Taylortractornut
Elite Member
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2002
- Messages
- 2,909
- Location
- Iuka Mississippi USA
- Tractor
- 3550 Fard Backhoe and a 1948 Farmall Cub,
truckhoe towable backhoe
- Thread starter OkeeDon
- Start date
Taylortractornut
Elite Member
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2002
- Messages
- 2,909
- Location
- Iuka Mississippi USA
- Tractor
- 3550 Fard Backhoe and a 1948 Farmall Cub,
CTyler
Veteran Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Call me crazy, but my initial estimate is about 2000' feet of trenching, to about 24" or so deep )</font>
Personaly I'd use a trencher for 2000'. I dug several trenches with my BH and a 12" bucket. They totaled about 300' for sewer, comm, water, etc.. For the 600' run down to the well a trencher just made more sense. It was faster, easier and less invasive than using my BH.
Personaly I'd use a trencher for 2000'. I dug several trenches with my BH and a 12" bucket. They totaled about 300' for sewer, comm, water, etc.. For the 600' run down to the well a trencher just made more sense. It was faster, easier and less invasive than using my BH.
That's why I posted this question. After reading all the responses and seeing a suggestion a little earlier about a trencher, I started looking into them. My resistance to them earlier was that I had rented a large walk-behind trencher for a small job and found it almost uncontrollable.
Now, I'm leaning towards a self-propelled, ride-on, 4WD trencher. I've seen some for relatively low prices on the Equipment Trader, and I suspect they'll be easier/cheaper to rent if I go that way. I also found reference to some folks who even use them for planting! For the price of a backhoe, I can get a trencher, a post hole digger with a large auger for planting small trees and shrubs, and have pently of $$$ left over.
Thenks, everyone, for all the guidance.
Now, I'm leaning towards a self-propelled, ride-on, 4WD trencher. I've seen some for relatively low prices on the Equipment Trader, and I suspect they'll be easier/cheaper to rent if I go that way. I also found reference to some folks who even use them for planting! For the price of a backhoe, I can get a trencher, a post hole digger with a large auger for planting small trees and shrubs, and have pently of $$$ left over.
Thenks, everyone, for all the guidance.
Richard
Elite Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2000
- Messages
- 4,822
- Location
- Knoxville, TN
- Tractor
- International 1066 Full sized JCB Loader/Backhoe and a John Deere 430 to mow with
I rented a trencher once to lay 4" PVC underground drainpipe to get downspout water way away from house. I got the ditchwitch with a 6" digger. I trenched 1/2 way to woods when the chain fell off at end of evening (and it had to be back next day).
I discovered that it was a REAL pain setting up that 4" pvc 24" or so underground with a 6" width ditch. I pulled Brutus out in the yard and used Brutus to finish the trench with a 2 foot bucket that now I can stand in to adjust things...
Upshot, I found the 2' trench MUCH more user friendly. Yes it took longer to dig, longer to backfill but the process of actually fitting the pvc went much easier when I was able to jump in/out the trench as needed.
I also got more time digging and that is what Brutus likes to do best /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Richard
I discovered that it was a REAL pain setting up that 4" pvc 24" or so underground with a 6" width ditch. I pulled Brutus out in the yard and used Brutus to finish the trench with a 2 foot bucket that now I can stand in to adjust things...
Upshot, I found the 2' trench MUCH more user friendly. Yes it took longer to dig, longer to backfill but the process of actually fitting the pvc went much easier when I was able to jump in/out the trench as needed.
I also got more time digging and that is what Brutus likes to do best /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Richard
CTyler
Veteran Member
Some spots its just easier and/or neccesity to dig out for working room. This could apply to starting/ending points for example.
What you can do is connect a few sections together at the surface, I'm assuming 10' sections. This will let it flex quite a bit and be at a shallower angle. Roll it into the ditch keeping one end blocked up with a 2x4. Glue another section an move the block down etc, etc...
Water line, the black PVC for example, comes in long rolls and flexes fairly well. Same thing applies here as well if you need a splice. Hold up both ends, splice and drop.
Hope this helps.
What you can do is connect a few sections together at the surface, I'm assuming 10' sections. This will let it flex quite a bit and be at a shallower angle. Roll it into the ditch keeping one end blocked up with a 2x4. Glue another section an move the block down etc, etc...
Water line, the black PVC for example, comes in long rolls and flexes fairly well. Same thing applies here as well if you need a splice. Hold up both ends, splice and drop.
Hope this helps.
Richard
Elite Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2000
- Messages
- 4,822
- Location
- Knoxville, TN
- Tractor
- International 1066 Full sized JCB Loader/Backhoe and a John Deere 430 to mow with
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( What you can do is connect a few sections together at the surface, I'm assuming 10' sections. This will let it flex quite a bit and be at a shallower angle. Roll it into the ditch keeping one end blocked up with a 2x4. Glue another section an move the block down etc, etc... )</font>
Yep... that's exactly what I ended up trying to do. I suppose I didn't let the glue set long enough because I had one or two or... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif joints seperate on me and I had to redo them while the pipe TRIED to stay in ground and I was trying to pull it out /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
All in all, I'm sure it had to do with my experience (lack thereof). Given all that, I just ended up finding it much easier "pipe wise" to dig the wider trench, yes, there was more time digging & cleaning up... PLUS, I always enjoy an excuse to fire up that ole Perkins /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Like when the wife handed me a shovel & asked me to transplant her day lillies... I tossed shovel into loader bucket after digging them up, then turned the key... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Yep... that's exactly what I ended up trying to do. I suppose I didn't let the glue set long enough because I had one or two or... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif joints seperate on me and I had to redo them while the pipe TRIED to stay in ground and I was trying to pull it out /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
All in all, I'm sure it had to do with my experience (lack thereof). Given all that, I just ended up finding it much easier "pipe wise" to dig the wider trench, yes, there was more time digging & cleaning up... PLUS, I always enjoy an excuse to fire up that ole Perkins /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Like when the wife handed me a shovel & asked me to transplant her day lillies... I tossed shovel into loader bucket after digging them up, then turned the key... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Blake, if you're referring to the trackhow my contractor used to dig my pond, there are a few reasons. It isn't mine. It has a 1-1/2 yard bucket, and would simply be overkill for trenching, even if it was still around (the entire pond project took less than 5 days, and it was outta here).
I thought the bobcat mini-trackhoe was yours? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif Well, then that would explain things. I wasn't sure why you'd want another machine when you had a trackhoe. There's no way that you can attach a hoe to your current tractor? Oh well.
Blake
WA
Blake
WA