Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam Walk behind compactor

Have any of you used a walk behind compactor? I need to do the inside bowl of the pond with something. Something that will work on the slope. We had a big rain and the whole bottom of the pond now holds about 1 ft of water. So, I`ll have to use something small. Any ideas??

I got my first introduction to the portable jumping-jack compactors last summer. I only used one type; I don't know how consistently it will relate to other models.
My experience is that they are awesome for compaction, but awkward for moving downhill and impossible for uphill. If you work in a spiral around the bowl, you will still have the wrestling match of trying to keep it from wandering downhill.

Tell us more Brewski..err Brettski. What type, brand etc is it? Who is the seedy looking character you hired to operate it?

Sorry, no details on the brand or make, but I can find out. My contractor volunteered it's use and my back to do the dirty work. Speaking of back, if you could see the back side of that seedy looking character in the drainline ditch, you would note that there is no back on his shirt and there is toilet paper stuck to his foot. In an odd set of circumstances, he has paid for the Cat., yet the guy running the subject track-hoe owns it. The compactor is my punishment since it was too hot for the pointy hat.

Nash:

My excavator and I used one of the jumping jack types to recompact the spill pipe ditch across my dam. We made all the compaction stages flat and level; Brettski is right that they're a pain on slopes.

I rented a vibrating compacter last year to pack fill in a barn before pouring a cement floor. It's much less punishing on the user than a jumping jack, I would say it's equally less effective.