Middle Buster

[1930]

I have to do alot of trenching to bury some water pipe and do some electrical. Someone suggested a middle buster but from what Ive read online they seem to have an approx max depth of 12 inches. Id like to go just a little deeper than that if possible.

Does anyone have any suggestions or opinions?

Loose sand for the most part but Im sure Ill encounter some roots.

 

[the old grind]

I trenched for a 4" drain pipe to go under a driveway I'd added 10 yd of crushed limestone to cap earlier this year.

I left the 'plow blade' on the MB and tweaked the lift and top links to get the most depth.

For the last several passes I had two guys stand on the MB for depth, but while it would still scratch ok we had to shovel out what we loosened by then.

I'd thought of, but hadn't tried, just swapping out the OEM 'blade' and rigging something to scratch deeper. (two bolts/holes) There would still be some shoveling to remove the tailings with a sharp-shooter AKA drain spade going much deeper than 12". IMO being in 'loose sand' will make the job easier.

I'm about to trench 200' or so for windmill air lines. I was surprised to read that 6" depth would be fine. No roots to deal with here, but if some are expected a cordless recip saw is the ticket to getting thru them quickly with cheap blades and minimal elbow grease. btw, I use my smallest tractor with the MB, 1.0 L and it has plenty of power for the task.

 

[RSR]

I bought an EA subsoiler for just this task. You can then also buy just the middle buster plow (not the entire framework), for like $70, and take the ripping tooth off of the subsoiler and replace it with the middle buster. The bolt pattern is the same (for the EA ones). The only problem is the plow has a crown down the middle that doesn't perfectly mate to the flat surface you bolt to on the subsoiler. Still, if you torque everything down good, you don't have a problem. I did this as I wasn't sure which tool, or combination of them, would work best.

Having said that, when digging trenches, I don't use the middle buster. I found the most effective thing to do was make multiple passes with the subsoiler, and then come at the trench perpendicular to the direction you plan on laying the pipe, and scoop out the loosened up dirt with the front bucket.

The problem is this only works if you have good access all around the trench. Hand work will still be necessary.

For tight quarters, you may consider making some passes with the subsoiler first, to break up the ground, and then use a stump bucket on the front so you can dig down the length of the trench without making too wide of a ditch.

 

[JCoastie]

I see videos on youtube of people using subsoilers for trenching. Narrower and a bit deeper.
I had family in Ocala near you, 12" should be fine for about anything, no frost line, much deeper you'll hit the water table and you can call it a shallow well lol

 

[1930]

much deeper you'll hit the water table and you can call it a shallow well lol

If only this were true :laughing:

 

[1930]

Some good ideas and appreciated

 

[Alan W.]

I needed to put in a curtain drain and a gutter drain
We first ripped the path twice with the subsoiler. Our ground is rocky clay.
Then we used the middle buster or tater plow as we call it to open up the ditch.
My son did the tractor work and I supervised.

 

[1930]

Great looking old tractor

 

[fried1765]

I have to do alot of trenching to bury some water pipe and do some electrical. Someone suggested a middle buster but from what Ive read online they seem to have an approx max depth of 12 inches. Id like to go just a little deeper than that if possible.

Does anyone have any suggestions or opinions?

Loose sand for the most part but Im sure Ill encounter some roots.

You should consider the Subsoiler #73410 from Agri Supply ($164.99) with the Pipe Layer #73622 attachment ($124.99).
I bought that system from them, and it is a good little rig.
Can be used with pipe up to 2" dia.

Nearest Agri Supply location to you may be the one in Valdosta, GA.
I have found the company to be excellent to deal with, both at their stores, and with having items shipped.
The Subsoiler must be truck shipped. (the pipe layer attachment can be sent UPS).

 

[1930]

You should consider the Subsoiler #73410 from Agri Supply ($164.99) with the Pipe Layer #73622 attachment ($124.99).
I bought that system from them, and it is a good little rig.
Can be used with pipe up to 2" dia.

Nearest Agri Supply location to you may be the one in Valdosta, GA.
I have found the company to be excellent to deal with, both at their stores, and with having items shipped.
The Subsoiler must be truck shipped. (the pipe layer attachment can be sent UPS).

Subsoiler - modified cable, wire and pipe burier/layer - YouTube

 

[Alan W.]

Great looking old tractor

Thanks. Im the second owner.

 

[Loaderman22]

I used the Tractor Supply Subsoiler to bury an electric line for pool service. Here all electric needs to be 18" deep. I ran 2 passes with it behind my Ford 2n and got the 18" deep, however we did have to dig about 1/2 the dirt out by hand. Our soil is a mix of dirt, clay, with baseball + sized stones, not to mention roots from oaks, maples, etc all on top of bedrock. Found a few roots that stopped the Ford dead, but with a pick axe we cut through them, I'm sure if you've got more than 13hp you might be able to cut them with the subsoiler. If you are running the conduits, I would go with the Agri-supply pipe layer kit, seems like as long as you can feed the piping in, it would work great. I have used it behind my JD2155 which is higher HP than the Subsoiler is rated for, but I went slow and didn't force it, worked great, no damage. I did 3 passes there for a couple 4" downspout lines. Since I am on bedrock so I could only go 15-16" for most of it. Good Luck

 

[1930]

I decided to make my own with some parts I bought and some made, Im gonna try it out this weekend. Might be it wont go deep enough but if it dosent Ill just make some more mods. Thanks

 

[4570Man]

I’d suggest welding the whole thing solid. There’s close to zero chance of that little pin holding up.

 

[Loaderman22]

I’d suggest welding the whole thing solid. There’s close to zero chance of that little pin holding up.

Especially if that spring pin ends up below grade.

 

[1930]

That pin is not being used other than for reference, Im making it adjustable to see what angle is gonna work best for the digging.

 

[fried1765]

I decided to make my own with some parts I bought and some made, Im gonna try it out this weekend. Might be it wont go deep enough but if it dosent Ill just make some more mods. Thanks

With a 14HP tractor you may be able to dig 6"-8" deep, even in the Florida sandy soil

 

[1930]

With a 14HP tractor you may be able to dig 6"-8" deep, even in the Florida sandy soil

H.P of the tractor isnt gonna determine how deep I can go, determination of the driver and limitations of the implement will do that.

I have a larger tractor though should I choose to remove the B.H ( which I wont )

Thanks for reminding me to update my siganture

 

[Loaderman22]

H.P of the tractor isnt gonna determine how deep I can go

True, you may just have to make more passes going deeper each pass, then run the conduit once the soil is loose. With the Agri-supply pipelayer attachment, you don't really remove the soil, you are loosening it to make room to feed the conduit pipe down into the bottom of the trench. In softer soil, this "idea" seems like less work, at least in theory.

 

[the old grind]

True, you may just have to make more passes going deeper each pass, then run the conduit once the soil is loose. With the Agri-supply pipelayer attachment, you don't really remove the soil, you are loosening it to make room to feed the conduit pipe down into the bottom of the trench. In softer soil, this "idea" seems like less work, at least in theory.

Windmill maker says to bury air lines 6". We've dug out one trench 2x deeper for a 4" drain elsewhere. I'll be running 80' and 120' 1/2" airlines down a mowed 'hill' to shore.

Thanks for the nudge to get/use a pipe layer for my subber. :thumbsup:

btw, IMO it's easy to underestimate what the OP can accomplish. :tractor: