Watched a crew in Houston try to lift a 12-ton generator without checking the ground pressure first

4 comments

4 Comments

See this all the time with DIY projects. People will rent a massive tool for a weekend job, skip the manual, and just assume they know how it works. Watched a neighbor try to use a jackhammer on his driveway without checking for utility lines first. The sound of that steel hitting a water pipe is one you don't forget.

the_thomas2mo ago

Seems like a normal Monday. They probably eyeballed it and the ground was fine. Not every lift needs a full engineering report.

the_fiona2mo ago

My buddy Mark rented a forklift last year to move some old concrete slabs in his backyard. They just drove it off the trailer onto what looked like solid grass. The whole front end sank right into a buried septic line his house didn't even use anymore. The repair bill was over three grand because they had to fix the pipe and the machine. That eyeball test gets real expensive real fast.

moore.beth1mo ago

Seems like a normal Monday" is the exact attitude that gets people in trouble though. @the_fiona's buddy with the forklift and the septic line is a perfect example - that eyeball test is just gambling with other people's money. Ground pressure might look fine until you're knee deep in repair costs.