Digging a trench on an incline

lakeside · May 12, 2009

I have to dig a 50 foot long 36" deep, trench on a gravel lane that slopes up and down at about 10 degrees. I'm getting my B26 next week

and this will be one of the very first jobs I'll do with my new baby. I have little (read none) experience with a backhoe so what's the best and safest way to dig the trench? Should the backhoe be facing downhill or up hill? Intuitively, I'd say the backhoe should be facing uphill but the way the trench will be having the backhoe facing down will be a bit easier, but will it be as safe??

alchemysa · May 12, 2009

It should be much better to start at the top and work down, with the FEL on the downside. A backhoe has a strong and annoying tendency to pull the tractor backwards. That will be an even bigger pain if you have the hoe on the downside.

johnny_law · May 12, 2009

alchemysa said:
It should be much better to start at the top and work down, with the FEL on the downside. A backhoe has a strong and annoying tendency to pull the tractor backwards. That will be an even bigger pain if you have the hoe on the downside.

+1 Agree

greenmule · May 12, 2009

Yeah,top to bottom,no dirt in your ditch either.

ibnxe · May 12, 2009

You will find, digging down the grade will work the best.

A couple things that will help... first, start out at a leasurely engine speed until you get used to the backhoe controls. After a little while, the control movements will become more automatic as you gain seat time. Secondly, do the actual digging with the curl function. Trying to dig with the dipper will cause you to continually drag the tractor backwards.

Have fun and take some pictures to post.

rcrcomputing · May 12, 2009

I realize you said only 10%, but be careful and maybe dig out some tree roots on flat ground first.. Get familiar with things..

valley · May 13, 2009

Will you be digging down hill or across the hill?

CurlyDave · May 13, 2009

I agree, backhoe on uphill side, FEL downhill, put all the spoils on one side of the trench, if there is a side to side slope, put them on the uphill side.

Think about backfilling before you dig. It is frequently better to have the trench at one side of the driveway, and the spoil pile also on the driveway. If it is wide enough you can keep the machine on the driveway while backfilling that way.

okgarcia · May 14, 2009

I also agree with top to bottom as being easier, but... depending on your soil conditins and surface water runoff, the trench may have water in it right away. Thus you may be digging in soup/wet conditions when you get toward the bottom as your trench does its job carrying water away. When digging bottom to top, I've been filling my FEL with a full load of dirt to help stabilize it.

Just a couple thoughts.

hr3 · May 14, 2009

Don't forget about Water Lines,,Power Lines,,, and other things that might be in the ground in your area..My post light wires are next to my drive,,

MikeD74T · May 14, 2009

On engine speed & digging technique - use enough engine speed to allow at least two functions simultaneously but not so much as to be fast & jerky. Engine speed can be increased as you become smoother on the controls, ie when you don't have to think about which lever to move or how much to move it.

Good digging technique involves moving the boom , dipper, curl , and sometimes swing, together, not separately. This only comes with time and trying to do all 3 things at once. Imaging that the backhoe is your arm & you're a little kid again digging in the sandpile. When the bucket is full lift it away & dump rather than drag it through more earth which only drags the tractor toward the hole. Have fun & keep bystanders & valuable objects at a safe distance. MikeD74T

MarkV · May 14, 2009

Lakeside, congratulations on the new tractor, always a good day when it arrives at the house!!! I have a B21 and the B26 sounds like a great package to me.

Good advice given on your project and I would agree with what has been said. My comment would be, don't make this your first project. There is a learning curve to any machine and a trench on an incline is not the place to learn. You need to get a feel for the limits of the tractor and having never run a backhoe, well flat ground is the place to start. Most all of us end up bouncing and dragging the tractor around when first getting the feel for a hoe. After a bit it is as natural as tying your shoes. Hillsides are better done after it is more natural.

MarkV

lakeside · May 14, 2009

Thanks for all the great suggestions, especially about getting some seat time before starting the trench, I do have a small project that will tolerate some mistakes and is on a level, flat surface.

Once I get my TLB next week (six days and 18 hours till it arrives but who's counting) I'll post some pics.

Thanks again

tandttravis · May 14, 2009

Congrats on your new B-26 !!!! I have had mine for 17 months now , and have logged about 240 hours, It has never let me down ! Digging downhill is the way to go, it is the path of least resistance, as one of the other members said, think about how your going to backfill, and pile your spoils accordingly.

jnjpream · May 15, 2009

Hi Lakeside,

I have to chime in with one very important thing that hasn't been said yet. When working on a slope, YOU MUST set your parking brake!!! The last thing you want is to forget about it, raise your pads & bucket, and find yourself on a fast ride to the bottom of the hill

.

Have fun. Be safe.

Jeff

dfkrug · May 15, 2009

jnjpream said:
When working on a slope, YOU MUST set your parking brake!!! The last thing you want is to forget about it, raise your pads & bucket, and find yourself on a fast ride to the bottom of the hill

The B26 has a HST, so it will not run away....a major built-in safety factor.
There may be a slow creap down hill with the outriggers and FEL bkt up,
but no runaway tractor (pkg brake off).

Note that LAKESIDE said his slope was 10 DEGREES, not 10%. A 10-deg
slope is equivalent to 18%, which is a lot more interesting.

kthompson · May 15, 2009

With many machines you can not come back and straddle a ditch you dug to dig it deeper. So be sure to dig it deep enough the first time.

jnjpream · May 15, 2009

"The B26 has a HST, so it will not run away....a major built-in safety factor."

Even HST's have neutral, so they will roll just as easy as any other tractor. Especially if you jump back on after taking a break, and once you figure out why it won't turn over, and slap it into neutral without thinking about the brake.

Just be careful.

dfkrug · May 15, 2009

jnjpream said:
Even HST's have neutral, so they will roll just as easy as any other tractor. Especially if you jump back on after taking a break, and once you figure out why it won't turn over, and slap it into neutral without thinking about the brake.

Here is another place where an inconvenience is somewhat of a feature of
HSTs: shifting ranges is hard (or impossible) with the tranny gears under
load. (Look for the threads on this subject.)

Some CUTs won't let you start the tractor unless the range shifter or clutch
(if equipped) is in Neutral. This can be undesirable, and sometimes less safe
than the alternative.

dodge man · May 15, 2009

I'll throw something else out, but what is the trench for? If its for a drainage line or sewer, you almost always want to start at the low end or outlet and work your way up hill.