best attach to dig elect lines?

[MrJoe]

Good Day: I want to add low voltage lights around the property so I need to run the lines first. What's the best attachment to use to dig a trench about 8" deep and a few inches wide /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif The DX 24E has cat 1 3ph, the ground is typical lower SE Conn, topsoil w/ scattered rocks /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Thanks, Joe

 

[Holzster]

Get a sub-soiler. most of the time you get a center plow & you can take that off & put a center plow on.
here is a link:
http://www.mytscstore.com/detail.asp?pcID=4&paID=1029&sonID=76&page=2&productID=1221
a sub soiler is just a single bar - with mine I can dig 12" deep real quick in clay soil.

 

[Ledgemere Farm]

You have a couple of inexpensive options. If it's only a short distance, you can just use your loader. set your tractor perpendicular to the trench location and lower your bucket in the "dumped" position. It takes a little finesse with the valve, but you can do it. If the trench is a long one, I'd reccomend a middle buster. You can get them from Northern or Valu-Bilt or TSC. You will probably still have to get down off the seat and do a a little shoveling....

Have fun. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[AndyMA]

Personally I'd rent a trencher unless it's out in the open and you don't mind tearing up the rest of the lawn in the area. I have a backhoe, FEL, trencher, middle buster etc and there just isn't any comparison. Doing it with the tractor, there are just too many issues with maneuverer and making a mess.

Andy

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I modified a sub-soiler by drilling 2 holes in the trailing edge. Then I ran hose clamps through the holes and used them to hold a piece of PVC pipe on the back of the sub-soiler. The pipe has a 90-degree bend in it. I ran electric wire through the pipe and sunk the subsoiler into the ground and drove forward, the wire was buried about 8" deep as I drove. I needed to run wire to my daughter's play house so she would have lights. I think it took about 5 minutes to run 60' of wire. The plastic pipe cost me about $2. The hose clamps were about 49-cents for a 2 pack.

See pictures of it in my photo gallery in the PHOTO section of TBN.

SUB-Soiler with Cable layer

 

[EastTexFrank]

Bob's idea is pretty ingenious but when I wanted to lay a water line to my wife's garden, I hired a walk-behind trencher for half a day ... 4" wide trench, 15" deep. Yea, I know it's not nearly as much fun but it is quick, cheap and simple and you do get to play with the tractor and boxblade when backfilling the trench. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[bczoom]

Joe,

Is there a reason you need to go so deep?
I only ran my wire a couple inches below ground. It makes it a lot easier to pull a little wire out of the ground when you need to replace a light fixture when people run them over.
Honestly, a shovel worked the fastest for me being only a couple inches deep.

Brian

 

[DK35vince]

I used a setup this summer similar to what Bob Skurka suggested.
I ran 650' of phone line in under 1 hour, and that included some hand digging a the very beginning and end where the tractor ran out of room.
No backfilling, no major lawn damage. The subsoiler heaved the ground up just a bit as it cut through.
When I was finished I just ran my tires down the heave to pack it down and I was done. Work real slick for me..

 

[GerardC]

This is what I did. Works great. I made mine offset. G

 

[keeney]

Best = Vibratory plow, trencher, and backhoe combo machine (i.e. ditch witch with all two of the above or all three attachments). purchase = $$$$$ rental = $400-600 per day.

Sometimes, you also might want one of those steerable boring things to go under streets, driveways, and stuff.

Cheapest = Hand Shovel. $$, maybe you already own one.

My local HD has a small "Dingo" unit for rent with a small vibe-plow and/or a trencher atatchment that would be perfect for homeowner work. I think they wanted about $180 per day for the machine and one attachment on a trailer.

- Rick