Digging a trench on an incline

[MikeD74T]

On engine speed & digging technique - use enough engine speed to allow at least two functions simultaneously but not so much as to be fast & jerky. Engine speed can be increased as you become smoother on the controls, ie when you don't have to think about which lever to move or how much to move it.

Good digging technique involves moving the boom , dipper, curl , and sometimes swing, together, not separately. This only comes with time and trying to do all 3 things at once. Imaging that the backhoe is your arm & you're a little kid again digging in the sandpile. When the bucket is full lift it away & dump rather than drag it through more earth which only drags the tractor toward the hole. Have fun & keep bystanders & valuable objects at a safe distance. MikeD74T

 

[MarkV]

Lakeside, congratulations on the new tractor, always a good day when it arrives at the house!!! I have a B21 and the B26 sounds like a great package to me.

Good advice given on your project and I would agree with what has been said. My comment would be, don't make this your first project. There is a learning curve to any machine and a trench on an incline is not the place to learn. You need to get a feel for the limits of the tractor and having never run a backhoe, well flat ground is the place to start. Most all of us end up bouncing and dragging the tractor around when first getting the feel for a hoe. After a bit it is as natural as tying your shoes. Hillsides are better done after it is more natural.

MarkV

 

[lakeside]

Thanks for all the great suggestions, especially about getting some seat time before starting the trench, I do have a small project that will tolerate some mistakes and is on a level, flat surface.

Once I get my TLB next week (six days and 18 hours till it arrives but who's counting) I'll post some pics.

Thanks again

 

[tandttravis]

Congrats on your new B-26 !!!! I have had mine for 17 months now , and have logged about 240 hours, It has never let me down ! Digging downhill is the way to go, it is the path of least resistance, as one of the other members said, think about how your going to backfill, and pile your spoils accordingly.

 

[jnjpream]

Hi Lakeside,

I have to chime in with one very important thing that hasn't been said yet. When working on a slope, YOU MUST set your parking brake!!! The last thing you want is to forget about it, raise your pads & bucket, and find yourself on a fast ride to the bottom of the hill .

Have fun. Be safe.

Jeff

 

[dfkrug]

When working on a slope, YOU MUST set your parking brake!!! The last thing you want is to forget about it, raise your pads & bucket, and find yourself on a fast ride to the bottom of the hill

The B26 has a HST, so it will not run away....a major built-in safety factor.
There may be a slow creap down hill with the outriggers and FEL bkt up,
but no runaway tractor (pkg brake off).

Note that LAKESIDE said his slope was 10 DEGREES, not 10%. A 10-deg
slope is equivalent to 18%, which is a lot more interesting.

 

[kthompson]

With many machines you can not come back and straddle a ditch you dug to dig it deeper. So be sure to dig it deep enough the first time.

 

[jnjpream]

"The B26 has a HST, so it will not run away....a major built-in safety factor."

Even HST's have neutral, so they will roll just as easy as any other tractor. Especially if you jump back on after taking a break, and once you figure out why it won't turn over, and slap it into neutral without thinking about the brake.

Just be careful.

 

[dfkrug]

Even HST's have neutral, so they will roll just as easy as any other tractor. Especially if you jump back on after taking a break, and once you figure out why it won't turn over, and slap it into neutral without thinking about the brake.

Here is another place where an inconvenience is somewhat of a feature of
HSTs: shifting ranges is hard (or impossible) with the tranny gears under
load. (Look for the threads on this subject.)

Some CUTs won't let you start the tractor unless the range shifter or clutch
(if equipped) is in Neutral. This can be undesirable, and sometimes less safe
than the alternative.

 

[dodge man]

I'll throw something else out, but what is the trench for? If its for a drainage line or sewer, you almost always want to start at the low end or outlet and work your way up hill.