Tough Trenching with CAT 304 Excavator - Downspouts and French Drains

[@justinotten6673]

Hey Captain, just a suggestion for future jobs like this. Go look up French Drain man on KZbin. He is a contractor here in MI who specializes in dsa's and french drains. He has over 30 years experience and really knows his stuff. He's a great reference I use all the time. Good work!!

[@mrmikeyd2]

@17:26 check out the view these homeowners have! That looks like a really nice place to live. This was an interesting job and they certainly had the right person doing it. Thanks for posting Captain

[@CaptainKleeman]

mrmikeyd they definitely have an awesome view there.

[@markschmidt5036]

Nice, I liked the in trench shots.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Mark Schmidt glad you enjoyed it!

[@donlowe9125]

Nice precision work there buddy

[@CaptainKleeman]

Don Lowe thank you sir!

[@Murphyslawfarm]

Ahoy Captain nice job and great video.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Murphy Law thank you sir!

[@richardhedrick5601]

Good video great job for two days

[@CaptainKleeman]

Richard Hedrick thanks!

[@idadho]

You are fortunate the building does not have any mirrors.......Looks like the 304 kept its mirror. You are a fire fighter. You can tell water where to go. Job looks good.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Mark G haha, hey I folded them in on the 304 as soon as I got there

[@idadho]

@@CaptainKleeman Keep up the good work. Your success in those tight quarters shows how any challenge can be overcome with discipline and dedication.

[@raylz19]

Captain, that was some mighty fine bucket work especially next to the house.

[@CaptainKleeman]

raylz19 thanks!

[@KeithyDorrell]

Good work ......got some nice camera angles there as well as the barge shot at the end ...love it!!

[@CaptainKleeman]

Keith Dorrell thank you sir!

[@JoelHershberger]

I have to disagree with you when you said the view isn't half bad. That view is down right beautiful. Anytime I can see the water and trees on the shore it is a beautiful view. That whole area you live in is just drop dead gorgeous. Thanks for sharing your time with us.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Joel Hershberger no argument here. Hey glad you’re tagging along!

[@bobfitch607]

Dirt who? Maybe captain perfect 😉 nice work great job and touch digging around the utilities and obstacles. Your the one who makes Mike look good. 👍

[@CaptainKleeman]

Bob Fitch haha, I don’t know about all that.

[@casycasy5199]

i like that trick with the shovel to keep dirt out of the pipe.ill be using that

[@CaptainKleeman]

casy casy works well!

[@mikedobson2988]

Nice job sir, thanks for sharing.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Mike Dobson hey and thanks for watching!

[@Crewsy]

Looks like Aaron short shopped you 2 lengths of pipe 23:56 😉 It’s hard to get good help these days but your “helper” Matt did a great job holding the pipe in the trench and you didn’t have to buy him lunch. 🤣😂🤣😂

[@CaptainKleeman]

Wayne Crews 😂😂

[@michaelrobbins6694]

And no off color puns! Wheehaw! LOL

[@andymoss3132]

Way to persevere captain. Looks good

[@CaptainKleeman]

Andy Moss thank you sir!

[@franksteinhilber2222]

nice work , clean trench and no excess material on edge makes laying pipe so much easier .

[@CaptainKleeman]

Frank Steinhilber I agree, and thanks!

[@wildtimbrown]

Hey Captain! Guess who just got invited to help (as needed) his buddy with a small excavation company? Just on the strength of him seeing my bucket work on our New Holland tractor! He has a mini, a tracked skid steer and a backhoe that I know of... My work hours are flexible and I should be able to give him a hand as needed :-). Oh yeah, I think the deciding factor was that we both watch KZbin earth works channels :-). Once I learn some more, I suppose I'll start shooting video ;-) (On this path lies madness! MADNESS I say!) Tim

[@CaptainKleeman]

Tim Brown hey that’s awesome! Keep me posted and email me some pics of his excavation equipment sometime! We have to embrace the madness right?

[@markkenes4848]

Another perfect job done by the Cpt !!!! Cpt you are really good at operating !! Great vid bud keep em coming.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Spydr 1 hey thanks!

[@NotJustaTool]

Like that rope saw trick. Clean str8 trenching Captain. G1

[@CaptainKleeman]

Keith L thanks!

[@michaelrobbins6694]

LOL the "Shorty Tripod". Way to go Captain!

[@CaptainKleeman]

michael robbins I laugh every time I use that thing 😂

[@davestinson5691]

That's a killer place. Nice work man

[@chrisskelhorn5727]

Tricky bits or not, I think you quite enjoyed that job! :-) Good going young sir! :-)

[@CaptainKleeman]

Chris Skelhorn thank you!

[@chrisskelhorn5727]

@@CaptainKleeman Not at all! Thank YOU for sharing! :-)

[@Lifeinthe906]

Looks like a pretty nice job in a nice setting thanks for sharing.Why there always gotta be a dang rock right where you gotta dig LOL

[@CaptainKleeman]

Life in the 906 haha, everytime!

[@trickydicky78s3]

An extra hour of diesel isn't going to be anywhere near as expensive as repairing a hole in the side of the building or anything inside damaged. You hve a time for pedal to the medal and time for slow and steady wins the race, you picked it perfectly

[@CaptainKleeman]

ricky bobby 78 exactly!

[@joemascioni3101]

Nice job Mike. Looking professional. I noticed that you are getting a lot less thumbs down on your videos. I would say because the content is getting better each time. Keep up the great work.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Joseph Mascioni according to my analytics page, overall channel history, 97% thumbs up....I’ll take those stats. Hey thanks for watching!

[@alexosborne5629]

Another two days filling coffee cans..... good on you sir !!! Sometimes it is good to be left to your own devices on a job. Never seen a pipe sliced with a length of wire or whatever it was, often used Stihl saws ( petrol powered disc cutters) other brands are available or the trusty hand saw.....

[@CaptainKleeman]

Alex Osborne gas saws work great as well! I’ve seen a lot of people going to that similar saw setup but with battery now. Seems to work well!

[@alexosborne5629]

@@CaptainKleeman Are all the underground pipes solvent weld? Over here all of ours have rubber seals in the fittings, even the concrete and clay pipes use them..... And does the pipe colour signify anything in particular, over here all underground plastic pipe and fittings are brown, with the exception of clay fittings that are black.....

[@CaptainKleeman]

Alex Osborne yeah, most drain lines around here are going to be solvent weld. And they are normally different colors based on the type of pipe it is, either what it is carrying or what it is made out of.

[@alexosborne5629]

@@CaptainKleeman Thank you for the information sir 👍

[@firecaptaintom6670]

Jeez! Does everybody have a river view there?

[@CaptainKleeman]

Fire Captain Tom it’s why we all love it so much!

[@ConstructionMachineryChannel]

Nice drone footage at the end 👍

[@CaptainKleeman]

Construction Trucks thank you!

[@kapteinron]

Tough job hu. For me this is the easy one. Tip swing the boom to the door site you come closer to the building whit more sight on your work. If you have trouble whit the slop you could lay some ground under the track to set level. And if there is no rock remove the teeth you get a much nicer tranche and cables and pipes like it better then whit teeth.

[@wolfpacva]

Well if you hit the gas line at lease you know how to put the fire out LOL. Did you all get hit by the that bad wind storm the other day. Looks like a giant gopher went thru that yard. You did another great job.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Kirk Wilson we lucked out on the storm. No damage here.

[@wolfpacva]

@@CaptainKleeman good to hear

[@barrb6134]

With that many down spouts off two large roofs you probably should have the main run of 6" or possibly 8". With a 4" main run all that water is going to overwhelm that system, and won't be able to discharge fast enough. BUT luv the video, thanks for sharing.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Barr B no problem at all for the system.

[@terryreynolds1366]

I knew you was the perfect in the name dirt perfect it won't be long know it will be captain dirt kleeman perfect. who needs the dirt man now😁😜😝A BIG THANKS TO YOU CAPTAIN KLEEMAN. P.S. YOU DO BETTER WITH OUT THE DIRT MAN LOL THANKS TO ALL OF DIRT PERFECT MEN

[@CaptainKleeman]

Terry Reynolds 😂😂

[@philipblass6544]

That last area for the french drains. Is the house foundation drain clogged?.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Philip Blass not sure. Not even sure where the foundation drain comes out. Could just be the water following a rock vein and coming out there

[@bozobennett]

Nice work!!

[@markdavies9912]

Skills!

[@CaptainKleeman]

Mark Davies thank you sir!

[@kevinkenyon7045]

Great job

[@CaptainKleeman]

Kevin Kenyon thanks!

[@bladewiper]

those people sure do have a great view.

[@CaptainKleeman]

salty 101 indeed!

[@ohhpaul7364]

great work. If I may offer a thought, I watch Drain Addict channel quite often and half the jobs he does is having to hydrojet these drain tile systems after they get clogged. Most of the time I see people install these gutter drains, I never see anyone install the proper clean outs for that man to do his job 15-20 years down the road. It might be nice to offer the homeowner's a chance to put this stuff in when it is new and the ditch open rather than having to pay for it some time down the road. About 15-20 dollars for the fitting and the work can make life a lot easier one day in the future and bring a few extra dollars profit while you are there. Anyhow, thanks for the videos, have a good one.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Ohh Paul I agree, but all we can do is make suggestions. The rest is up to what the home owner wants

[@jonathanharrington9648]

You should be proud that angle that you had to work with is tough trust me I've done it hundreds of times and I hate each and every dig like these

[@CaptainKleeman]

Jonathan Harrington definitely a challenge.

[@blackdogexcavator21]

Improvise, adapt, overcome, and go sleeveless! Lol

[@CaptainKleeman]

Blackdog Tractor/Excavator that’s right! 😂

[@TimeLapseTowboater]

Random question, does the 304 have a level inside when you use the blade to push you up? Or does it have an auto level feature?

[@CaptainKleeman]

Time Lapse Towboater no level inside or auto level feature. I guess I could get a magnetic level and stick it to the door window frame. Some people do that.

[@TimeLapseTowboater]

I was just curious, we have a small level in the wheelhouse to balance right to left

[@Crewsy]

Time Lapse Towboater That probably comes in handy for that stretch of the Ohio River that’s lower on the Kentucky side than the Indiana side. 😉 All kidding aside I guess I never thought your tow boats would have ballast tanks to level out the vessel since you don’t actually carry any freight on board that would need to be counterbalanced.

[@TimeLapseTowboater]

Wayne Crews, we normally use our fuel ( diesel) and potable water to ballast and trim the boat

[@chadburggraaf4687]

I would Like to set in the seat of the 304. I ran a Gradeall for county & enjoyed it but i am to old to get in & out of machinery any more

[@CaptainKleeman]

chad Burggraaf getting in and out is the worse part. Hey I’ll trade you the 304 for a grade all, always wanted to try and run one of those . They look pretty tricky.

[@stashwaxroller1740]

In that last drone shot , those houses look pretty close to the river. Does the corps of engineers have pretty good control as far as water levels? ? Or are those houses on a higher elevation than they look from the drone ? Good video ! Thanks for sharing it.

[@CaptainKleeman]

stashwax roller they think they have good control haha!. They have some control I should say, but most of those homes are higher than they look.

[@michaelyoung3525]

You do very nice work to please the customer. Too bad you live too far from me. I’m in central Pennsylvania a little town called Beech Creek

[@CaptainKleeman]

Michael young hey I’ve got a buddy coming in from PA this weekend. How long have you been in PA?

[@michaelyoung3525]

Captain Kleeman All my life. My son said sometime we should come see you,Dirt Perfect and Logger Wade

[@BlueDually4x4]

The rope trick gets a pretty clean cut even if it does take a little longer. One of the plumbers I used to work with taught me that trick when we were repairing a sprinkler line, you need a lot less digging that way.

[@CaptainKleeman]

BlueDually4x4 exactly! Keeps your cordless tools out of a messy trench sometimes too which is always nice. It’s definitely a handy trick to have in the tool box.

[@wolfpacva]

Well if you hit the gas line you know how to put the fire out LOL. Did you all get hit hard by the bad Derecho wind storm the other day ? Looks like a giant gopher went thru the yard. Another good job.

[@davidboreham]

Not sure I see the point of both solid and perf pipe in the same trench. Perforated SDR-35 has the holes at 60 degrees of vertical so you can set it such that the bottom is "solid" to accommodate long-distance water transport, while the holes still allow local dewatering. Obviously it has to be bedded in rock to work as a french drain.

[@CaptainKleeman]

David Boreham the solid is for the downspouts, the perf is for the french drain and to catch several wet areas along the way.

[@davidboreham]

@@CaptainKleeman I understand. What I'm suggesting is the perf can act as solid pipe for the purpose of transporting downspout runoff, as well as its dewatering purpose, saving the cost of laying two pipes.

[@billwilliams99]

Clean outs?

[@CaptainKleeman]

Craig Thibeault no, my name is mike

[@TimeLapseTowboater]

Mike, maybe one day, ill fly you to TX so you can trench out my property and set it up for power and water. Its a few acres from the fence to the location im gonna build a house at so need a skilled operator to get it ready.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Time Lapse Towboater hey I would be up for that! But it better have AC 😂

[@TimeLapseTowboater]

I'll bring you down to rent the machine and have it delivered. There are several equipment rental places near my property

[@f250ford2004]

OH NO the 304 is still missing a tooth!!!!!! Better to take it slow so you don't mess up the foundation or building!

[@CaptainKleeman]

Tony Peters putting the new tooth on tomorrow! She will be good as CAT yellow again.

[@bladewiper]

you even managed to include a tow boat.

[@CaptainKleeman]

salty 101 slipped it right in there 😂

[@terryreynolds1366]

Hey captain how long you and dirt perfect been friends thanks

[@DC-1]

Nice camera angles Mike 👍🇺🇸

[@CaptainKleeman]

D C thank you sir!

[@befree322]

Awesome video keep it up :)

[@CaptainKleeman]

Marcus Paterson hey thanks!

[@richwielechowski5191]

Big project for one guy. Nicely done. And the naked ladies bit the dust!

[@CaptainKleeman]

Rich Wielechowski thank you sir!

[@lucasaiken3978]

How much would a two day job like that get charged?

[@sassafrasvalley1939]

Cap’n, I bet you said French drain 20 times during this video... that got me to thinking. Is there anything the French are more famous for than their drains? Here’s what I came up with: French fries, French Kiss, French Wine, French Toast, French Bulldog, French Braid... and who can forget French Lick (IN)? My fave is still the French Drain... yours? Nice job cutting those trenches in. You just added 50 years of life to that homestead!

[@CaptainKleeman]

Sassafras Valley crepes...but I guess I would have to call them French pancakes to fit the category 😂

[@CaptKirk1701]

Not nit picking, but isn't that an awful lot of water for 1 4" pipe? But that's a good job!

[@CaptainKleeman]

Man With A Plan it’s definitely on the top end of what a 4” can handle, but what doesn’t show up in the video is the near 30’ of fall the whole system has. If it had more shallow fall I would have stepped up to a 6” at the junction. Also that only catches a little under half the house, the other half runs down the other side out a separate pipe.

[@CMDSR]

Nice job Captain. You need to watch out for Matt I’ve heard he’s got head hard as a rock . Tell the homeowner he’s got nice looking tomato patch.

[@antonioruizrocha1286]

I like the fact that you know what you doing and done it right ! Not like other people the put videos on you tube trying to act like they can do a job like you and at the end job looks like shit ! Well done my friend 👍🏿

[@CaptainKleeman]

AntonIo Ruiz Rocha appreciate the kind words sir.

[@BobPegram]

I cannot resist any more! Ever considered making a sticker of your face on a superhero drawing? I'm sure it would make your family snicker/guffaw/collapse in giggles! I can't hear " Captain Kleeman" and not think of Captain America!

[@collinberke4004]

The 304 is missing a tooth on the bucket

[@CaptainKleeman]

Collin Berke no kidding? Thanks for looking out

[@stevesspeedshop1559]

sure enjoy that you work unlike Dirt who talks too much !!!!!!!!

[@doubleeranch169]

They all talk too much, can't stand watching any of them.... except andrew camarata

[@stevesspeedshop1559]

Double E Ranch I watch him too. He needs to learn what real maintenance is and grind metal bare before welding it. Drives me crazy !

[@DirtPerfect]

Lol funny sounds like you guys still watch both 🤷‍♂️😁

[@stevesspeedshop1559]

Dirt Perfect We still love you.

[@CaptainKleeman]

Double E Ranch how did you end up in the comment section then?

[@jjtiffe]

why don't you show us how to use laser level

[@georgeking5746]

It's a Chevrolet, you can't kill it

[@CaptainKleeman]

George King gmc! Same thing Though for the most part I guess. I’ll let it slide 😂

[@georgeking5746]

@@CaptainKleeman My apologies, I think I do remember seeing a GMC in the grill of one of your other videos. I have a GMC myself and I absolutely love it!!!!

[@charlietanner6211]

bet those people living under that hill are gonna get wet

[@davejanszon1558]

Jeej, first viewer.... ;-)

[@CaptainKleeman]

Dave Janszon 🥇

[@justinotten6673]

That plane chan-ged, is a serfictly pacceptible ubstitution of word aloidies within that sen tance stricture ation. Nothing to see here carry on, I have spoken.