The largest specialist Arboricultural suppliers in the North of England.

UK Distributors to the Tree Care Industry of the

AIR-SPADE®

AIR EXCAVATION TOOL

Industrial / Construction
Applications

 

AIR-SPADE® is the ideal tool for contractors, utility companies and everyone practicing safe excavation.  Common uses include:

Pot holing

Utility line Locating

Crack Cleaning

Valve box cleaning

Utility Installation

Line spotting for backhoe

Vacuum excavation

Trench rescue

Meter locating

 
 
                  

Full Range of Parts Available
 
AIR-SPADE® Series 2000 tool *

2 ft. 3 ft, 4 ft or 5 ft. extensions

Custom length barrel
Extra 15, 25,  or 60 scfm nozzle
Extra 105 or 150 scfm nozzle
Extra 225 scfm nozzle

45o Angled Adapter
Arboricultural
Applications
 
Benefits

AIR-SPADE® Handle
10 Ft. Lightweight Hose

25 Ft. Lightweight Hose

AIR-SPADE® is used by arborists and landscape professionals worldwide for:

Root Collar Excavation

Plant Aeration

Vertical Mulching

Soil Compaction Relief

Disease diagnosis and treatment

Transplanting

Bare rooting

Damage analysis

Locating Roots in New Construction

Root Pruning and Structure Analysis

Running utilities through the root zone

Radial trenching
  • Digs faster and harder soils than competitive or home made wands
  • Less worker fatigue/injuries than a pick or shovel
  • Faster and safer than hand digging
  • Saves expensive hourly labour costs
  • Non-damaging to all kinds of buried utilities or plant roots
  • Digs without making mud and does not create "contaminated" spoil like water
  • Excavated soil is ideal for recompaction
  • Modular design with parts that screw together without tools
  • Interchangeable nozzles sized to match air compressors from 15 to 250 scfm
  • Interchangeable extensions to 8ft and reducers to 2 ft
  • Ergonomic handle with thermal shield and pressure gauge
  • Safety "dead Man" trigger with guard
  • Electrically insulating barrel
  • Hardened wear resistant stainless steel nozzle
  • 45 deg adaptor

50 Ft. Lightweight Hose

Scratch Proof Face Shield
Spare Parts Kit
Storage Case with lock
* includes handle, 150 cfm / 90 psi nozzle, and 4 foot barrel.
 
Why does the AIR-SPADE® out perform other air tools?
In head to head tests, the AIR-SPADE® dislodged harder clay soil and dug faster than other air digging tools. Soil fractures from compressive stress, tons per square foot (tsf), exerted on its surface. As shown above for the same pressure and flow, compressed air exiting from a pipe nipple, orifice, or improperly designed nozzle expands outward rapidly to 3 to 4 times the area versus the jet from the patented supersonic nozzle in the AIR- SPADE®. The flow from these competitors can even go sub-sonic as indicated by the presence of a “Mach Disk,” which can be seen in the flow if the light is right


Will higher pressure make the AIR-SPADE® work better?

How Does it Work ?

Increasing the air pressure above 90 psi on a properly designed supersonic nozzle does not lead to a proportional gain in excavation capability. For example, doubling the nozzle pressure to 180 psi increases the air jet force by only 10% and the exit momentum flux (stress seen by the soil) by only 45%. Supplying higher pressure to a nozzle designed to work at 90 psi actually un-focuses the air jet degrading performance and consuming more air.

Patented CEG Supersonic nozzle turns 90 psig compressed air into laser-like Mach 2 jet.  Jet penetrates and fractures friable materials like soil but harmlessly goes around buried pipes, cables, fibre optic lines and tree roots.
        Fig 1.                                          Fig 2
 
Jet from CEG nozzle focuses all of its energy and momentum onto concentrated spot on the soil.Fig 1
Air from pipe nipple,  orifice, or improperly designed nozzle, expands greatly reducing its effectiveness. fig 2
 

In what types of soil will an AIR-SPADE® work?

Because of its unique, focused air-jet, the AIR-SPADE® works in most soils, even hard clays. Cohesive soils can be classified and described by unconfined compressive strength as shown below. Tests have shown the AIR-SPADE® to be effective in compacted soils with unconfined compressive strengths well above the values listed to the right for hard clay.
Watering the work area ahead of time can be helpful sometimes. Watering reduces airborne dust if the soil is extremely dry. It also reduces the soil’s strength making the digging easier. Combined use of the AIR-SPADE® with a low pressure water jet is effective even with extreme cases of highly compacted or sun-baked soils.
The AIR-SPADE® in general will not cut through rock, since its unconfined compressive strength is much greater than for soil. In fact, soil results from the physical and chemical breakup of weathered rock. Shales, however, may be broken apart by the AIR-SPADE® if the jet is directed between the laminations of the rock. Similarly, the AIR-SPADE® will not dislodge hard frozen soil which may behave like pavement or concrete.
   
Type
Unconfined Compressive Strength tsf
Description Cohesive soils including:
A
>= 1.5
stiff
 Clay, silty clay, sandy clay, clay loam, caliche, hardpan, and sometimes silty clay loam and sandy clay loam.
B
<1.5 and >0.5
med
 Granular cohesive soils like angular gravel, silt, silt loam, sandy loam, and sometimes silty clay loam and sandy clay loam.
C
<= 0.5
soft /v.soft
 Granular soils such as gravel, sand, loamy sand, submerged soil, or soil from which water is freely seeping.
   

What size nozzle should I use?

Nozzles are available that use from 15 to 225 cfm of compressed air. The amount of soil that can be dislodged in a given amount of time is roughly proportional to the amount of air used. The 150 cfm nozzle is the most commonly used size for arboricultural and industrial applications. It has good productivity and is designed to run from the most common size of portable air compressor, a 175 to 185 cfm unit 
Pressure Loss (psi) for 50 feet of common air hose
    
Excavation Rates (cu ft / min)
  
Recommended Compressor Size
FLOW 9CFM
Hose ID
25
60
105
150
225
3/4"
0.3
1.6
5.6
12.3
25.0
1"
0.1
0.4
1.3
2.8
5.5
11/4"
0.0
0.1
0.4
0.8
2.0
Nozzle Air Flow
(CFM)
Soil Type A
Soil Type C
15
0.5
0.2
25
0.9
0.4
60
1.1
0.7
105
1.5
0.9
150
1.8
1.2
225
2.3
1.7
            
Nozzle (cfm)
Flow Rating (cfm) at 100 psi
15
15
25
25 - 30
60
60 - 70
105
125
150
175 - 185
225
250
 
How should I dig with the AIR-SPADE®?

The AIR-SPADE® will dislodge up to several inches deep in a medium to stiff soil. High-speed movies show that an air-jet penetrates and dislodges the soil in a fraction of a second. Unless the soil is highly compacted, dwelling on the same spot is unnecessary and tends to increase spray. The AIR-SPADE® can be moved over the soil surface at a rate of about 1 to 2 feet per second. When several inches of soil have been loosened, the soil should be removed to expose a fresh working face for the air jet. Vacuum suction, as provided by our AIR-VAC and SAFEX® units, is an excellent companion to the AIR-SPADE® since it is likewise non-damaging.
   

What size of air hose do I need to use the AIR-SPADE® properly?
   
Compressed air flowing through a hose experiences a drop in pressure from friction and constrictions. Friction loss is proportional to the length of the hose. The amount of air, its pressure, the hose inner diameter and its smoothness also determine the loss. The table below shows the pressure loss for 50 feet of common air hose with couplings as a function of size and nozzle flow, cfm, for air at a pressure of 90 psi. Generally, a 1-inch air hose is recommended for use with the AIR-SPADE®.
   


How much will it Cost ?

Arbor Kit complete includes:

AIR-SPADE® Series 2000 tool
                     
45deg Angled Adapter
10 Ft. Lightweight Hose
Storage Case with lock
Shipping/Carriage to Mainland UK
Excluding vat
£995.00 *
AIR-SPADE® Series 2000 tool
 
Shipping/Carriage to Mainland UK
Excluding vat
£775.00
  *Prices are subject to exchange rate fluctuations

Who can Supply me with it - and How long will it take to arrive ?
   
  You can be using this tool within 6 days of ordering it, it will be delivered to your door, carriage paid (Mainland UK).  
   
 
 
 

The largest specialist Arboricultural suppliers in the North of England
Import the
  
   
   
 

AIR-SPADE®

Air Excavation Tool
&
Arbor Kit

  
   

CONTACT US NOW TO DISCUSS THIS INVALUABLE ADDITION TO YOUR WORKING TOOLS DO THE WORK FASTER - GET BETTER RESULTS !

TELEPHONE 0113 2296006:     

eMAIL info@treesunlimited.co.uk

fAX 0113 2295171