What Happens When You Spend 400 Hours Digging a Pond?

[@mark0bravo]

finally a man made pond that isn't perfectly round or has straight lines. nice to see a natural look

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks! Yeah, it's my favorite when I can make ponds like this. I don't like to make straight lines in nature.

[@spacecowboy2k]

Seriously... I can't figure why people create those ugly artificial ponds... This is awesome, and no excessive landscaping either

[@timlewis5096]

You can find no better video than watching a skilled machinery operator going about their day. Love it Thanks for the enjoyment

[@AFHProjects]

I'm glad to hear! Thank you for watching and commenting! Cheers!

[@billykowalski4305]

I thought to myself so many times during this project..."where the hell is he going to get rid of all this material?!?" Great job. Beautiful result.

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks Billy!

[@Josh-hr2wq]

😂

[@ako5bcv]

There’s a demand for good soil anywhere in the world 👌

[@E1l7e9n1a]

Such a huge work has been done, and even alone! My admiration! It turned out very beautiful. When all the shores are covered with grass, it will look like a creation of nature, and only the initiates will know that this is the work of golden hands.

[@AFHProjects]

Thank you very much! I appreciate it 🙏

[@brodycampbell2990]

You sir are very good at operating! It’s always nice seeing a efficient operator

[@AFHProjects]

Thank you! I try to be.

[@Dougie-ex1ov]

Man thats the nicest self made pond Ive seen and easily.

[@AFHProjects]

Thank you!

[@doremidont_doremidontovich]

Колоссальная работа! Смотрел на одном дыхании с замиранием сердца! Такое великолепие получилось!

[@GOOSESTORIES]

Чья та похоже дорогая прихоть была исполнена. Вообще странно, что 1 человек все делал.

[@lindak.1672]

You are a master! I'd give anything to have a piece of land like that and sit on the porch and watch you work your magic! Georgeous!

[@AFHProjects]

Yeah, this property is fantastic. It was very pleasant to work there. Thanks for watching and commenting! Cheers!

[@GhostRider03]

What a great video. You are a master with that excavator. This is probably the best pond build ive ever seen

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks a lot 🙏 Cheers!

[@a.lavernefilan1888]

The only difference between men and boys is the cost of their toys. Both men and boys also like to play in the mud, and the snow, and the rain. The only thing is some children grow up before their parents do. One thing both adults and children need to learn is how to share. Thanks for sharing.

[@tiagovasconcelos9786]

Your comment made me think about my whole life. You Sir. are a Poet! Thank you both

[@johnlaforte700]

Lots of work, lots of dirt. But it’s beautiful,the pond and surrounding area. 👍👍😊❤️👏

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks a lot John 👍 Cheers!

[@gridfreeca]

looks great, great job, I have developed peat properties, I noticed if you drop the water level 2 feet then the surrounding lands are much dryer even in wet season, for these properties I start with a deep hole and trench everything to a hole to be pumped, for the water source make small ditch, try to divert off property to reduce pumping costs, by doing this everything drains and a lot less hours playing in soup, the ditch can also be located away from the pond and once pond is completed then divert the ditch back to the pond, also by increasing the land elevation as much as possible with a very slight slope to the pond reduces risk of deterioration and increases the amount of lands that can be used with equipment.

[@AFHProjects]

Here is no place to dig so deep trench so that pond keeps dry. I did the pumping area and pumped out the water there. There was an old ditch in the swamp but I didn't wanted to dig more there because it'll make the digging difficult if you mess up the top layer where the roots and stumps are. These are only things what holds the excavator.

[@gridfreeca]

@@AFHProjects only the hole you pump from needs to be deep into the sand, the trenches only need to be 2 feet deep approx, to move the water to allow the peat to drain.

[@kostaskostis6469]

This is the most beautiful man made pond I have ever seen! Gratz brother! It's amazing, you have some serious skills! (from an operator to another)

[@AFHProjects]

Thank you! I appreciate it! Glad you liked!

[@MDKakashi.]

Best design I've seen so far in YT. I'm a fan of lake style ponds.

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks! I just used the form of nature already.

[@stevedoty5841]

@@AFHProjects So many make a new pond. Love your technique.

[@randywilson6869]

I call this guy a artist

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks! It is an art. Like drawing the picture.

[@MarizamAbdullah-mq8id]

It is a kind of land reclaimation project!! From useless to usefull land-use.I did something like that & every seasons attract hundreds of wild ducks & also the nesting ground.Lovely to watch them especially after a heavy rainfall as the small fishes swim toward the Walter inlet.Furthermore with such works, the value of the property enhance drastically.

[@AFHProjects]

Yeah, it's nice place. All the birds and animals that you are able to see there. Plus a nice fishing and rowing pond. Thanks for watching!

[@wolf_quill]

The dirt being dug up looks so healthy ❤

[@AFHProjects]

Yeah, it's good soil. 👍

[@f4810.]

Thank you for the thorough work, the diverse perspectives and the comprehensible work steps. I really enjoyed this video!

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks a lot for watching and commenting! Cheers!

[@davidcarroll2908]

Wow, I can't believe you didn't sink the excavator. you are very good and brave.

[@AFHProjects]

Yeah it's a little bit tricky to get it done. Thanks for watching!

[@slm6173]

I think Sade wrote the song "Smooth Operator" about this guy. Damn! It's so nice to watch people that just excel at their jobs. This is guy is a master. I couldn't stop watching this.

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks a lot! I appreciate it! Thanks for visiting, CHEERS!

[@Tangaroa775]

Spot on creating that seal is most important when constructing a dam… that is where a lot fail

[@AFHProjects]

Yes, here is no problem. Water is running through

[@barkanellichasingdreams4142]

Now you need plants that can cleans the water and make it pure ❤ I learned from the old guy making natural ponds and swimmingpools.

[@AFHProjects]

Yeah, this is big. It's up to owner.

[@dazoztralia6916]

I must say that It was totally mesmerising watching U wrk so efficiently at your craft and not wasting or double handling one bucket whilst U were at it and by far the best excavator/bucket operator that I've had the pleasure of witnessing and the finished product was absolutely amazing so gd on U mate👍 n showed everyone else how it's done😉

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks!

[@joegorka9639]

This is one of my new goals in life. Find some land and build a lake! Lol. This would be so fun to do!

[@AFHProjects]

It is. I have that place but no time to make it there yet.

[@mariodossantos3741]

My goal too 😂❤❤

[@kirkg97]

by far the nicest pond build i have ever seen and you are a master at material management!

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks 👍 Glad you like it 🙂

[@kevinwardle9384]

Amazing skills and a great watch

[@AFHProjects]

Thank you! 🙏

[@fabiancanada8876]

That looks beautiful, job well done ! (I could use that topsoil!).

[@AFHProjects]

Thank you! Yes, we left the top soil so that we can use it any time when it's needed. Cheers!

[@fabiancanada8876]

@@AFHProjects I was glad to see that you did, should be some great soil (we did the same thing.. needs to rot a little more then we will screen in and start putting it on the pasture). Cheers!

[@mariodossantos3741]

Best pound i ever seen , amazing job , my dream a fishing pound like this one ❤❤

[@AFHProjects]

Thank you! 🙏

[@duckling9854]

Beautiful. Watched the full video. The pond is not big enough. No matter how big it is, it will never be big enough. 😂😂😂. I love big big pond. Thank you for sharing.

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks for visiting! That's true 👍 💯 😄

[@gabrielostlund8612]

beatiful pond

[@AFHProjects]

Thank you!

[@AliAl-q9c]

Ребята молодцы озера просто велеколепен

[@jeffdymarczyk4413]

Lot of Hrs of work,Great work looking forward to seeing done.Fish Time!!

[@andrewshutty3345]

I've been digging, pushing, hauling and everything a guy can do with the earth for 25 years, great job sir, smartly done. Why is the hood open all the time? Over heating, I don't know, but great job

[@AFHProjects]

Thank you, sir! I'm doing it fiew years, more like a hobby or side job, but I like it. It's like carving or painting something with heavy equipment. Yes, the excavator is heating up. Don't know why exactly, but probably this is the one reason that it doesn't have that seal between engine bay and radiatior intake. So it sucks that heat back in when the lid is closed. Thanks for watching! I hope you will find some more good videos to watch on my KZbin page. Cheers!

[@calvarybuilders5689]

I'd be tempted to open up the area where the bridge is, so it looks like one large lake and then build a larger bridge! 😊

[@AFHProjects]

Yeah, I probably would do that as well. 🙂

[@daophan3709]

The cold snow weather problem. Jackets. Hoods. Hats.

[@benbohannon]

Mr George. We found a good operator.

[@AFHProjects]

😅

[@Artemiy_Manannikov]

Как это возможно?! Это титанический труд, обычно говоряь выкопать ямку и застелить мембранной. Браво!!!

[@sherbertandjc]

Beautiful and excellent work and finish!!!

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks 👍

[@davidepool5884]

I just found your channel and subscribed after seeing this amazing transformation. That beautiful pond has been hiding under that ugly nasty swamp for so long. It just took someone with the money and an operator with the courage to take on the project to find it. The finished product is absolutely amazing. I never would have expected the pond to look so nice when I saw what you had to start with. Great job!

[@AFHProjects]

Thank you! I must point out that it's not my full time job. Just operating the excavator like side job. Glad you liked it! Cheers!

[@welshwizard822]

​@@AFHProjectsyour better than some I know drive full time😊

[@AFHProjects]

@welshwizard822 Thank you! Appreciate it! Cheers!

[@timwhitburn6260]

That’s some fine levelling with your digger there mate.

[@AFHProjects]

Thank you!

[@curious736]

The shore "sculpting" was impressive.

[@AFHProjects]

Thank you!

[@davidjackson7051]

Well that cleaned up nicely good Job 👍

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks!

[@ako5bcv]

Looks beautiful 😍 good job

[@AFHProjects]

Thank you!

[@JorgeblendzHTX]

Sir! You are a master in your craft. It looks beautiful

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks 👍

[@GlobalistJuice]

It's a beautiful thing! 👍

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks 👍

[@doctormcboy5009]

the topsoil looks great!

[@AFHProjects]

It is. Thanks for watching!

[@skitzochik]

thank you for not ruining this awesome video with stupid music...really, thank you.

[@AFHProjects]

You're welcome! But sometimes I have to add some music when I have like no sound clips like drone footage. These clips are in this video also. Thanks for watching! Cheers!

[@fredrussell1823]

Your site is addictive

[@stevedoty5841]

Hi. 1st time I’ve come across your page. Love the pond. Goes along with the land area, not just an oval or long rectangle pond. I’ll be back.

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks a lot! Glad you like! Cheers!

[@BroncoBob3113]

Very well done

[@AFHProjects]

Thank you!

[@skitzochik]

that soil is gorgeous

[@AFHProjects]

It is.

[@S_igorem]

Такое великолепие получилось!

[@paulfisher3466]

Great job and video, thanks.

[@AFHProjects]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@daophan3709]

The winter snow problem. Heater. Electric heater. Space heater. Flame burn fire logs.

[@14jan141]

super!👍👍👍

[@j.m.k.3406]

Quite the talented operator bud Now if I where rich, I'd buy new, have ya down to teach me, and tag team a humongous pond! We'd have to get the Pong guy too

[@johnskillen6208]

we also put 10 gallons of very strong collidal silver into water has kept it very clean

[@AFHProjects]

What's that? We don't use these things here. Have to Google it.

[@johnskillen6208]

@@AFHProjects pure silver disolved in water . good anti bacterial properties . first batch i made was to strong to drink so put in dugout . et it clean all summer . will see this spring how it is

[@AFHProjects]

It does not appear to be safe for humans and aquatic organisms

[@jmtplittleguy3042]

Thank you Nice job !

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks for watching!

[@MyGodZach]

Oh man, that looks like a nightmare of soil to work on, great job

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks 👍

[@logovaser]

Beautiful

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks 👍

[@johnnykaracho]

You have really nice soil there!

[@AFHProjects]

Yeah, we have that lots of here. Piled up separately for later use if needed some days. Thanks for watching! Cheers!

[@danidjojo]

Wow, natural looking pond, so much patience and hard work. How long did it take to finish it? 👍

[@AFHProjects]

Thank you! 400h approximately from start to finish.

[@patrickswagger]

I'm digging your channel!

[@AFHProjects]

😄 You're welcome! Keep digging. If it's not making trouble for you, then feel free to share videos, and please hit that thumbs-up button. Thanks for watching!

[@nicolasgiant3993]

hermoso

[@ghostagent3157]

only men can dig a hole fill it with water and be amazed by it for decades after

[@cooperhowz2]

Someone is really handy with the escalator.

[@AFHProjects]

Yeah, I need the escalator. Just load the dirt on it and it will move it away for me 😁

[@abenzuoo]

very cool handeling!

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks 👍

[@hazelbrown3695]

Hi I’ve just started to watch your videos you do great work and amazing results there’s just one small problem I don’t no where you put your camera when your in the cab but when your swinging from side to side it makes you dizzy it’s to fast is there anyway you can sort this many thanks but great job though 😊

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks for watching and your feedback. I have separate smaller and more detailed versions of this project. There are these clips not so fast, so maybe you can compare them and give me the feedback again. I made this start to finish video and speed up the clips, I keep your tips in mind. Thanks! Cheers!

[@johnskillen6208]

we have the same slop you have . we have had issues with sides sliding back in as only used a dozer . 2 years ago used a hoe and staying firm , we are east of winnipeg manitoba canada

[@AFHProjects]

What type of soil is there?

[@johnskillen6208]

@@AFHProjects looks like same thing you have we are the swamp so peat clay rocks a few gravel ridges deeper down . lol we can be under water on wet year.

[@AFHProjects]

Nice. Here I dug out all the peat from shores. Shores are not too steep, which prevents that the shores are not sliding in. It's hard to do with dozer. In this particular pond, it's impossible to get it done without the excavator. It's a very wet area, and peat layer is 3 meters deep at some places.

[@craigjones2015]

Hummm I would add more features to it bigger lol make a cove

[@AFHProjects]

We have that option

[@backtonatureitis]

You did a great job!

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks 👍

[@myohmy111]

A lot of this project could have been done with a bulldozer. To be able to contour the land surrounding the pond like this; takes some serious mad skills and hundreds, if not thousands of hours of excavating experience!!

[@AFHProjects]

Can be done something, but not too much, I think. There is too much soft and liquid stuff. The groud will be messed up if you drive several times over and over at the same route.

[@johnkemp4370]

Excavation is also more fuel efficient than dozing

[@AFHProjects]

It depends. Sometimes is dozing efficient when you have loose dirt and good conditions for dozer to work.

[@jimmyfireball]

Amazing project. Would love to have enough land and money to have something like that. If I ever win the lottery, I’ll give you a call 😂😂

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks 👍 waiting for your call 🤙

[@daophan3709]

Chains tires? ? Like snow tires for dirt or mud? ?

[@strollas]

neat

[@john3559]

nice.........

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks!

[@lenwebb6176]

Grate project well done. Would liked more chat to explaine what and why you were doing. Don't like it all on fast forward . Cut to real times and talk to me otherwise it gets boring. Did like the way you worked. Len. Hampshire England, good luck.

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks for your feedback 😉 My English is not so good, but I try to talk more. Glad you like! Cheers!

[@daophan3709]

If you deplete dirt for weight on dirt truck for traction you can buy sand bags for weight on dirt truck for traction.

[@welshwizard822]

A brilliant job, well done guys. Out of curiosity how many gallons & machine hours were involved. I drove both machines back in the 1980's. Thanks for sharing your project 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@AFHProjects]

400h and maybe around 5200l ⛽️ Thanks for watching! Cheers!

[@daophan3709]

The dirt truck gets stuck in the dirt or mud because there is too light weight on the back of the dirt truck for traction. Notice the same truck before with a heavier weight did not get stuck in the dirt or mud. Another solution is to pave the road or put woods planks down for traction for the dirt truck light weight dirt load and or heavy weight dirt load.

[@GhostRider03]

Weight isn't the issue. It's because of the incline going from right to left. The trucks weight is all on its right side and it's battling wet grass and mud as it's climbing another incline

[@AFHProjects]

The hump is steep enough and slippery. That's all.

[@bearbait2221]

Nice job

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks 👍

[@adleyfirmin5565]

awesome job ! where are you located beautiful country side.

[@AFHProjects]

Thank you! In South-Estonia.

[@turpija123]

first time i saw sculpting with excavator ...

[@daophan3709]

The snow problem. Umbrellas.

[@STANPAN772]

Czas wpuścić aligatory

[@daophan3709]

If the water if pond if problem, drainages pipes pumps waters muds buckets.

[@BRaines549]

I was thinking the same as Billy. Where is the material going but I was also thinking how in the world did you not get stuck.

[@AFHProjects]

You can see the process of this project on my KZbin channel. But most got laid on the forest side shore. And some got hauked away to the pile on the field. How I didn't get stuck... I got some experience with this. I have failed in the past as well, you can see some fails on my page as well.

[@74_Green]

Does the Volvo A20 go faster with those racing slicks on??? ;)

[@AFHProjects]

Drifting tires 😁 also compact the soil. Like asphalt roller.

[@daophan3709]

The snow dirt grass slope hill problem. The bucket digging machine the excavator.

[@daophan3709]

Metal spiked tires for traction? ? Less weight than more dirt and or sandbags.

[@steviemac2681]

You don't need any sort of pond liner or cement with a big pond? You dug down to the ground water?

[@AFHProjects]

Yes, just dug hole into the clay. Ground water is high in there.

[@steviemac2681]

@@AFHProjects It must be quite satisfying to know you did it. What is that place?

[@AFHProjects]

@@steviemac2681 Summers summer home.

[@ruralridez6165]

are you going to dig out the other side at sometime? the pond looks really good

[@AFHProjects]

The customer wants it to be dug out but we'll see. Probably it's not worth to dig out all from there. Its soft and i bet it's large and deep peat hole, but maybe a some of it.

[@henrykmaziarz935]

Pięknie

[@AFHProjects]

Thanks!

[@ducmagic]

The dusts have to be wet went you dig? I always see there some waters.

[@AFHProjects]

No, it makes things more difficult. The water just coming back fast and makes all the dirt too soft.

[@daophan3709]

Why no 2 people controlling the VOLVO BM A20 and the BUCKET DIGGING MACHINE. The bucket digging machine nudge forward gently the VOLVO BM A20? ?

[@sethmiller1189]

You make another video of you dredging the other part of the swamp. And connecting to that pond. But don't destroy the damn dig a hole in the center amd put a pipe through it to keep both ponds full

[@AFHProjects]

Customer wants it to be done aswell, but don't know when. It's not reasonable to dig that all out from there, but it could be a nice lake indeed.

[@f4810.]

👍

[@songweaver6076]

Magic hands to not get stuck in all of that....

[@AFHProjects]

Yeah, it's a little bit tricky

[@daophan3709]

Clothes socks. Clothes store. Malls.

[@craigjones2015]

Time for fish

[@AFHProjects]

Fish for sure. But I dug this pond for the client. So I don't know the details.

[@daophan3709]

Lifes jackets. The river problem.