Keene Mighty Midget Drywasher

[Teemore]

Notice there's been a bit of knowledge being passed around on dry blowers/washers that I've been watching with interest.

Firstly I envy those of you who have got the skills/time and space for a bit of DIY, some great builds and equally impressive results, well done.

Alas my only option is to purchase 'off the shelf' .... in saying that I see that Keene market a "Mighty Midget" blower that is hand cranked, initial thougt is that it would have to be a 2 person operation, a luxury I don't always have ..... one to load and one going cranky so to speak (think it also be powered by a small 12v motor??).

Has anyone had any experience with this unit or is it better to go for a 140 and get your own power source?

Another possibly silly question but has anyone ever determined how "dry" the soil to be processed really has to be, notice that at a lot of the locations at the moment that altough the top couple of inches of topsoil (for want of a better word) may be quite moist but the hard packed stuff underneath still appears to be quire dry .... anyone tried a moisture meter to determine if soil can/should be processed.

Cheers Tom

 

[Diggerdude]

I was putting moist river gravel through mine and was getting just as much as the highbanker out of the same hole. This stuff was only just above the water line.
To get the ultra fines it must be dry, but you still get the flakes etc when moist.
They are great on dry clay, crush it up a bit with your shovel/pick as your digging it. A lot easier than highbanking and making it sticky.

DD

 

[Outback]

Its unfortunate that powered dry blowers are illegal in NSW these days , the hand crank model would be OK to use I think . ?

 

[Diggerdude]

Its unfortunate that powered dry blowers are illegal in NSW these days , the hand crank model would be OK to use I think . ?

Never been bailed up using mine in NSW, if a dryblower is illegal then so is a highbanker, no difference really. Probably less likely to annoy authorities with a dryblower also as there is no silted water run off.
Loads of people use them for gems in northern NSW so they dont foul the water and piss off the farmers, I've never heard any of them having any legal issues either.
Technically there probably illegal in WA too without a lease, but I have spoken with the local mines inspector and he has no problem with them there.

DD

 

[Outback]

Never been bailed up using mine in NSW, if a dryblower is illegal then so is a highbanker, no difference really. Probably less likely to annoy authorities with a dryblower also as there is no silted water run off.
Loads of people use them for gems in northern NSW so they dont foul the water and piss off the farmers, I've never heard any of them having any legal issues either.
Technically there probably illegal in WA too without a lease, but I have spoken with the local mines inspector and he has no problem with them there.

DD

Think you have luck on your side so far DiggerD , wish they were allowed .
below is one part of the actual wording :-

Power-operated equipment cannot be used on land or in waters for surface disturbance, excavation or
processing. Power operated equipment includes mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, battery and
electrical equipment or machinery.

This site has all the other states rules :--
http://www.gold-net.com.au/fossicking1.html

 

[Diggerdude]

Never been bailed up using mine in NSW, if a dryblower is illegal then so is a highbanker, no difference really. Probably less likely to annoy authorities with a dryblower also as there is no silted water run off.
Loads of people use them for gems in northern NSW so they dont foul the water and piss off the farmers, I've never heard any of them having any legal issues either.
Technically there probably illegal in WA too without a lease, but I have spoken with the local mines inspector and he has no problem with them there.

DD

Think you have luck on your side so far DiggerD , wish they were allowed .
below is one part of the actual wording :-

Power-operated equipment cannot be used on land or in waters for surface disturbance, excavation or
processing. Power operated equipment includes mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, battery and
electrical equipment or machinery.

This site has all the other states rules :--
http://www.gold-net.com.au/fossicking1.html

So can you explain how a dryblower is illegal yet a highbanker isn't ?
Cause the way I read it they are both using power to process, yet every time this argument comes up on this forum for a highbanker we get the dubious excuse that ' the motor isn't processing it's just moving water'
If that's the case then a blower motor is not processing either it's just moving air lol

DD

 

[Teemore]

Hi DD, are you using the might midget?
How does it go processing material, are you doing it on your own or is someone cranking while the other shovels.
Usage doesn't seem to be a problem in Vic (as yet), I think the legality or otherwise in various states has been covered in other forum posts.
Cheers Tom

 

[Outback]

Wish I could explain DD ' but like you I can only interpret what the laws say , maybe my understanding lacks ambiguity

 

[thedigger]

Thing I like about the Keene electric puffer is no noise,people will complain if they hear motor because that is machinery,they then feel you are making mess.

TheDigger