Boring Tunnels Under Driveways Is Way Harder Than Youtubers Suggest

[@TurfMechanic]

Lol, well I meant to make this a video update for channel members only and accidentally marked it as public. I guess I'll leave this public and use it to advertise becoming a channel member. Click the join link above and show support for my work, thanks!

[@killer6088]

FYI. Just because water is under something doesn't mean it does not get wet. Water will have most definitely worked its way into the dirt under the driveway from time to time. Water does not just move down.

[@velcroman11]

I put a tunnel under my 1 metre front path. I didn’t want to us water. I used a 35mm gal pipe. IT TOOK FOR EVER! The NBN ran a pipe under my driveway. They used a high pressure water pump. It’s amazing how easy it is when you have more than a PVC pipe and domestic town water pressure. Kudos to you mate you are just about there. One tip if it is not too late, put in a pipe bigger that you need now. I wish I had done that.

[@TofuInc]

I tried to go under a sidewalk with the hose / pipe trick and got pretty much nowhere. I ended up using a pressure washer and wand extensions with a turbo nozzle. Very messy operation.

[@JosephHoetzl]

I had to do similar and wound up using emt conduit that was one size up from the pvc. I crimped the end to a point and sledge hammered it and also used a SDS tool with a ground stake driver on it. Once through I cut the crimped end and slid my pvc right through it. You may need to go two sizes up if you need a pvc coupler in it.

[@chrispontiga]

I struggled with this last month too! My father in law suggested using a pvc tee and cap on the far end. That way you can run the water bore and knock it with a mallet at the same time.

[@richardportelli1983]

Can you show in another video the setup you made to bore under the concrete in more detail?

[@mr.c6674]

I tried this a few years ago based on KZbin videos too. I gave up. Kudos to you!

[@taildragger77DK]

There used to be a kit with a jet nozzle you would cement on one end of your 3/4 PVC pipe and female water hose connection to cement on the other end. It will blast through the hard pack.

[@TurfMechanic]

I bought that kit (orbit) problem is the nozzle os plastic and will easily get damaged jamming it into the underlayment under the driveway. I used a brass nozzle jet for my hose and put the hose inside the pvc and cut the pvc into a point. Was able to ram the earth with the pointed pvc and water blast it with the hose all at the same time

[@paullasko2023]

Are you using a garden spray nozzle on the end of your pvc? That works fantastic under sidewalks. Doing the same under a 16 ft driveway is more difficult, but if you aren't using a spray nozzle I'd expect it to be nearly impossible.

[@AlexKunstar]

Looks like you have a solid plan!! Just a matter of time now. Must be a ton of work.

[@hemlock5396]

So i leave this to help. I suppose your done by the time i leave this comment. For anyone else if you actually dig down 24 inches you will get under the gravel base for the drive way. I get that it would be more work to dig farther down but then you can simply cut a diagonal edge on the pipe. Then use a large drill with a hole saw bit slightly larger than the pipe fixed to the other flat back end of the pipe. You then spin it /drill it through the dirt. I dont know how many heads you need on the other side of the driveway but if ya just need 1 or 2 consider using half inch pipe and make that one zone in the watering patern. As yeah it would have less volume than the rest of the system with larger pipe. For the control cabel do a second pipe. Also if you put it the whole install deeper say probably 24 inches. Although frost line changes from area to area. you wont have to dig it up again to fix all the leaks you get from burrying the pipe far to shallow. Thats how the leaks you fixed formed. Even if you drain the water out of the system for the winter or live in an area with a shallow frost line the deeper you go the less the ground moves, less the pipes get flexed, less leaks you get. Longer the install lasts. Hope it helps.

[@billanderson2863]

A Prairie Dog 140EW would make easy work of this project.

[@jexcyking7143]

The driveway is compacted with 6-8 inch gravel

[@DirtygardenCA]

Good luck, hope you make it thru!

[@mrBDeye]

Maybe use a pressure washer nozzle attachment to bore under the driveway.

[@androidfarmer8863]

You think boring tunnels is hard? Try exciting ones. Thanks, I'm here all week.

[@TurfMechanic]

Hahaha, that was a nice laugh to wake up to 😆

[@nicko6477]

Lol. This is hilarious as i just tunneled under a sidewalk that was the hardest i had ever ran into.

[@GirLzLawn]

Holy moly! I take my hat off to you sir!

[@willymena]

If you have clay soil, forget it. Possible, but a big job.

[@WApnj]

You're not deep enough... Should see the layers of material as you dug down next to the concrete.

[@ryan.coogler]

Hire some Sappers! 😃

[@ACKCSC2024]

Looks like class 5 to me

[@fabrones49]

Your trying to go though 3/4 process which was compacted before concrete was poured. All your doing is risking the integrity of the driveway by creating a relief area below the driveway. This isn't the best idea

[@TurfMechanic]

I've thought about that but I figure I'd spend a bunch to have the driveway cut, pipe layer and driveway repaired...so if I do this and there's no driveway damage over time then that's great and if it does pose a problem then that's when I'll have to have the driveway repaired...but I know sprinkler lines were bored under this driveway in the 80s when the original system was installed and there's no driveway damage or patching anywhere so I feel good about this gamble. Good point for you to bring up for other comment readers though.

[@fabrones49]

@TurfMechanic i definitely applaud you for trying this out. Great job and I hope this works out, looks like a pain lol. Can't wait to see it all up and running

[@matthodel946]

@@TurfMechanic It's not a big deal. In the worst case scenario and the driveway slab were to fracture, just call a slab jacker with a mini concrete pump and have him jack it up back level.

[@stash7714]

I will ship my voles to you, they seem to do a great job. 😂

[@TurfMechanic]

I will consider it 🤣 I'm to the last two feet, stubborn me, ill get there soon!

[@chrisglenn2096]

BOR-ING!! 😂

[@TurfMechanic]

😆

[@jexcyking7143]

Go deep before going across