MossRoad
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Trencher attachment for tractor?
- Thread starter jymbee
- Start date
MossRoad
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
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- 60,235
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- South Bend, Indiana (near)
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
MossRoad
Super Moderator
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- South Bend, Indiana (near)
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
This is similar to how I did a waterline to my garden.
jjp8182
Platinum Member
Have a ripper and I wouldn't use it for burying any thing larger than electrical wires (if that) as they don't leave a clean trench -- and aren't intended to either. Also, not likely to get the lines deep enough without a lot of additional work to prevent waterlines from bursting anywhere where the frost line gets to be more than a foot or so deep. While it might be capable of dealing with rocky soil, it wouldn't take all that large of a rock/boulder to stop a <5,000lb tractor and it's very unlikely to deal with any solid rock formations as rippers/sub-soilers/middle-busters are intended more for use in fields to break up hardpan.
Renting a trencher if at all available would likely be the more cost effective and labor efficient method.... and depending on the area they may/should already be set up for dealing with rock (wouldn't make much sense for the rental company to do otherwise in a rocky area). ...and depending on your local rental market you may very well be able to rent a trencher for not much more (or possibly even less) than that implement costs.
Might just be me, but anything 1" or over I'd actually lean more toward a mini-excavator or backhoe over a 3pt ripper (even where frost lines aren't an issue), and a trencher over any of them for any sized piping/wiring where the trencher could handle digging a wide enough trench. But, I also don't like having to use a shovel in the clay soil/loam I have on my property either (it's not a lot of fun when it takes >300lbs to drive a shovel fully into the ground).
Renting a trencher if at all available would likely be the more cost effective and labor efficient method.... and depending on the area they may/should already be set up for dealing with rock (wouldn't make much sense for the rental company to do otherwise in a rocky area). ...and depending on your local rental market you may very well be able to rent a trencher for not much more (or possibly even less) than that implement costs.
Might just be me, but anything 1" or over I'd actually lean more toward a mini-excavator or backhoe over a 3pt ripper (even where frost lines aren't an issue), and a trencher over any of them for any sized piping/wiring where the trencher could handle digging a wide enough trench. But, I also don't like having to use a shovel in the clay soil/loam I have on my property either (it's not a lot of fun when it takes >300lbs to drive a shovel fully into the ground).
Fallon
Super Member
I got my 3pt trencher for $1,500 from a propane company via Craigslist. I think it was simultaneously to big & to small for them. To big & needed a tractor for home tank setting jobs & not really big enough for water.
It does 3', which is the frost line around here (Colorado). But personally I wont use it for water as I want more safety margin than 0". Its worked good for handful of electrical projects. It's nice to bury my conduit 3' down rather than the required 18". I know there will be an idiot with a box blade working over some of that stuff. I dont want to have to ever worry about catching & fixing it.
I'm guessing I'll be selling it in a year or 2 when all potential projects are done. Probably get what I paid for it. But even if I only get $700-100, that's still 2 days rental of a riding trencher. Not as capable as a rider, but way more convenient to have this one laying around for a few years.
HST is a requirement for a 3pt trencher. I'm unaware of any geared machines, even the big 21 speed geared machines that go down to a yard a minute or so. HST+ with the extra low/low range is really nice over a normal HST for this too.
It does 3', which is the frost line around here (Colorado). But personally I wont use it for water as I want more safety margin than 0". Its worked good for handful of electrical projects. It's nice to bury my conduit 3' down rather than the required 18". I know there will be an idiot with a box blade working over some of that stuff. I dont want to have to ever worry about catching & fixing it.
I'm guessing I'll be selling it in a year or 2 when all potential projects are done. Probably get what I paid for it. But even if I only get $700-100, that's still 2 days rental of a riding trencher. Not as capable as a rider, but way more convenient to have this one laying around for a few years.
HST is a requirement for a 3pt trencher. I'm unaware of any geared machines, even the big 21 speed geared machines that go down to a yard a minute or so. HST+ with the extra low/low range is really nice over a normal HST for this too.
MossRoad
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You don't need to put water pipe to a garden below the frost line. No underground sprinklers are anywhere near below the frostline, and most are less than 1' under the sod. You do have to either blow it out in the fall to clear if of water, or put a self draining valve in the lowest point and it'll drain itself after each use.
lennyzx11
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Fallon,
You said that you wanted it deep to “avoid an idiot using a box blade”.
But old friend, I thought you were the only one that does that kinda work on your place...
Tongue in cheek of course!
You said that you wanted it deep to “avoid an idiot using a box blade”.
But old friend, I thought you were the only one that does that kinda work on your place...
Tongue in cheek of course!
kthompson
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The subsoiler with the pipe on the rear setup is sold today and has been for years. This is with Agri Supply: Single Tine Ripper 3-Point Pipelayer Attachment | Agri Supply 73622
I have known many who used subsoiler for small lines but not two inch ones. If you are considering going this way, look for a true farm single row one. They will have a shear bolt most likely, be much stronger and longer shank thus deeper. Ones I have used or seen will plow about two feet deep. You may need to run two trenches beside each other before laying the pipe to have the soil soft enough. At same time they use to me think they called it a "mole" that was built like oval but round that attached by short chain to the bottom rear of the subsoiler to press a tunnel in the ground for water flow.
I have known many who used subsoiler for small lines but not two inch ones. If you are considering going this way, look for a true farm single row one. They will have a shear bolt most likely, be much stronger and longer shank thus deeper. Ones I have used or seen will plow about two feet deep. You may need to run two trenches beside each other before laying the pipe to have the soil soft enough. At same time they use to me think they called it a "mole" that was built like oval but round that attached by short chain to the bottom rear of the subsoiler to press a tunnel in the ground for water flow.
