Need to rent to dig a ditch

[BobReeves]

This might also be a good for a "NOT Owning/Operating" forum.

It's finally spring and are getting ready to move onto the 7.5 acres we purchased last winter. The 600 ft drive is gravel but has several places with standing water (after it rains) and a couple of places that runoff crosses and is starting to wash out. I am thinking I need a ditch on each side of the drive to channel the run-off out to the street ditch. The back end of the property is higher than the street with a fairly gentle slope all the way to the street. Mostly clay with no rocks down to about 6 feet.

Can't afford to buy a tractor right now so need to rent something to cut the ditches and move the dirt to a few low places on the property. I am a complete newbee at this and am wondering what piece(s) of equipment I should be looking at renting. Thinking a tractor with a box blade and front loader might do the job but wanted to get some good advice from the folks here before I did anything stupid.

Any hints or additional words of wisdom would be welcomed.

Thanks,
Bob

 

[RoyJackson]

As far as the ditches on either side of the drive, I'd go for a trencher (commonly called a Ditch Witch). The learning curve for operation is quite short and you could probably get that 1200' of ditches done in a weekend. However, the ditch won't be as wide as you could do with a backhoe. Figure 9" maximum.
Reckon they're cheaper to rent then a backhoe as well. Since a self propelled trencher can be driven (no seat...you operate it from along side), moving it along as you trench is no sweat.

Then, you could rent a tractor with a loader to fill the ditches with stone and fill in the low areas of the drive.

For any type of run off, you'd need to crown that drive a bit.

 

[Bird]

Bob, if you're new at it, you might be ahead to hire someone to do the job. Like Roy said, a trencher will dig the ditch, but it would be an almost straight sided trench instead of a swale like you would normally find alongside a drive or road. A box blade on a tractor is what I'd use, especially if I could get one with hydraulic tilt. But then there are all the details to consider. Like Roy said, you'd like a little crown on that drive. Do you have the right kind of gravel to do that with the existing material? If, off the sides of the drive, where you want the drainage, do you want to pull any of that material up onto the drive? Where are your going with the material you pull out of the new ditches? Once the water runs off the drive, into the ditches, then where does it drain to? Is it continuous downhill to the end where you want the water to go? It's hard to say just what the best way is without seeing the terrain.

 

[RobertN]

I would do two thing.

1st, look at the price to rent a backhoe. Figure how much it will cost for material and drain pipes, ect. Try to figure time; 600' is going to take a while, especially if you have not run a how before, or tried to crown a road. Ii would think you would need a hoe to ditch, and then a loader/scraper to grade and finish the road; that's two tractors.

2nd, find out how much it would cost to have someone come in and do it for you.

It may be cheaper to have it done than to tie up a few weekends of rental and learning the equipment.

 

[BigAl]

Unless I am missing something ,you don't need a backhoe or a ditcher . A small road grader ( like a old Model D65 Cat ) or or a 4x4 tractor with a good Scraper Box should do the trick . Unless you need a really deep ditch and by that I mean one that is a couple of feet deep . You also might just use a 3 point angle blade to pull the ditch and then switch to a Scraper Box to finish the road and build the crown you need .Make sure you have Hyd. Top and Tilt or it will take a while .See if you can find a small tractor contractor to come out and take a look at your project . He should have your answers and be able to give you a price that may be quite a bit better than renting a tractor and then trying to figure out how to operate it right . Most guys around here charge about $45 an hour for a 4x4 tractor operated . To pull 600 feet of ditch and grade a road of that lenght should not take over 5 or 6 hours unless it is a real mess .
Big Al

 

[BobReeves]

Thanks guys,

I was thinking of a fairly wide shallow ditch that a lawn tractor could navigate. Wouldn't take much, the property slopes to the road, just need to give the water an easy way to get to the drainage ditch along the main road.

After reading the replies, will look into hiring it done. I was thinking of renting the tractor for a week and playing in the evenings, if I figure $50.00 bucks an hour for 6 hours verses what a weeks rental would cost it's a no brainier.

 

[RobertN]

Check with the local road companies. See if they are working in your area in the near future. If they are already in the neighborhood, they will often give a better deal. They don't have to move equipment as far, can have additional material delivered to same area, ect.

I could have done our drive. But, we had road work in the neighborhood. I had our gravel drive ditched like you are talking, crowned, additional material placed, and rolled. They had a grader right there, so it was easy. Gravel trucks were dropping AB already, so the extra for us was simple. And, rolling the drive really packed it. that was five years ago, and our drive is still in great shape, and still pretty well packed in. It takes very little maintanance.

 

[frank_f15]

i think u are on the right tract now, HIRING IT DONE , your talking 1200' so expereinced operator, with the proper equiptment will get the job done faster and easier

 

[RayDiers]

The compact tractor dealers I deal with around here are always willing to lend me a tractor with an attachment for a weekend. I think if I had no tractor I would visit local dealers. You could try out all the different brands you wanted that way. Or get real inventive and invite the dealers out to show their product all at the same time. Have them invite there prospects and you then get to know all the people in your area that are looking for a tractor. Could be a good way to start your own support group. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Ray

 

[28RedHorses]

Bob,

I just went through this exercise last week.

Look at renting an Excavator(spelling??). It has a backhoe bucket and arm (only smaller then a regular sized backhoe) and a dozer blade. It is a tracked device. The one I rented was a Bobcat. I rented it for the weekend for about $300 delivered. I trenched the driveway AND installed two drainage pipes under my gravel driveway. Since I had the machine I also widened and smoothed over my driveway.

Then I took it into the backyard and removed four boulders.

Beside being extremely useful it was a blast to operate /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

I burned about six gallons of diesel for the time I used the machine.

I hope this helps and have a great time with the rental!

28Red /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif