What is a vibratory plow?

[farmboy12]

Wat exactly is a vibratory plow? Thanks!


Kyle

[BXpanded]

A vibratory plow is used for installation of various types of underground cable or small diameter plastic pipe.
It looks like a blade that is pulled through the ground. The blade vibrates under power from the tractor making it much easier to pull than a static blade. The setup usually includes a reel that unrolls the pipe or cable into the groove as it's cut into the ground. The vibrating plow is most often seen on trenchers.
The groove is very narrow, does little damage to the ground surface, and does not require backfilling.

[Wis Bang]

I've seen them used to lay CCTV underground. It was a 'Ditch Witch' machine. Compact machine w/ this wierd soild metal 'hook' at the rear w/ a guide that laid the 1" thick cable. the guy just started the vibration & the hook sank right down the the depth setting & then they started it walking forward along a spray painted line on the grass.

Took about a week to run cable around 50 apartment buildings as it placed the cable as fast as it 'walked' along. The follow up guys dug small holes at the junctions & installed junction boxes and a run to each building by hand. Really neat to watch.

[Jklatham]

I've seen allot of irrigation systems (residential) done with the plow...way neater install

[nurseryman]

years ago I worked for a field nursery and we used a vibrating subsoiler. I don't recall the manafacturer, but I'm pretty sure it was made in Europe. It had 3 shanks that went 24" or better and shook gently. Ran off the PTO, and pulled by the drawbar. Took a lot of horses but worked well.

[J_J]

Originally Posted by farmboy12

Wat exactly is a vibratory plow? Thanks!


Kyle

I guess you can call a blade a plow. It cuts a slit in the ground and also pulls something underground.

Have you ever held on to something that was turning and out of balance, or felt the entire car shake because a tire was out of round or unbalanced. It is this type of shaking force that helps the metal blade cut through the soil to pull a cable or pipe, or whatever. In most cases, there is a hydraulic motor, turning a shaft which has off centered weights, and that causes a shaking action. That is why those plows are sometimes called shakers. I have one called a Case mini-sneaker with two blades, one for pulling cable, and one for pulling pipe.