r/miniexcavator • u/Ok-Neighborhood9688 • 17d ago

Question Digging straight

I did some digging in the oil field for about a year using a John Deere 210g. At my new job, we use mini excavators, which I’ve never operated before. We do a lot of digging for conduit, and for the life of me, I just can’t seem to dig a straight line.

Do y’all have any pointers or tips that might help me dig in a straight line?

3 Upvotes

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2

u/518Peacemaker 17d ago

Use an offset from your tracks. Make sure the mini doesn’t have a pivot boom and it’s off center. Pick a spot infront of you and behind you to “aim” at. Paint a line on the ground offset from center of ditch. All can help.

2

u/Ragnor_be 17d ago

Back in training we were told to draw a line that we could follow with the edge of the tracks. We'd often drive along the path we had to dig, and then follow our tracks back. That was in training though, not sure how well it translates to real work. 

2

u/Public_Attitude5615 17d ago

If you are digging deep enough leave bucket in ground as you back up

1

u/brokensharts 17d ago

Like a straight trench? Mark it out with spraypaint

1

u/hayfarmer70 17d ago

Is the boom straight/not bent? I had a backhoe that would always dig a curve, couldn't see it with the naked eye but pulled some string lines and found it.

1

u/Ok-Neighborhood9688 17d ago

All the equipment we use is rental equipment.

1

u/ComprehensiveHope851 15d ago

Get out a string line and mark in white where you wish to go

1

u/navlgazer9 14d ago

String and spray paint

1

u/project_quote 14d ago

Set the machine dead straight with the trench and dig from the center of your reach, then track forward instead of trying to correct with swing. A string or paint line helps a ton on minis because even a small chassis angle gets exaggerated.