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Slipway clearing

thegoodpirate

New member
Joined
Jul 10, 2025
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4
We've got this concrete slipway that frequently gets buried under 3-5 tons of shingle. There are times we get to hire a JCB to clear it, but other times we have to do it manually. I'm wondering if theres a high-powered water pump that could be used to wash the shingle off to the sides instead. Has anyone tried this?
 
We've got this concrete slipway that frequently gets buried under 3-5 tons of shingle. There are times we get to hire a JCB to clear it, but other times we have to do it manually. I'm wondering if theres a high-powered water pump that could be used to wash the shingle off to the sides instead. Has anyone tried this?
Yes, high powered water can definitely move shingle, but it takes a serious pump. Think fire hose level pressure and volume. A standard pressure washer won't cut it for 3-5 tons
 
Yeah, 3-5 tons is a significant amount of shingle!
You'd need an industrial-grade pump that's powerful enough to move that volume of heavy material!
Try looking into a hydraulic submersible dredge pump with an agitator.
EDDY Pump Corp or Dragflow should have these types of pumps and I think they have smaller, portable models!
It's also a significant investment so you'd want to weigh that cost against your JCB hires and manual labor.
 
Yes, high powered water can definitely move shingle, but it takes a serious pump. Think fire hose level pressure and volume. A standard pressure washer won't cut it for 3-5 tons
Hmm, i just realized. You need a bit of strength for that dont you? Lol. I might need a bit of help with that one huh.
Yeah, 3-5 tons is a significant amount of shingle!
You'd need an industrial-grade pump that's powerful enough to move that volume of heavy material!
Try looking into a hydraulic submersible dredge pump with an agitator.
EDDY Pump Corp or Dragflow should have these types of pumps and I think they have smaller, portable models!
It's also a significant investment so you'd want to weigh that cost against your JCB hires and manual labor.
Thanks for the tip, yeah that kind of pump sounds like exactly what I need for handling all that shingle. Do you happen to know if those hydraulic submersible dredge pumps require special hoses or setup, or can they work with standard hydraulic equipment?? Also, any idea how portable those smaller models really are for moving between sites?
 
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