bigsteve1969
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2008
- Messages
- 222
how much would it cost to have a pit? im gonna be building a shop within the next few years and i wanna pit im just trying to think how much extra that would be
PIT cost?
- Thread starter bigsteve1969
- Start date
Depends on how much work you can do. If you can dig it and lay brick then it probably wouldn't cost more than a few hundred. I thought about it for a while and got a bid for a tractor to come dig a hole - $500! No thanks, I'll buy a lift...
tatra
Well-known member
the pit is cheap compared to the safty aspect to comes into play..........not to mention drainage and such...........and most municipalities frown upon them unless industrial and to code..........if ya got an itch to dig, go for an inground cossette hoist...........
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
A pit would only run probably less than a $2000 extra. All you are looking at is diging the hole, pouring footers, laying block. So you will have the labor involved plus price of materials. Depending on how you are building your shop though the price may be a little higher. If you are going to have footers and a foundation wall layed up, then the guy digging the footers will probably toss in the extra hole for a hundred or so. I'm basing that on prices around here. Around here to have a decent size foundation dug is only a few hundred. You could put a sump pump pit in and pipe any water to the outside. The sump pits are not that expensive. The only other major item would be to have some sort of air circulation and some sort of lighting in it.
c39er
Well-known member
70redbee
Well-known member
Don't do it. When I built my house I put in a pit in my three car garage. They are dangerous in many ways, fumes accumulate in them which can cause explosions and air that can do terrible things to you and your lungs. Not to mention the dangers of someone falling in the pit, especially children and pets. I filled mine in with gravel and concrete and bought a 2 post lift. Even covering them is not safe without something very strong like steel but the you have to have a way of moving that cover to get in, not to mention you need a ladder of some sort to get in and out which can be a hazard in itself. Just my 2 and a half cents...been there done that.
nate379
Banned
Did a pit back in 1982. Couldnt buy a hoist for a decent price then. Now its just not worth it. They are hard to keep clean. and for some reason they always seem like the place your drunk friends like to relieve themselves at. Seriously, not worth it.
Justanoldguy
Well-known member
I have a 40 ft one in my workshop.
Can't remember the last time I ventured into it..
As above. Hard to keep clean, dangerous fumes etc..
Can't remember the last time I ventured into it..
As above. Hard to keep clean, dangerous fumes etc..
OP
bigsteve1969
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2008
- Messages
- 222
yea i hear yall but i was just thinkin of workin on rigs it would make it so much easier for just service stuff. i guess i'll just cross that bridge when i get there
I think some of the safety police are going a bit overboard. Sure it can present a danger, but no more than a backyard fish pond. If there are fumes settling in it, then you didn't ventilate it right. If people are falling/******* in, then you should have a cover and/or chain around the hole. There is more to making a proper pit than just digging a hole. The *ONLY* proper way to build/use a pit is with continuous ventilation and cover it up when you're done. Don't blame your laziness on a safety issue...
If they were THAT big of a danger they wouldn't be in every Jiffy Lube in the country. You know those people work there because they didn't qualify for McDonalds...
If they were THAT big of a danger they wouldn't be in every Jiffy Lube in the country. You know those people work there because they didn't qualify for McDonalds...
Justanoldguy
Well-known member
Easy for you to say mate.
Have you got one?
Mine was built more than 50 years ago and
Ventilation was never an issue then I guess.
Safety police?? hahaha
What is the harm in pointing out negs to an idea?
Answer please?
Everybody acts like it's a death trap. If you build it and use it right, it's no more dangerous, and no less useful than any other tool in your shop. You, for example, are basing your statements on experience with a 50 year old pit that wasn't built right.
Tonydanza
Banned
that is an awesome pit
willy3486
Well-known member
When I built my shop I wanted one. Mainly I wanted one so I could change oil and not have to jack it up or use car stands. I did mine different. I made mine about 2 1/2 feet deep about 2 feet wide and 8 feet long. . What I do when I use it is pull up but leave enough room to get into it. Would I do it again,yes in a heartbeat. When its not being used I park my truck over it. I leave my vintage truck over it unless I get it out or working on another car. The way I did mine was to dig a bigger hole than needed. I then put rebar and a frame down in the area. I made a form that is the size I wanted out of plywood. I poured my shop in two pieces due to the size of the shop and also due to it being too hot to smooth it all out. When they poured the second half of the shop I had them to put some concrete in the floor. Its never gave me any problems. I forgot what it costed when I did it but all it cost was some concrete and wire rebar I had left over from my house when it was built. A lift would have been nice but when I built it lifts were way to pricey and my ceiling is not tall enough for one.
c39er
Well-known member
It's 3' wide and works out fine.
Attachments
KM1013
Well-known member
With the low cost of sevice lifts I wouldn't want a pit. They ARE dangerous. If a fire starts and you're stuck in the pit -- you're in big trouble. Fires are one of the reasons they were eliminated in commercial environments. Now, what are the chances that a fire will start in yours and you'll be in trouble? Probably very slim but... how many lives have you got. I'm not a safety nut but I've seen plenty of shaky things happen in a shop. Your choice of course. Plus they are a pain to work in. OK for light service work but don't think you're gonna pull a ****** in one. Just my two cents.
A) They haven't been eliminated from commercial environments, and,
B) Fire extinguisher
A pit is no more of a fire hazard than a welder.
c39er
Well-known member
What a great spot to be put at rest! In your own pit in your own shop! Glass lid so others could view you in resting peace-awesome!
You mean rotting into peices?
Mr_fixit
Well-known member
I had one put in about 15 years ago, It cost only 600 or 800. That's the cost for extra block, concrete and labor by the mason. A lift wasn't an option, since I couldn't afford the lift or the extra height of the building. I would have put another one in the new garage, but water coming out of the ground prevented that. I'd like to have had both a lift and a pit.
My pit was long enough to put a car over and still get out. I had fluorescent lights and receptacles and a french drain. I used 3" oak to cover the pit. Sometimes I would uncover the the entire pit, other times I would just uncover parts of it. If I needed to jack up the car , the lumber could support the weight of the car. I could also drive the car over the lumber with out worrying that the lumber would hold.
There's some thing that would be easier or better to do with a pit than a lift. And vice versa.
My pit was long enough to put a car over and still get out. I had fluorescent lights and receptacles and a french drain. I used 3" oak to cover the pit. Sometimes I would uncover the the entire pit, other times I would just uncover parts of it. If I needed to jack up the car , the lumber could support the weight of the car. I could also drive the car over the lumber with out worrying that the lumber would hold.
There's some thing that would be easier or better to do with a pit than a lift. And vice versa.
tatra
Well-known member
we use pits to service locomotives and they are useful in that enviroment but for safety we have stairs and not ladders and for we have to have at least 2 exits available.......so with the longer units we cannot work under there if one exit is even partially covered.........if i was building from scratch i would put the money towards modified trusses to allow for increased height to accomodate a lift...........don't get me wrong, i too would have a pit if i had a bay i could dedicate to one, but for the average household shop, too much trouble..............a lube shop i go to has a pit/basement setup that is kinda cool............the basement is standard 8 foot height with the area under the pit having a raised platform for servicing ...........
Yes, I would have a pit only with a 'basement' configuration. Stairs, lights, room for storage of under car tools, etc. Of course, this makes the idea cost well in excess of a two post lift and whatever truss work needed...