This is a conversation I have all the time. The farmer wants the job done, the digger's booked, and then the sky opens up. The ground's soft, the paddock's a sponge, and the question is: do we push on or wait?
My answer is usually: wait.
I know that's not always what you want to hear. But a good digger driver and a bit of common sense will tell you when the ground just can't take it. If you bring a digger onto soft, waterlogged ground, you're not doing the job. You're making a mud pit. You'll chew up the paddock, bog the machine, spend half the day trying to get unstuck, and the job you came to do will end up looking worse than before you started.
Then you've got ruts that hold water, a mess that needs fixing, and a bigger bill for less result. That's not helping anyone.
When it's worth pushing through
The only time I'll work on soft ground is if there's genuine urgency. A burst water line that's flooding a paddock, a blocked drain that's backing up toward a shed, or something that'll cause more damage by waiting. In those cases, we get in, fix the problem, and get out. But even then, I'll tell you up front that the ground's going to take a hit.
How long to wait?
It depends on the soil. On free-draining Canterbury downlands, a day or two of dry weather can be enough. On heavy clay or low-lying flats, it can take a week or more. If you can walk across it and your boots are sinking, a digger's going to sink a lot more. I'm happy to come and look at the ground and tell you straight whether it's go or no-go.
I'd rather tell you to wait than make it worse
I've had this conversation plenty of times and it's not always well received. But I'm working for you, not for the clock. If I turn up and the ground's too soft, I'll tell you to find another job for a few days. I'd rather lose a day's work than charge you for making your paddock worse. Unless there's real urgency, patience is cheaper than a bogged digger and a ruined field.