Tracked walk behind trecher, Which one?

[powerstroke444e]

I have a company that does lots of small trenching jobs and we have several trenchers but looking to find one that will work better? I seen a ditch witch rt24 new model that is on tracks, but it then dealer was telling me why it was better than old we have 1820 ditch witch and how its as good as the Toro. Well I didn't even know that Toro built one till he brought it up.


Has anyone used the toro? its a TRX26. Its all track no trailing wheel and all hydraulic just like the ditch witch and parts seem 1/3 price of ditchwitch. I price chains and teeth and hydraulic motors. This will get daily use so I don't want junk but didn't know if anyone has used or owned a Toro or anyother brand of walkbehind?

 

[tlbuser]

Toro, no. Ditch witch yes. The track units are nice, but have you looked at or tried one of the ditch witch Zahn units? they're articulated do all power units and you really can trench a tight circle with them. My local rental place had one we used and I was impressed with it. For our older ditch witch, I get wear parts from ballantine.

 

[powerstroke444e]

We demoed a Zahn and the problem I had with it was it would not stay in a straight line as we dig footings and want perfect straight and it was a pain loading on trailer with ramps. I still have not decided, but Toro is bringing one out to play with this week.

 

[brain55]

I haven't seen the Toro trenchers, but all the other Toro products I've seen always seemed weak and cheap to me. I worked an equipment dealer that sold Ransomes/Cushman/Ryan turf equipment and it always seemed better built than the Toro stuff. Have you looked at the Bobcat track trenchers? I was in charge of a fleet of track trenchers, (21) of them all together. We had (7) of the DW SK500's and (9) DW SK650's all with offset trencher attachments and set up for 8" cut. We also had (5) of the Bobcat MT52's.

They all had their issues. I can't say that I was disappointed in any of them. We worked the heck out of them through the housing boom. I will say Ditch Witch's digging chains were much better than Bobcat's. As soon as the factory chains gave out on the Bobcat's I put DW 35K chains and teeth on them, they held up far better.

Brian

 

[powerstroke444e]

I have used/rented the bobcat's but they seem pricey($28K+) what I liked about he Toro and the DW was the price around 16K and small enough to put on trailer with B26 Kubota. I don't have a use for the boxer/dingo/sk500 with multiple attachements & I was trying to stay with commercial well built walk behinds. Vermier and DW dealers both brought the toro up in there sales pitch with out me saying a word. Thus why I figured toro must not be half bad but I don't know anyone that has had one or used one.