Backhoe Help! I've got a 16-inch backhoe bucket and need to dig a 4-inch wide trench...

[jeffinsgf]

Why tear up 4 times more of the yard than is necessary? Depending on how much drain and wire he has to install, I would sure rather spend a couple hundred to rent a trencher than deal with a 16 inch trench settling for the next 3 or 4 years.

 

[swick1]

Why tear up 4 times more of the yard than is necessary? Depending on how much drain and wire he has to install, I would sure rather spend a couple hundred to rent a trencher than deal with a 16 inch trench settling for the next 3 or 4 years.

You will have to wheel roll it to keep this from happening

 

[jeffinsgf]

You can roll all you want, it's still going to settle. All I am saying is, better to have a 4 - 6 inch wide area to rehab, versus a 16 inch wide area to rehab.

 

[swick1]

Make sure to get a bucket full of dirt or gravel then roll it in with your front tire along the trench. Swing your backhoe to help add weight if possible. Go back for a final pass slightly above grade. Maybe 1-2". Good luck!

 

[CurlyDave]

You can roll all you want, it's still going to settle. All I am saying is, better to have a 4 - 6 inch wide area to rehab, versus a 16 inch wide area to rehab.

I am not certain that is the case. I have a plate compactor which fits inside the trench my 16" bucket makes. Cures the settling problem completely.

Would not work at all with a 4-6" trench.

 

[Oliver1655]

Most trenchers I've seen for rent will not dig a wide enough trench for 4" pipe which is actually close to 4 1/2" wide to fit into.
- An earlier poster mentioned a banana bucket. If it is a curved piece of flat metal without sides, but rather has re-enforcing on the back side so it will not clog up, it would be ideal. One made out of a length 6 or 8" wide flat would be fairly simple to make up. It would be narrow enough you wouldn't need teeth so you could get a flat bottom out of the trench & the sides of the trench will keep the dirt on the scoop. Another option would be to take a pair of chisel plow shanks without the shoes & use them on the back of the curved flat. They are tempered, strong & ready. They will made it easy to form the flat with. Tack weld one end of the flat an inch or two past the bottom of the shanks then draw the flat down to the shank with pipe clamps & and a hand sledge hammer, tack welding as you go.

 

[Kickstand]

Thanks for all the feedback. I am really more interested in making up something like the banana bucket idea. Anybody got photos or links?

 

[tractchores]

I have a 16" bucket too and have done a lot of burying (mostly 4" PVC, french drains and electrical conduit). In all cases I just dug a 16" trench, not ideal, but not a big deal either. I haven't had settling issues, I pack and wet it down and it seems to stay pretty well. A smaller hole is good, but in my opinion it's easier to use the tool I have vs renting. Now if it were 100's of feet or really tough digging for some reason with the BH I may reconsider. My longest run has been maybe 100' at a shot.

 

[vic4news]

All my trenches are 18" wide. Doesn't matter if I'm laying 4" pipe or putting in a 1/2" propane line. Never had an issue with settling either.

Also, it would hard to get all the 2 foot wide rocks out of a trench any more narrow.

Vic