Trencher attachment for tractor?

   / Trencher attachment for tractor? #1  

jymbee

Platinum Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2011
Messages
594
Location
Upstate, NY
Tractor
Massey 1652, 1949 Farmall H
I'd like to dig several fairly long trenches and am wondering how well an attachment like this might work:
https://tinyurl.com/ydddbncb

The ditch the backhoe makes is way too wide and messy and the length of the trenches I want to dig make a manual labor solution unattractive to say the least.

In one case I just want to get a 2" plastic pipe under the ground that I use to connect a macerator to a long hose. Another use is to get a long water hose to the other end of the vegetable garden from where the faucet is now.

Pretty rocky around here so one of my concerns is how might it deal with that situation?
 
   / Trencher attachment for tractor? #2  
Have you checked the price to rent a trencher? My BIL and I trenched over 500 feet of 30 inch deep trench in a few hours last week for my cabin.
 
   / Trencher attachment for tractor? #3  
The subsoiler will probably not clear the trench enough to lay your pipe. Suggest renting a mini skid steer with trencher attachment. I suspect it will do a much cleaner job allowing you to lay the pipe with out a lot of manual clean out of the trench.
 
   / Trencher attachment for tractor? #4  
For the love of God, get a trencher. Using a backhoe is like eating cereal with a garden shovel. I rented one that trenches down to 4 feet and made a very nice clean trench with the spoils on one side, ready to go back in. Trenched 400’ in one full day.
 
   / Trencher attachment for tractor? #5  
I have one of the Middle Busters like shown and have used it for a water line. It did loosen up the soil making it easier to remove but it left something to be desired. I also hung a waste line for washing machine and created 4 hours more work!
I made a 6" bucket for my backhoe attachment for trenching and have used it for 2 drain fields and many water and electric lines. It works so well that trench being oversize is not a problem.
Also vote for renting a trencher. I have used them, owned a couple and it took longer to go pick up and return than to make the trenches!
 
   / Trencher attachment for tractor? #6  
I put in a 2200 foot water line using one of those. I glued the 1 1/2 inch PVC pipes together above ground and in three sections. I run the subsoiler through the area that I wanted to pull the pipe into a couple of times before I actually pulling the pipe. I attach the pipe to the back of the trencher and pulled the pipe right in underground no open trench it work great. This was in Texas not sure that would work as well in Northern climates you might not have it deep enough.
 
   / Trencher attachment for tractor?
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Using a backhoe is like eating cereal with a garden shovel.

While perhaps without such a colorful analogy, I made a similar comment re. my lack of interest in the idea of using the backhoe.
 
   / Trencher attachment for tractor?
  • Thread Starter
#8  
I put in a 2200 foot water line using one of those. I glued the 1 1/2 inch PVC pipes together above ground and in three sections. I run the subsoiler through the area that I wanted to pull the pipe into a couple of times before I actually pulling the pipe. I attach the pipe to the back of the trencher and pulled the pipe right in underground no open trench it work great. This was in Texas not sure that would work as well in Northern climates you might not have it deep enough.

Interesting approach.

As for the other suggestions to rent a trencher, I can't argue with that idea and likely would have offered the same advice without knowing the circumstances. Also, I have rented a power trencher on other occasions to bury cables and such.

In this case, I'd like to bury some small conduit in multiple locations over a period of time as each area will be ready at different intervals. If all could be done in one day then, yep-- trencher would be the way to go. Don't really want to have to make three or more separate trips to the rental outfit.

Cutting through the sod is main challenge as the trench only needs to be a few inches underground. The reviews for this product seemed to be generally favorable but of course we all know the problem with relying too much on online reviews. :)
 
   / Trencher attachment for tractor? #9  
Actual depth would likely be your issue with the one shown. The drop of your 3pt and the length of the shank should be measured before you try. But as jcummins said, it can be done.

I just had water to a barn and pasture waterers put in with a vibratory plow. about 1/2mile 2" They were 4ft deep, but it is the same basic idea. I'd much rather do it like this than with a trencher, which you then get to fill... refill... fill again... as it continually settles. IMO
 
   / Trencher attachment for tractor?
  • Thread Starter
#10  
I made a 6" bucket for my backhoe attachment for trenching and have used it for 2 drain fields and many water and electric lines. It works so well that trench being oversize is not a problem.

I like that kind of DIY approach! Something like that could also work for some ditching here where I want to create a narrow ditch along a 900' downhill gravel drive. Doesn't carry much water at all but even so as it is now when it rains the water spreads out over the field causing a fairly large area near the bottom to remain wet much of the time. The backhoe would be overkill making a mess.

I remember a contractor told me once that even a flow of water no larger than the width of a pencil can create a "swamp" over time.
 
 
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