Backhoe Digging small trenches without a backhoe

[MikeR 2018]

I could not justify the cost of a backhoe because I don t need it that much. However I often need to dig small trenches to bury 4 inch drain pipes of to create a French drain in wet spots of my fields. The FEL will dig, but does not do well with narrow trenches. I need something to help dig narrow trenches up to a foot deep. I know nothing about plows but it seams to me that there should be a type of plow that I could drag a couple times to get a rough trench. What do you think would work for me? How about a middlebuster?

 

[wawajake]

I use my middle buster for that sort of job...……...and it is a cheap attachment.....and bury it all when done with FEL sideways to ditch. Middle buster takes some trial and error to get right angle into ground. But note you wont get deeper than a foot.

 

[oosik]

There is a "shovel" attachment that clamps on the bucket of your FEL. I think it's JEFF9366 that has one. He has pics of it to boot.

I take everything off my single bottom moldboard plow. It leaves me with a single "tooth" with a carbide tip. With my Kubota M6040 I can pull it thru unbroken ground to about 8" to 10" deep.

If I want to bury something to the full depth - I have to clean it out with a shovel. If I only want to bury to 6" or so - the "tooth" opens to that depth easily.

 

[sandman2234]

Subsoiler would be better than a middle buster, as it is narrower... takes less HP, and good luck with 4 inch pipe a foot down in hard ground...
David from jax

 

[k0ua]

There is a "shovel" attachment that clamps on the bucket of your FEL. I think it's JEFF9366 that has one. He has pics of it to boot.

I take everything off my single bottom moldboard plow. It leaves me with a single "tooth" with a carbide tip. With my Kubota M6040 I can pull it thru unbroken ground to about 8" to 10" deep.

If I want to bury something to the full depth - I have to clean it out with a shovel. If I only want to bury to 6" or so - the "tooth" opens to that depth easily.

I built my own. It will easily dig a foot deep even in rocky soil.



https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...vel-ready-project.html?highlight=shovel+ready

This thread goes thru the development and improvement of my shovel. I have used it for several years now.

 

[/pine]

On larger tractors with beefier loaders you can get away with some digging/gouging of undisturbed material...but on smaller compact and sub compact tractors there is a good possibility of damaging the loader etc...front end loaders are called "loaders" for a reason...

 

[k0ua]

On larger tractors with beefier loaders you can get away with some digging/gouging of undisturbed material...but on smaller compact and sub compact tractors there is a good possibility of damaging the loader etc...front end loaders are called "loaders" for a reason...

Ain't broken mine yet.. And all we have here is rocky "soil". Could you break your loader? Sure, if you were careless. But use caution and you will be fine. In good soil, I don't think you could break it if you tried...

 

[/pine]

Ain't broken mine yet.. And all we have here is rocky "soil". Could you break your loader? Sure, if you were careless. But use caution and you will be fine. In good soil, I don't think you could break it if you tried...

Loaders get damaged all the time...racked booms, frames, pretzeled cylinder rods (on lots of smaller machines the rods are .75" or less) mostly from abuse... FELs are generally not designed or meant to be used for ground engaging tasks...

 

[Stancoll]

I'd recommend the implement that is both a subsoiler and a middlebuster. A little more upfront but all you'll be changing is the blades on the foot of the implement. Use the subsoiler first. Drop your tractor down into low gear and pull it slow. If it stops the tractor while pulling odds are you won't break the implement plus the subsoiler will bust up any roots you may encounter. After that change to the middlebuster and again pull slow, you're not in a drag race in this. Unless you have nothing but rocks it should provide you with a suitable trench for a pipe. A turn plow would work, but you can bend them also if you don't know what's underground where you're planning your drain tiles. Slow and steady is the key. Trenching any deeper, you're going to have to get a backhoe, consider a rental.

 

[jeff9366]

I use my middle buster for that sort of job...……...and it is a cheap attachment.....and bury it all when done with FEL sideways to ditch. Middle buster takes some trial and error to get right angle into ground. But note you wont get deeper than a foot.

VIDEO: MIDDLEBUSTER TRENCHING - YouTube