Some practical questions about plate compactors

[ringi]

Looking at the weight of a plate compactor, even a small one is not a safe one man lift, however most plate compactors for sale on ebay don’t say they come with the optional wheels – so people must be using something else.
So how do people move plate compactors about site?
The instructions I have looked at for one make says you must not run it on a solid service, so can’t move it under its own power.
A porter trolley looks like one option, but I don’t very recall seeing anyone using a porter trolley on a block paving site…
(As I have a lot of old paving slabs to move, a porter trolley would be useful to have anyway)

[ilovesettsonmondays]

a porter trolley great for moving slabs,the old wooden ones are great but hard to find. you could move whacker plate round by putting it in wheelbarrow. drag it round an other option or trolley even

[Carberry]

I just carry mine around when I care about the surface, pull it over surfaces that aren't as important (make sure the base and surface is clean or you can really scratch it) or if I don't care about it I switch it on.

Or get a sack trolley.

[local patios and driveway]

Drag mine around, or two men to lift it when needed.

[seanandruby]

i bought a solid contraption years ago that can be used as a 2 wheel stacker or converts into a 4 wheel trolley. yo can put your wacker in a wheel barrow or make a little bogey. I reckon if one man can carry a wacker, then it's not heavy enought to do the job.

[Carberry]

I reckon if one man can carry a wacker, then it's not heavy enought to do the job.

Generally speaking yes. Unless the man carrying it is built like a brick sh*thouse. I can lift mine on and off transit on my own, carry it about etc with a bit of difficulty and a lot of effort, it weighs 86kgs.

[local patios and driveway]

I can lift two....

[lutonlagerlout]

the ones that weight in at a round 60kg especially the newer ones work fine for domestic stuff
had the 125 kg diesel ones and find they are a lot more cumbersome for wacking in corners
and dont get me started on rollers :;):
you know if the wacker works as the surface looks flat after its wacked
LLL

[DNgroundworks]

Sack truck

[dig dug dan]

the original poster asks some very valid questions. If they are too heavy to be lifted,or moved, then wheels should be standard, and not an option.
I once hire one that had wheels that just flipped up when not needed. Very handy. that way it could be loaded up ramps onto the truck, and moved easily.
the 70kg one i have i lift on with the loader, and drag it down a ramp at the other end, hoping a mate will help lift it on again.
I have the same trouble with the jcb beaver, but at least that is on wheels!

[lutonlagerlout]

the ones we hire now have wheels,water suppression and anti vibe handles,they are about 70kg ,but they really do wack the type 1 down hard, there are no voids left IYKWIM
IMHO wacking force is more important than pure weight
LLL

[seanandruby]

i disagree lll. You need the weight above the plate oterwise the force of the wacker will be zilch. That's why we have different weight machines. Imagine a ramex being 25 kiilos, it'd fall to pieces. Horses for couurses.

[Carberry]

Both important... time to get nerdy

F=MA
A = (V-U) / T
s = ut + 1/2 at^2

f = force
m = mass
a = acceleration
v = final velocity
u = initial velocity
t = time
s = distance travelled

A bigger weight or it coming down faster will increase the force and how well it is compated. The longer the distance travelled will increase it's final velocity but then you have the risk of it bouncing so for it to function well it only has a short distance to thump down so it needs to accelerate quickly. To accelerate quickly it needs a decent size motor which is going to increase the weight, that weight will need to be spread out evenly so the machine is balanced and therefore the ground is compacted evenly.

[lutonlagerlout]

i am only going by what i see with my eyes sean
mostly i am just wacking oversites so major compaction is not needed
following stewart's point,in boxing the force of a punch is mass times velocity
that is why "a good big'un.,will always beat a good little'un"
however when sonny liston told peter keenan to put his cigar out ,keenan replied " you may be the heavyweight champion,but i never lost a street fight in my life,if anything is going out it will be you" keenan ended up sitting on liston's knee like a ventrilloquist dummy
on most of the specifications i see it says "150 mm type 1 clean aggregate compacted to refusal"
LLL

[seanandruby]

but will it pass a cbr test ??? The top 25ml might be compacted to refusal but what about the other 125 ml? Ss for the boxing, it's ok squaring up but you need to know a few tricks. Streetfighter, boxer i'd back the trained guy every time. I only ever lost one street fight and i had hundreds, i lost that becaust i'd only been out of hospital a month with a pulmonary embolism, hence my retirement from the ''underworld.''