PTO trencher
- Thread starter Deerlope
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5030
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Deerlope:
I don't know much about trenchers other than I rented a Vermeer for a pipe run about a year ago. I'd think a backhoe would have a lot more versatility than a trencher.
On the subject of laying cable, a trencher could get you in big trouble right away. To production trench at the depth a trencher operates at, you'd be real friendly with Miss Dig or be paying a lot of service fees for utilities.
Most cable, especially for cable television or fiber optic runs are laid with a vibratory plow. Basically, it's a single point ripper with a cable guide welded on. The units vibrates as it is pulled through the ground and the cable feeds through the shoe. There is little, if any ground disruption. You just step on the sod and go about your business.
I don't know much about trenchers other than I rented a Vermeer for a pipe run about a year ago. I'd think a backhoe would have a lot more versatility than a trencher.
On the subject of laying cable, a trencher could get you in big trouble right away. To production trench at the depth a trencher operates at, you'd be real friendly with Miss Dig or be paying a lot of service fees for utilities.
Most cable, especially for cable television or fiber optic runs are laid with a vibratory plow. Basically, it's a single point ripper with a cable guide welded on. The units vibrates as it is pulled through the ground and the cable feeds through the shoe. There is little, if any ground disruption. You just step on the sod and go about your business.
chrisjbell
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You'd have to be doing a *lot* of trenching to make it worth purchasing one. For a fraction of what you'd pay for one you can rent the ride-on trenchers for quite a while. I think I paid $150 / day for a ride on Ditch Witch and was able to put trenches in more places than I could actually lay pipe.
And as far as the comments about underground utilities, all I can say is that at least when I hit the power line to my well that I didn't affect anyone else's utilities /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif. Those things will rip right through conduit and cable /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif...
And as far as the comments about underground utilities, all I can say is that at least when I hit the power line to my well that I didn't affect anyone else's utilities /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif. Those things will rip right through conduit and cable /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif...
SPIKER
Elite Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( the power line to my well that I didn't affect anyone else's utilities /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif. Those things will rip right through conduit and cable /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif... )</font>
Hey those things happen, but look at the bright side, At least you had a trencher handy to put in NEW conduit and wire!
I ripped out my phone line when I ran power to my NEw barn, but I'll still not know WHY they ran the phone line some 20 feet behind the house away form the road and I did call befor I dug, every thing checked out OK, even phone and cable company came and said nothing was there! lol... anyhow I still haven't fixed it right as I don't use the phone there, I have a cell handy all the time now so why bother with the land line untill it is needed...
Mark M /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Hey those things happen, but look at the bright side, At least you had a trencher handy to put in NEW conduit and wire!
I ripped out my phone line when I ran power to my NEw barn, but I'll still not know WHY they ran the phone line some 20 feet behind the house away form the road and I did call befor I dug, every thing checked out OK, even phone and cable company came and said nothing was there! lol... anyhow I still haven't fixed it right as I don't use the phone there, I have a cell handy all the time now so why bother with the land line untill it is needed...
Mark M /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
longway5
Silver Member
We've ripped through the irrigation control lines several times, and you won't even know it till its time to clean the trench out. And where there are control lines, there is a high-pressure irrigation line nearby. I don't think we've actually hit one yet (although we got within a half inch one time), but you will know it when you do. PVC + high pressure water + trencher = 30 to 40' geyser and a big mess. I've rubbed up next to a pvc pipe in the ground with the trencher, and we were all glad when it turned out to be a cable chase.
In my old house, the phone company had run the wire from the underground box at the street, all around my house through the backyard to the opposite front corner of the house where the demark' was just so they wouldn't have to cross under the driveway.
Since all the utilities are out at the street, I never would have suspected the phone line was in the back yard until I randomly dug a small hole to bury a dead rodent I found in the garage. I sliced the phone line clean through with a hand shovel.
Now, I always call for locates. Since I have been slowly building my new house, I think I have collected a few hundred of those little marker flags from all the times all the utilites have been out to mark the same stuff over and over.
A funny thing happened when I re-used some of the flags to help lay out my sprinkler system. My wife saw them and was curious why the gas company was putting gas lines in our back-yard!
- Rick
Since all the utilities are out at the street, I never would have suspected the phone line was in the back yard until I randomly dug a small hole to bury a dead rodent I found in the garage. I sliced the phone line clean through with a hand shovel.
Now, I always call for locates. Since I have been slowly building my new house, I think I have collected a few hundred of those little marker flags from all the times all the utilites have been out to mark the same stuff over and over.
A funny thing happened when I re-used some of the flags to help lay out my sprinkler system. My wife saw them and was curious why the gas company was putting gas lines in our back-yard!
- Rick
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I've had my digital camera for over four years and have been able to document my underground plumbing, electrical, and telephone line locations so I can find them in the future. I know I could take measurements and make diagrams, but my photos have worked well to remind me and show to contractors doing underground work. If you have a digital camera, it doesn't take long to stop and take a few snapshots that will be really helpful in the future. The attachment is a photo of the telephone guy putting in my underground phone line. It was around 500' to the pole and I documented every foot of the "trench" with my camera. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
