involve angling the trench wall and creating steps, are generally less effective in sand due to its loose nature and poor particle cohesion. Instead, we suggest using shoring and trench shields. These systems employ metal supports to reinforce trench walls and prevent cave ins during excavation work.
Perform soil testing
Soil tests are critical for jobsite and structural safety, especially when dealing with sandy soil. These assessments help on-site experts determine the appropriate benching, shoring, and sloping methods. Understanding your soil’s physical and chemical composition also allows you to assess its weight bearing capacity for excavation and construction, as well as determine the necessary compaction levels.
Contact Us Today
If you’re interested in learning more about working on sandy soil or exploring options for your business, don’t hesitate to contact us at Luby Equipment Services. We’re here to help you find the right equipment to meet your needs and boost your productivity.
