headache ball?

[watglen]

A buddy was wondering if i could demo some old barns and yards for him. He mentioned the use of a big steel ball i could use with my excavator. Supposedly you simply pick it up in the bucket and drop it from height to smash concrete.

Anyone ever heard of doing this?

Where should i look to find such a ball?

 

[sultan]

I've never seen such a thing, but it sounds like a bad idea to me. Big chunks flying debris shatter your glass. Ball chips and sends metal chunk flying. Ball rolls or bounces into awkward/bad places. Ball falls on or rolls over a person. I've seen enough bad things when dropping heavy objects in ways half as dangerous as that. :beatsme

A headache ball probably just give you a headache. To break concrete floor (provided its not too thick), undermine it and break it with a bucket, or break it with a ripper. That is easier done with bigger excavators though.

 

[mitch504]

I have used a headache ball for things like elevator shafts and multi-story building footings. It has most of the disadvantages sultan said; but, when the concrete is 6-8' thick, it does work.
Your 240 won't hesitate to break 14" concrete.

 

[watglen]

Thanks mitch, good to know.

I was thinking all the same things. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.

I imagine the old concrete will be lightly reinforced, and on the thin side. Most of it is outside pads for feed lots etc. The worse will be those really thick old barn foundation walls, usually 2 or 3 ft thick. Just break them down and bury them.

 

[EZ TRBO]

I've used a wrecking ball a few times with our 312 CAT, ball with double wrap cable through a heavy ply tire. Worked very well, just pick up and drop. You are NOT tossing this from a long ways, just a few feet off the ground. Have never had any metal comming off it, never had it roll away, and never have any one close enough to where you are working with it. The one we use, was not a perfect round ball, but rather tear drop shaped with a flat bottom. The tool is only as useful or as dangerous as the operator running it.

Trbo

 

[stumpjumper83]

barn feedlots usually are not too substantial I've broke them up with a case 580m by getting under them, lifting up a chunk and dropping it to get smaller pieces. Your 240 should play with them.

Don't just bury the walls if they are hand cut stone. If you get ahold of the right people they will pay you and remove them for you.

 

[Jlillie2]

A buddy was wondering if i could demo some old barns and yards for him. He mentioned the use of a big steel ball i could use with my excavator. Supposedly you simply pick it up in the bucket and drop it from height to smash concrete.

Anyone ever heard of doing this?

Where should i look to find such a ball?

I think this guy has one for sale:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU8kT8Yv7VQ

 

[Monte1255]

barn feedlots usually are not too substantial I've broke them up with a case 580m by getting under them, lifting up a chunk and dropping it to get smaller pieces. Your 240 should play with them.

Don't just bury the walls if they are hand cut stone. If you get ahold of the right people they will pay you and remove them for you.

yup if ya got quarried stone, and depending on the type of stone, you can get as much as 300 a load for it. Some of those ole barns can have several dozen loads of stone which when cleaned of old mortar, can make some amazing retaining walls and patios etc. AS for the headache ball, it seems maybe cheaper alternative than a breaker, but dangerous Good luck to you sir.

 

[245dlc]

Quite often what I do is pick up a good size chunk of concrete like a piece of a footing and drop it on what I want to break up. It makes it easier to have a thumb but can work without it too. And you can also undermine the floor just to start it. Some buildings have a perimeter footing around the floor and that can make it harder to get started but once you have a good heavy chunk broken off you can use it like a wrecking ball to break up other pieces like footings, floors, walls, etc. Good luck to yah.

 

[watglen]

Good idea! Thanks 245dlc.

I have made a small fortune with the great advice i get on this forum!

 

[Greg]

Have used a wrecking ball hooked to the bucket on my hoe. Works pretty good for concrete in basement wallls, slabs and the like.

Not to be confused with a headache ball which is much smaller in most cases. Headache ball is the ball on a crane by the hook when using a single part line. Demo ball is different shape, has different hook arrangement.

 

[CascadeScaper]

Start at the edge of the slab and start peeling it back. You may not even have to break it at all, just peel and go. If you end up needing something to drop, when you start at the edge be sure to leave yourself a good size piece that can be used as a breaking device. I've used that method a handful of times breaking 10" concrete with a 320,