Backhoe Digging a 1,900 foot long, 2 foot deep trench with L3200!

[PAPPASMURF]

Well, I'm about to embark on a tough job. I live atop a mountain in Alabama, and our local Cable provider will only provide cable service (High speed internet) if we pay for it because we are so far up the mountain, so I'm paying about $1800 for the underground cable AND I have to dig the trench which is just over 1,900 feet long and 28 inches deep, or they will charge me to sub-contract that work out. I figured....**** I think I can do this myself....I've dug a 250 foot trench before, so I'm quite efficiant with the BH77 backhoe, but I know I have my hands full going down the side of this steep mountain. Anyway....I know I have to be extremely careful and take it slowly, but I was wondering how many of you out there have taken on something like this with your tractor / backhoe, and how did it end up? I think I'm setting some kinda record with a sub-compact tractor aint I? ha ha Wish me luck!:confused2::thumbsup:

 

[ryan08]

I wonder why it has to be so deep? I bet if they were going to do it they would use a trencher and not a hoe. I hope you rent a narrow bucket for your hoe. Lots of luck and may your soil be loamy.

 

[flusher]

I'd rent a Ditch Witch walk-behind trencher and then start at the top of the trench and work downhill. I dug 1100 ft of trench about 24-30" deep in about 7 hours when my house was built a few years ago.
For one narrow trench like you need, a backhoe is the wrong tool (oversized and slow), IMHO.

Good luck.

 

[Danner]

I agree with flusher. Rent a big ditch witch for the weekend and have at it.

Use the Kubota to clear a work lane.

It will be fun

 

[PAPPASMURF]

I'd rent a Ditch Witch walk-behind trencher and then start at the top of the trench and work downhill. I dug 1100 ft of trench about 24-30" deep in about 7 hours when my house was built a few years ago.
For one narrow trench like you need, a backhoe is the wrong tool (oversized and slow), IMHO.

Good luck.

You would think that a ditch witch would be quicker, however I have rented one when we installed the water lines, and I also sub contracted the work out because of the terrain. The contractors brought their ditch witch (a huge model) and it was much slower than a backhoe was. When a ditch witch hits rock (and theres alot of it) you have to back up and try going through, re-route the ditch witch, or dig up the rock with a backhoe and continue. I have found that my backhoe can dig a 7 foot stretch of trench 2 feet deep in about 5 and a half minutes (on average) sometimes a bit faster which is quicker than any ditch witch I've come across that is set at 24 to 28 inches. Anyway....the ditch witch seems like the most logical choice, but in reality its slower and much harder to control down a rocky mountain.

 

[PAPPASMURF]

I wonder why it has to be so deep? I bet if they were going to do it they would use a trencher and not a hoe. I hope you rent a narrow bucket for your hoe. Lots of luck and may your soil be loamy.

by code (at least in Alabama) any utility line of any kind has to be buried 28 inches. I dont know where that number came from, but thats what I was told.:confused3:

 

[RobertN]

Curious what your alternatives are? $1600 plus all the work sounds mighty expensive for internet? Required for home business? What about satellite/dish, or wireless? A friend recently went from dialup to wireless; there was not dsl/wired service in his area. They like it.

 

[PapaPerk]

Rent a trencher... that is unless there's a lot of rocks. Then a mini excavator maybe in order. Of course the backhoe can do it but will be slow going!

 

[PapaPerk]

You would think that a ditch witch would be quicker, however I have rented one when we installed the water lines, and I also sub contracted the work out because of the terrain. The contractors brought their ditch witch (a huge model) and it was much slower than a backhoe was. When a ditch witch hits rock (and theres alot of it) you have to back up and try going through, re-route the ditch witch, or dig up the rock with a backhoe and continue. I have found that my backhoe can dig a 7 foot stretch of trench 2 feet deep in about 5 and a half minutes (on average) sometimes a bit faster which is quicker than any ditch witch I've come across that is set at 24 to 28 inches. Anyway....the ditch witch seems like the most logical choice, but in reality its slower and much harder to control down a rocky mountain.

Just read this... scratch the ditch witch suggestion. Still like the mini excavator idea... unless hill is so steep that it would tip...

 

[jb62901]

If you have cell service go with the hot spot card from ATT or Verizon no cable here also lucky to have electric.