Bob, I trenched 1100' about 24" to 30" deep with a walk-along DitchWitch trencher. I can't remember how much; the numbers $80 and $160 come to mind; that may have been half-day and full day, or maybe that's what I spent for the 2 days I had it. Got it from the local Nations Rent store complete with trailer. It was completely hydraulic; even had hydraulic steering. No real effort required to run it. If you want to get absolutely straight lines, however, I'd run a string line to follow. It will trench to about 36" deep; use your TC24D to backfill the trench when finished. It will fit in the narrow spaces you mentioned.
Scorecard:: Clay & Sub-Soiler: 2, Tractors: 0
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fractal
Gold Member
Bob
I agree with Don.
Spend the 80 bucks on half a days rental on a ditch witch.
Otherwise, lots and lots of passes with the sub soiler. 1/4 an inch a pass is only 100 passes to the foot. Beats the heck out of doing it with a shovel.
But ... I don't have a backhoe. If I did, I would compare the price of renting the ditch witch with a smaller bucket for the hoe /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I agree with Don.
Spend the 80 bucks on half a days rental on a ditch witch.
Otherwise, lots and lots of passes with the sub soiler. 1/4 an inch a pass is only 100 passes to the foot. Beats the heck out of doing it with a shovel.
But ... I don't have a backhoe. If I did, I would compare the price of renting the ditch witch with a smaller bucket for the hoe /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
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Bob_Skurka
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DocHeb is a master of the obvious and I am forever beholden to him for that!!! As per his suggestion I simply set the toplink back and all my problems vanished just like those ladies on TV who soak their troubles away in a bathtub full of Calgon bubble bath!!! The subsoiler worked like a champ, cut down to full depth and only hung up the tractor one time (on a root) which I was able to power through.
Thanks Doc!
By the way, I altered the Sub Soiler by drilling a couple holes through it, adding a plastic drain pipe with a 90 degree bend in it (I used hose clamps to hold the pipe to the sub soiler) and ran my wire through the pipe. As I drove the tractor forward, the wire was pulled through the pipe and buried all in one pass. It took longer to drill the holes in the rear edge of the sub soiler than it took to bury the wiring!!!
I'll try to get some pictures of it and post them soon.
Thanks Doc!
By the way, I altered the Sub Soiler by drilling a couple holes through it, adding a plastic drain pipe with a 90 degree bend in it (I used hose clamps to hold the pipe to the sub soiler) and ran my wire through the pipe. As I drove the tractor forward, the wire was pulled through the pipe and buried all in one pass. It took longer to drill the holes in the rear edge of the sub soiler than it took to bury the wiring!!!
I'll try to get some pictures of it and post them soon.
Inspector507
Super Member
Hmmm.....my calculator shows 48 passes vs 100 passes.
¼" per pass, 4 passes= 1 inch, times 12" per foot=48 /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Just teasing......
¼" per pass, 4 passes= 1 inch, times 12" per foot=48 /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Just teasing......
jwstewar
Elite Member
That is exactly how I ran the wire back to our sheds and pond earlier this year using my subsoiler and the TC24. I didn't drill any holes in the subsoiler though. I just attached the elbow with hose clamps and had my wife feeding the wire down through the elbow as I drove forward. Worked pretty slick.
Now last weekend my F-I-L rented a trencher to put a waterline in at his place and I used it to put the waterline in to my garage. That thing was terrible. Wouldn't move out of its own way. Had the four-wheeler hooked to it for awhile trying to help pull it (at his place no tractor). The thing kept spinning. Would pull the bar up, back up 2", put the blade back down, and it would go back forward 1 1/2", Took 10 hours to trench around 400'. BTW, this one did not have steering on it. When you wanted to turn it, had to lift the bar all the way up and push down on the back and try to twist it. I was sore for 3 days after and my hands still hurt. It was a Vermeer, I had used Ditch Witches before with pretty good success. Any this is all for not as you've got it done, but it least it is adding to the post count so that we'll hit 500,000 tomorrow at noon. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Now last weekend my F-I-L rented a trencher to put a waterline in at his place and I used it to put the waterline in to my garage. That thing was terrible. Wouldn't move out of its own way. Had the four-wheeler hooked to it for awhile trying to help pull it (at his place no tractor). The thing kept spinning. Would pull the bar up, back up 2", put the blade back down, and it would go back forward 1 1/2", Took 10 hours to trench around 400'. BTW, this one did not have steering on it. When you wanted to turn it, had to lift the bar all the way up and push down on the back and try to twist it. I was sore for 3 days after and my hands still hurt. It was a Vermeer, I had used Ditch Witches before with pretty good success. Any this is all for not as you've got it done, but it least it is adding to the post count so that we'll hit 500,000 tomorrow at noon. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Dargo
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jwstewar, after unbolting the tooth from my subsoiler, I too used hose clamps to hold the brake line on the back side of subsoiler. It lays the wire right at the bottom of the trench and works great. It is much faster than the stupid "vibraplow" I rented one day and got about 50' layed. I easily put down 3000 feet of wire in half a day last year with this rigging. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
DK35vince
Super Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( That is exactly how I ran the wire back to our sheds and pond earlier this year using my subsoiler and the TC24. I didn't drill any holes in the subsoiler though. I just attached the elbow with hose clamps and had my wife feeding the wire down through the elbow as I drove forward. Worked pretty slick. )</font>
I used a similar setup to run approx. 600' of phone line recently.
Welded 3/4" black iron pipe to the back of my subsoiler, with a bend at the bottom aiming out the back. Welded flat plates along side the bend (Where the wire comes out ) to help protect the wire while feeding out the back.
Added brackets to the top with a pipe going across to hold a 1000' spool of phone line.
Fed the line through the pipe, tied it to the house, stuck the subsoiler in the ground at full depth and drove along nice and slow.
Worked great, ran nearly 600' of phone line in under 1 hour..
I used a similar setup to run approx. 600' of phone line recently.
Welded 3/4" black iron pipe to the back of my subsoiler, with a bend at the bottom aiming out the back. Welded flat plates along side the bend (Where the wire comes out ) to help protect the wire while feeding out the back.
Added brackets to the top with a pipe going across to hold a 1000' spool of phone line.
Fed the line through the pipe, tied it to the house, stuck the subsoiler in the ground at full depth and drove along nice and slow.
Worked great, ran nearly 600' of phone line in under 1 hour..
BrettW
Platinum Member
guys, please post pics if you can. I have a good bit of water line to run eventually. thanks, bret w
gabby
Gold Member
This is how I plow in PVC pipe by pulling. I don't mess with roll pipe. PVC costs a little bit more but it's better pipe with better fittings.
Just make yourself a pulling head with an eyebolt like the one shown on the end of the pvc pipe in the picture. Tie it to the back of your subsoiler with a piece of rope. I have never broken a rope or a pipe while pulling. I have pulled 1000 feet of 1" pipe in one pass. Glue up the pipe before pulling. It slides through the ground easily as you plow. When finished, cut the pulling head off about 2 feet back and it's ready to re-use on your next run of pipe. Just glue it on with a new coupling.
You can also plow and pull wire. I have pulled 12-2, 8 gauge, and mobile home cable with no problems. Sure beats the heck out of trenching, and pulling is simpler than rigging up a guide pipe on your subsoiler and feeding the wire through it.
Gabby
Just make yourself a pulling head with an eyebolt like the one shown on the end of the pvc pipe in the picture. Tie it to the back of your subsoiler with a piece of rope. I have never broken a rope or a pipe while pulling. I have pulled 1000 feet of 1" pipe in one pass. Glue up the pipe before pulling. It slides through the ground easily as you plow. When finished, cut the pulling head off about 2 feet back and it's ready to re-use on your next run of pipe. Just glue it on with a new coupling.
You can also plow and pull wire. I have pulled 12-2, 8 gauge, and mobile home cable with no problems. Sure beats the heck out of trenching, and pulling is simpler than rigging up a guide pipe on your subsoiler and feeding the wire through it.
Gabby
Attachments
Bob, Photos please!
When you guys are talking sub soiler is that something I can alter my potato plow to be? I see taking the blade off and I have this big hunk of iron. I saw some photos on here once of a rig that had some pipe bent to the rear and feeding line thru it. I am going to be putting up some fence next spring and would love to be able to put lights on some of the poles, just for the fun of it.
When I ran the electric to the pond, I trenched it with the plow then covered it back over after laying 1" PVC, glued and then some concrete over it, just for good measure. It is about 8 inches in the ground.
thanks
When you guys are talking sub soiler is that something I can alter my potato plow to be? I see taking the blade off and I have this big hunk of iron. I saw some photos on here once of a rig that had some pipe bent to the rear and feeding line thru it. I am going to be putting up some fence next spring and would love to be able to put lights on some of the poles, just for the fun of it.
When I ran the electric to the pond, I trenched it with the plow then covered it back over after laying 1" PVC, glued and then some concrete over it, just for good measure. It is about 8 inches in the ground.
thanks
Bowhunter
Gold Member
Bob, sorry I didn't take the time to read all 4 pages so I apologize if this was already covered. I saw that the tires did not spin. Did you have the tractors in low range or a higher range? Just another "Ask Mr. Obvious" hypothetical. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
MikeFromVA
Silver Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Even if you don't hit the trench dead center on the additional passes, the trench will still be narrower than a backhoe bucket. If it isn't then immediately get off the tractor and let your wife drive. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Getut )</font>
/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif ROFLMAO!!!! Good One!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Getut )</font>
/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif ROFLMAO!!!! Good One!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
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Bob_Skurka
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Bob_Skurka
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Danny they got me for the $20 spreader for the PAT'S system, but it is STILL IN THE BOX. I've really not found too much use for it. As for the plastic pipe, the one thing I would say is if you do this, run your finger up inside the pipe to make sure it is smooth on the inside edge of the elbow. Mine was NOT, in fact there was a sharp corner at the inside elbow. I was concerned it would slice through the insulation around the cable. I took a utility knife and smoothed it out, there was extra plastic on the inside of the pipe wall at that point. I suppose I could have bought a higher quality plastic pipe, but that would have cost $3, but I'll bet it might have been smooth on the inside of the elbow!
I would use electrical plastic conduit. From running network and video cables thru it for a couple of years, I have learned that the sweeping elbows are easier to get cable thru that the shorter plumbing ones. Cost is about the same, but my mc is full, can I borrow yours? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
