Scraping Irrigation Pivot Systems - Tumbleweed

**DevinThaScrapper** · 03-28-2015, 11:55 AM

If the pipe on the top is 1/4" thick, 8" diameter which it seems to be by what you say and looking at it, I calculated this:

Top pipe: 1/4 Mile = 1,320 FT The pipe weighs approx. 20.71 lbs / ft x 1,320 ft = A weight of 27,337 lbs

I'd say 25 towers roughly or more, and a weight of atleast 250lbs each which is another 6,250 lbs

This isn't a job where you can go cut it up with a sawzall and grinder and drop onto the ground, even torching each piece off you would need something to move the pieces with, possibly a skid loader would do the trick if positioned right. Also you need a pretty large transport trailer or truck to move these, id say the kind you had in your power plant project. This looks awesome, and would be a great experience. Any timeline when you must finish?

**Patriot76** · 03-28-2015, 12:17 PM

Devin, just stopped in for a bite to eat and saw your response. You evidently enjoy calculations. A square foot of 1/4 in. plate steel weighs 10 lbs. My guess is each foot weights 10 lbs. 4 oz. There are nine towers. My best guess is ten tons. I am guessing it will take five days for one person. We will see if the one man crew combined with his two dogs can meet this goal. The plan is to start after Easter.

**DakotaRog** · 03-28-2015, 02:29 PM

I may be wrong but 1/4 inch thickness seems perhaps too stout for a center pivot pipe. I'd wager it is less thick than that...

**Abuilder** · 03-28-2015, 04:30 PM

one man, and two dogs, five days.
What the are you smoking?

I would put MASTER DEVIN on the job

**sawmilleng** · 03-28-2015, 07:50 PM

Don't underestimate the Patriot! He has some big machinery and isn't afraid to use it!! I don't think 5 days is far off.

Cutting 8" pipe into 20 foot sections for the trailer will be duck soup once its dumped onto the ground and safe to work on.

8" pipe weighs 17 lbs/foot if it is 3/16" wall and 22.4 lbs/foot if it is 1/4" wall. I would hazard to guess it is closer to 3/16" wall because the pipe doesn't get a heck of a lot stronger as the wall thickness goes up. The strength is in the clever way the cables are arranged underneath the pipe.

So, Dakota, you are an observant guy to ask the question about wall thickness!! I think, that even if it turns out to be .188 wall, 10 tons is a conservative estimate.

A quick check of the "stock" sizes available for standard 8" steel pipe show that it starts at 3/16" wall, (.188") and is available in .203, .218, .237, .250 and a bunch more thicker walls.

Maybe we should have a few bets on what the job will weigh out at!!

Oh, and photos!!

Jon.

**Patriot76** · 03-29-2015, 04:46 AM

Saw, I stand corrected. You weight estimates are more accurate than the quick calculations in my mind. It is not the first time I am wrong, the secret is not to make the same mistake twice.

Abuilder - How long would you estimate to complete the job? Just curious about your perspective. My goal is a guess because I have never dealt with this type of project. The new system will be in place by next weekend. I have to have it out of the field as soon as possible so they can plant the field.

I just realized, all my major challenges involved scrapping water systems (Watertanks, Power Plant, and now an Irrigation System.) The ironic part, starting a fire has been one of the biggest safety concerns in all three.

**sawmilleng** · 03-29-2015, 12:54 PM

Patriot,

If you're gonna keep falling into these kind of jobs you gotta investigate a shear. I don't know whats out there but you might find something to fit a big skid steer...?

Jon.

**bigjoshl** · 03-29-2015, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by DakotaRog

I guess I was off by a bit between the spans. 7 towers equals about 63 yards between each with no wheel at the pump area. Still, probably not too bad of an eye ball guess.

YM- Interesting vid. Certainly could tell by the guy's body language he didn't want to be up close to the rig. Maybe they have them already, but if not a guy needs to fix up a cutting torch on the end of about a 15-20 foot boom (??)

circle pivot span length varies,longer spans for flat ground, shorter for hilly ground.The spans can weigh anywhere from 1.5 to 3 tons, A frames included. I pull one wheel, set the A frame on the ground and pull it over with my 1 ton, then cut away.

**farrarrecycling** · 03-29-2015, 03:15 PM

I have to agree with saw, you should look into a shear attachment for jobs like this. Several manufacturers such as Caterpillar, genesis and a few others make a attachment for skidsteers and mini excavators of most sizes. Some rental companies also rent them and some sell there used ones out right if there looking to update there equipment.

But if using a torch I would put the job around 8 days give or take.

I would also put the thickness at around 3/16" inch since that's usually the most common size when manufacturers order there steel for each production run, so around 8-10 tons sounds about right considering its 1/4 mile long.

**sawmilleng** · 03-29-2015, 04:27 PM

Dang! I wish I lived a little closer....first Patriot gets a hold of miles of boiler tubing of around 3" and now a shztload of 8" pipe....Would make the mother of all horse fencing!!

Jon.

**Patriot76** · 03-30-2015, 05:46 AM

It was raining, cold, and high winds yesterday morning so it was tax time. The rain stopped around noon so I traveled the 30 miles to survey the project. Took hand tools but not the trailer or skid steer. This is what was completed in four hours including travel time. First the flanges on the pivot point were unbolted using a cordless impact wrench. Then the pivot point was dragged into the field and leveled to the ground. (Turtle theory used on the water tank project.) Then one by one each tower was dropped.

**Patriot76** · 03-30-2015, 05:52 AM

In three hours of work using chains, pickup, impact wrench, and cut off disc the tower was dropped to the ground and the wire collected. Not bad for half a days work. That includes unloading the wire at home in the vault. Used five 20 v Dewalt batteries. Batteries do not last long when it is that cold outside.

**Abuilder** · 03-30-2015, 06:39 AM

Patriot
I didn’t think it would be safe for a one man and two dog job. You got those dogs trained to dial 911 just in case. LOL

WOW in only 3 hours. If I did that much in a DAY I would laying in a Ben Gay bath for a week.

**Patriot76** · 03-30-2015, 06:55 AM

Originally Posted by Abuilder

Patriot
I didn’t think it would be safe for a one man and two dog job. You got those dogs trained to dial 911 just in case. LOL

WOW in only 3 hours. If I did that much in a DAY I would laying in a Ben Gay bath for a week.

I would not recommend anyone do what I thrive on. First rule of safety is never swim alone.

**KzScrapper** · 03-30-2015, 06:58 AM

Nice work Patriot.

Two qualities Patriot has...#1-Knows how to think things through to complete a job. #2-Knows when things may be getting over-thunk and goes to work.

Keep it Simple and Keep it Safe...that being said we are Risk Takers after all and Safe is a term that can and will be a Game Time Decision.

**Pnutfarmer** · 03-30-2015, 07:37 AM

Good job Patriot. I hate I didn't see this thread earlier. If you ever need to drop one of these in a hurry, just disconnect from the pivot point, then pull it away from that point from the far end. They are braced to be towed in one direction and will easily fold over and go to the ground if pulled backwards. Believe me, I know that from a bad day in a corn field.

**DevinThaScrapper** · 03-30-2015, 08:10 AM

I used a plumbers calculator for my calculations so couldn't be too far off, but possibly I did something wrong seemed a lot to me aswell. Nice dropping it to the ground! If ur not stripping that wire we could possibly figure out a deal, I could probably pay you a bit more than your yard for it. Shoot me a pm.

**Patriot76** · 04-03-2015, 08:53 AM

Hit the road for Easter, but before put in 17 hrs. into the project. After spending part of a day tipping the towers and collecting some of the non-ferrous, spent another part of a day collecting motors and the rest of the nonferrous. Red flag fire warnings prevented the use of the torch for all but one day. One third of the tower was cut in about three hours. The rest of the time was spent raking the field, stacking the metal, and spreading the piles of corn back throughout the field.

Picture of the skid steer and rake. The rake was used to lift sections of the tower to make it easier to cut and allow the weight of the pipe to assist in the process.

Ground raked to prevent fire.

Metal stacked in the background in native grass in case the project cannot be completed before the field is planted.

And a picture of the wire removed. Over a quarter of mile of wire like this was salvaged from the project.

**Patriot76** · 04-03-2015, 09:11 AM

Picture of the crew during one of the few breaks I allow them to take.

**DevinThaScrapper** · 04-03-2015, 09:12 AM

Yea I don't know what your yards paying for that but I bet I can pay more. Let me know and we can talk, if of course you don't peel it yourself.

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