# Hydraulic pipe pulling (waterline)



## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

I have posted pics of using this machine before but don't really get many questions about it. I t was not made to pull in waterlines, it was made to pull retaining walls back in place or anchor telephone pole support wires. I just saw it and thought "that could be useful" Hopefully some of my pictures show up here as I don't mind you guys seeing it but don't really want it on facebook for the competition if you know what I mean. Job was a waterline replacement, short run but under a big rocked retaining wall. Sometimes I do trenchless sometimes just the old fashion way or a combination of both whatever works. This line was leaking pretty bad but I could not a good fix on it too much distortion from underground power and cable and telephone lines buried next to the waterline. Used Air Knifes to expose the line and follow it and was fully prepared to take the rockery apart (had the mini skid on site anyway) but decided to hook the new line to the old line and try to pull it under and up past the rockery, worked like a charm turned 180 and pulled new line from inside the finished basement under the cement patio and walkway. I don't like couplers if I can not use them I won't so I went back down to the sidewalk and manually pulled the coupler joint back to the meter connection. I love this puller I would have pulled the whole line in one shot but there was 45 and 90 fittings so I had to do it the long method. Machine is sold as a Manta Ray earth anchor LL-1, 10 ton ram, 8 inch stroke and the factory jaws that do their anchor work on 3/4" steel pipe and 1 inch copper plus a few others. I had jaws made so I could do other sizes of pipe. We have used this to secure hill sides we where working on doing pipe bursting jobs you just put steel mesh over the area and then use the Manta ray anchors to hold it down.


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## bulldozer (Jan 11, 2009)

That thing is sweet! I love your out of the box thinking!


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## fixitright (Jan 5, 2012)

As always, amazed.


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## Green Country (Mar 6, 2009)

How much was it? I've tried pulling a few lines with good success so far, but would like to have something like this in case the truck or track hoe won't do it.


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

Nice job, I probably would have walked from that one!


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## PPRI (Aug 27, 2013)

Post tension cable pullers get abused around here every once I awhile. I'll have to look into your tugger though


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

Green Country said:


> How much was it? I've tried pulling a few lines with good success so far, but would like to have something like this in case the truck or track hoe won't do it.


They cost around $2500 (I know but everything costs too much if it's underground)
The thing about it vs. a truck or backhoe is that it is a smooth, even, level pull.


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

PPRI said:


> Post tension cable pullers get abused around here every once I awhile. I'll have to look into your tugger though


Just putting it out there since I took a chance and it actually has some uses. Since I have been doing so many waterlines it makes sewers seem easy, what I mean is before I used to charge a lot less than sewer work after all here they are only 2-3 feet deep, and sewers where much deeper thus more work but now I fear waterline work because there are so many other utilities all buried in the same depth range and fiber optics are only 50% traceable. After a few crazy water lines I look forward to a deep sewer with nothing else around at that depth lol


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## PPRI (Aug 27, 2013)

That thing looks just like one of our post tension pullers. I had no idea what brand it was. We've had post tension pullers in the shop for ages and we never thought to pull lines with one until it was the only machine left in the shop that wasn't broken one day. Since then they have been given new birth. They still get to do post tension but we have pulled quite a few sewer and water lines with them. 

Our water is 4-6 feet and sometimes it's the water line in the way of the sewer work.


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

Here I can handle the gas and electric lines it's this new fiber optic lines that are pissing me off, they have no code to follow, I am serious, I have found them at 1 inch deep! Marks have been off by 10 feet too! And even off that much with pictures they will bill you and you have to take time off to go to court, they loose of course but they still try it.


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