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How to Deploy GroundGrabba GR14 Commercial Range including Threaded Hexless shafts
Although not rocket science, here is some helpful advice on how to go about driving your GroundGrabba Commercial Pro, Pro I or Po II and our general use GR13 Threaded series into the ground.
Please read on…
To drive GroundGrabba ground anchors into the ground, you may need a very high torque impact wrench such as Milwaukee M18 FUEL 2867-20.
Sorry, anything less probably just won’t cut it for our commercial range.
Then, you'll need either a 1" AF sized socket* for our hex commercial ground anchors and a "24mm (15/16") for our threaded hex-less type or a 15mm (9/16") for our threaded GR13's.*
*Please refer to the specifications given
Will GroundGrabbas go through rock?
NO, they will not!
If you hit a small rock or underground obstruction you may need to drill through it using a masonry drill such as our 15mm x 900mm SDS drill bit. No guarantees though that even after drilling through the rock your GroundGrabba will get through.
Hard Grounds
If you find the ground too hard it is recommended to drill a pilot hole with one of our masonry drills to the depth of your GroundGrabba. It is easiest to match the depth of the hole to the length of your GroundGrabba.
Sometimes the ground maybe so hard that the ground will crack around the ground anchor. You will know if the GroundGrabba has enough purchase or not. Often I find that GroundGrabba is in the ground so tight that the steel can make a pinging sound if you tap it with something steel OR the ground maybe impenetrable.
Steps to deploy
A/ Standard 1" Hex Models
1/ Make sure that there are no underground dangers such as services not limited to: Electricity, gas, communications, water, sewage/effluent, drainage.
2/ Place the pointed tip of the GroundGrabba against the ground where you need to deploy it or locate it in the pilot hole you drilled.
3/ Place the socket (which is already in the impact wrench ready for use) on top of the GroundGrabba hex head.
4/ Hold the drill steady with a tight grip in BOTH HANDS, one on the handle the other on top of the drill body so you can bare weight and push down.
5/ Make sure your feet are about or 300mm apart and you have a sure footing and that…
6/ The drill handle is just on the inside of your RIGHT leg (if using a longer 600mm or 900mm GroundGrabba Commercial Pro I or Pro II you may only be able to achieve this after the GroundGrabba has wound itself down far enough) which helps prevent wrist injury should the drill handle want to twist counter clockwise. The risk is much reduced using an impact wrench.
TIP, Best to use a powerful enough impact wrench.
7/ Start your drill slowly pushing down on it until you feel the GroundGrabba bite into the ground, drawing itself down. Then you may increase your speed.
8/ As the GroundGrabba draws itself down, if you choose you may now reduce the down force.
10/ When the hex head of the GroundGrabba reaches almost ground level you can stop.
NB. If you drill too fast or without enough downward force or both all you may achieve is boring a hole in the earth and your GroundGrabba will not anchor to the best of its ability.
B/ Threaded, Hex-Less Models
NOTE: These models are for more permanent use. IF you need to extract one then in a pinch it is possible but not recommended.
1/ Make sure that there are no underground dangers such as services not limited to: Electricity, gas, communications, water, sewage/effluent, drainage.
NOTE: To deploy a threaded hex-less GroundGrabba into the ground you will first need to drill a pilot hole in exactly the right position. Say for example you are wanting to bolt down the base of a tall light fitting that has four holes, you will need to have a template to drill your pilot holes in the exact positions.
Once all have been deployed then you can slip or manoeuvre the base onto the threaded exposed threaded shafts and then you can place the washers and nuts on each shaft and tighten them to firm BUT DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN THEM.
1/ Drill your pilot holes
2/ Using the two nuts supplied, wind them both onto the shaft so that the top most nut is about level/flush with the top of the shaft.
3/ Carefully tighten both nuts into each other. You will need two wrenches for this. Make sure that when they're very tight that all nut faces match in readiness for a socket to be placed onto them together.
4/ Place your impact wrench & socket onto the both nuts and start driving the ground anchor into the ground.
5/ Hold the drill steady with a tight grip in BOTH HANDS, one on the handle the other on top of the drill body so you can bare weight and push down.
6/ Make sure your feet are about or 300mm apart and you have a sure footing and that…
7/ The drill handle is just on the inside of your RIGHT leg (if using a longer 600mm or 900mm GroundGrabba Commercial Pro I or Pro II you may only be able to achieve this after the GroundGrabba has wound itself down far enough) which helps prevent wrist injury should the drill handle want to twist counter clockwise. The risk is much reduced using an impact wrench.
TIP, Best to use a powerful enough impact wrench.
8/ Start your drill slowly pushing down on it until you feel the GroundGrabba bite into the ground, drawing itself down. Then you may increase your speed.
9/ As the GroundGrabba draws itself down, if you choose you may now reduce the down force.
10/ Stop when the protruding thread is at the right height to enable just enough thread to protrude through your mounting holes.
11/ Remove the two nuts, place the item needing to be anchored to the ground in position. Place a washer over the protruding thread then screw on one of the supplied nuts and finger tighten.
12/ When all nuts are finger tight use your wrench or spanner to firmly tighten the nut. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN or the nut will just pull the ground anchor up.
TIP: Anchoring increases over time as the disturbed substrate settles again.
If you are looking for a more permanent anchoring, then before screwing the GroundGrabba into the pilot hole, fill / inject the hole with liquid cement etc.
NB. If you drill too fast or without enough downward force or both, all you may achieve is boring a hole in the earth and your GroundGrabba will not anchor to the best of its ability.
Steps to Extraction
A/ Standard Hex Models
1/ Remove any loose attachments or tie downs from your GroundGrabba before starting the extraction process.
2/ Place the 24mm socket (which is already in the drill ready for use) on top of the GroundGrabba hex head.
3/ Hold the impact wrench steady with a tight grip in BOTH HANDS, one on the handle the other on top of the drill body so you can push down but not too much as you'll want to have the ground anchor screw itself out.
4/ Make sure your feet are about or 300mm apart and you have a sure footing and that…
5/ The impact wrench handle is just on the inside of your LEFT leg which helps prevent wrist injury should the drill handle want to twist clockwise.
6/ Start your impact wrench slowly , or if experienced it’s ok to use high speed pressing down on the drill.
7/ Keep the speed slow (or high speed when experienced) with downward force so as to keep the drill socket connected to the hex head and the GroundGrabba will start rising.
B/ Threaded, Hex-Less Models
1/ Loosen and remove nuts and washers then remove the item currently anchored
2/ Using the two nuts supplied, wind them both onto the shaft so that the top most nut is about level/flush with the top of the shaft.
3/ Carefully tighten both nuts into each other. You will need two wrenches for this. Make sure that when they're very tight that all nut faces match in readiness for a socket to be placed onto them together.
2/ Place the socket (which is already in the drill ready for use) on top of the two nuts. Note, If you cannot line up both nut faces together you may have to manually unwind the ground anchor by a spanner or wrench that you would slide onto and attach to the lower nut before unwinding it.
3/ Hold the impact wrench steady with a tight grip in BOTH HANDS, one on the handle the other on top of the drill body so you can push down but not too much as you'll want to have the ground anchor screw itself out.
4/ Make sure your feet are about or 300mm apart and you have a sure footing and that…
5/ The impact wrench or drill handle is just on the inside of your LEFT leg which helps prevent wrist injury should the drill handle want to twist clockwise.
6/ Start your impact wrench or drill slowly , or if experienced it’s ok to use high speed pressing down on the drill.
7/ Keep the speed slow (or high speed when experienced) with downward force so as to keep the drill socket connected to the hex head and the GroundGrabba will start rising. Sometimes you may need to move the drill on an angle so the flights bite fresh undisturbed earth.