It's time; either get started or....

[mjncad]

The nice thing about using a wider bucket is it's easier to walk in the trench while laying conduit and pipe.

 

[rcurrie]

I made my bucket 10" wide out of 3/16 plate and was able to bend it by hand.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Yes, I read that post and made sure I made note of it on "the sticky side of my brain" as Woodrow Kroll would say! As I recall, the weight of your bucket is such that you would not want to drop it on something with nerve-endings, such as a toe. I too, will build one to start with. I think someone on your thread recommended going wider rather than narrower to deal more effectively with mud sticking in the bucket. I will heed that advice and go with 10" minimum, probably more..

Mine is 8". I don't have the sticky clay soil, and the first project I plan to do with mine is extend my sprinkler system. I'll need a narrow trench about 2 feet deep.

Isn't that the beauty of building your own stuff? You can make it whatever you want to fit your specific needs.

 

[NormL]

The nice thing about using a wider bucket is it's easier to walk in the trench while laying conduit and pipe.

That's true. But here where I plan to dig there is another, more critical reason for digging wide. The instability of trench walls is astonishingly dangerous. I'm sure rcurrie is familiar with this, too. I had a contractor doing some trenching for me last year in autumn and the trench he had open was some eight feet deep. Even with sloped walls, he and I both saw danger developing in the trench and shouted to the helper down there to get out, NOW!! He did, and the trench did not collapse, but the danger was real and fortunately no injuries occurred.

 

[NormL]

I made my bucket 10" wide out of 3/16 plate and was able to bend it by hand.

That's my plan B for the bucket if the "round" plan doesn't work for some reason. The sides will be 1/4" because that's where the stress will be.

 

[NormL]

Mine is 8". I don't have the sticky clay soil, and the first project I plan to do with mine is extend my sprinkler system. I'll need a narrow trench about 2 feet deep.

Isn't that the beauty of building your own stuff? You can make it whatever you want to fit your specific needs.

I'd gladly send you some "sprinkle" if I could to save you the trouble installing the system! Some of my grass has been drowning and the rest is growing wild because it's too wet to mow. Can't even get on to spray the weeds! But yes, building to my specs is truly satisfying. And if it breaks, I know who to blame.:laughing::laughing:

 

[Iplayfarmer]

...And if it breaks, I know who to blame.:laughing::laughing:

And how to fix it.

 

[jnjpream]

Iplayfarmer,

I tried to use by backhoe to put in part of my sprinkler system and it was painfully slow (and rough on the bottom). So slow that I abandoned it and rented a trencher to finish it. Not feeling too good about shelling out cash to cover my plan failure, I decided to build a subsoiler with a pipe feeder for the next run of line. All I can say is WOW :thumbsup:.. It buried 125' of silly pipe 18" deep in less time than it did to attach and pin the pipe anchor. Could go deeper if needed, but 18 was enough for me.

Not knocking the backhoe project at all. In fact it's a great project because they are so stinking handy to have around and I wouldn't want to be without my backhoe.

Just saying that in my experience, for burying sprinkler line, the modified subsoiler is awesome.. If you want I'll post the CAD drawing of it along with some pictures in another thread.

 

[NormL]

Iplayfarmer,

I tried to use by backhoe to put in part of my sprinkler system and it was painfully slow (and rough on the bottom). So slow that I abandoned it and rented a trencher to finish it. Not feeling too good about shelling out cash to cover my plan failure, I decided to build a subsoiler with a pipe feeder for the next run of line. All I can say is WOW :thumbsup:.. It buried 125' of silly pipe 18" deep in less time than it did to attach and pin the pipe anchor. Could go deeper if needed, but 18 was enough for me.

Not knocking the backhoe project at all. In fact it's a great project because they are so stinking handy to have around and I wouldn't want to be without my backhoe.

Just saying that in my experience, for burying sprinkler line, the modified subsoiler is awesome.. If you want I'll post the CAD drawing of it along with some pictures in another thread.

Go ahead, post it. I'm sure it will be a valuable addition to the thread. I will be looking to bury some long runs of discharge line from a sump pit and that sub-soiler could well be the ticket.:thumbsup:

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Iplayfarmer,

I tried to use by backhoe to put in part of my sprinkler system and it was painfully slow (and rough on the bottom). So slow that I abandoned it and rented a trencher to finish it. Not feeling too good about shelling out cash to cover my plan failure, I decided to build a subsoiler with a pipe feeder for the next run of line. All I can say is WOW :thumbsup:.. It buried 125' of silly pipe 18" deep in less time than it did to attach and pin the pipe anchor. Could go deeper if needed, but 18 was enough for me.

Not knocking the backhoe project at all. In fact it's a great project because they are so stinking handy to have around and I wouldn't want to be without my backhoe.

Just saying that in my experience, for burying sprinkler line, the modified subsoiler is awesome.. If you want I'll post the CAD drawing of it along with some pictures in another thread.

Ditto what NormL said... Post it.

I have to go accross a driveway. I'm not sure that a ripper type puller would do the trick.