Trencher vs Backhoe

[stumpfield]

Which machine is more effective to dig and bury 1600' of 2" pvc water line 18" deep? My soil is very soft and easy to dig. My grading contractor said he can do it faster with his backhoe and a 12" bucket. However, he doesn't want to give me a fixed price bid or a ballpark figure. His rate is $90 per hour. I hate to give someone a signed blank check. I thought digging a 12" trench of a 2" pipe seem overkill. Should I look for someone with a trencher? How hard is it to operate a trencher for someone who never used a trencher before? Thanks for your comment.

 

[tommu56]

STUMPFIELD

Do you have to go below frost line" most trenchers I've used wewe in the 3 foot and shallower range.
If your soil is soft I would try the trencher less disturbance on surface too
I would look double check on the pvc pipe issue if it will freeze it will break poly (black plastic) pipe might frese but it dosent break.

tommu56

 

[MarEng]

The trencher. However, get the size bigger than they recomend. The extra grunt is worth it. If you can drive a tractor you'll have no problem operating a trencher. My opinion.

My dad loves to sit on his backhoe and will take any excuse - besides in his view it's a sunk cost. However, those oversize trenches take a lot longer to fill and settle, especially if you have a lot of clay in your soil. Ours act like swimming pools and become fluid after every rain.

 

[techman]

From what you describe, the trencher will be much faster. Even a good guy on a backhoe needs to stop and move the machine every 6-10 ft. In good soil (no big boulders) and 18" deep a trencher will go like crazy.

Rent one. Not hard to use if you are comfortable operating machinery.

paul

 

[dirtworksequip]

If soil conditions permit, a trencher will always be faster than any hoe. Plus it give you fine backfill material and less disturbance to the ground.

 

[dooleysm]

I'll echo what everyone else is saying, that is the perfect job for a trencher. 2 guys could tear through that work in no time. One guy to dig the trench and the other guy glueing the pvc together and dropping it in the trench. Backfilling the trench is a breeze if your trencher has an adjustable blade. A little trickier if it doesn't, but still entirely managable.

 

[wickedinhere]

The trencher is the way togo i put in 900 feet of 2 inch pvc pipe last year. I rented the trencher for 95.00 for a day. It took me 3 hours to trench it and i hit
a few tree roots. They are really easy to use and as said above wont tear your place up like a backhoe will.

 

[InlineDieselFan]

trencher should be way quicker. as mentioned the back hoe has to be moved many many times during that 1600' trek.

steve

 

[DUMBDOG]

I had a professional dig some water line trench three feet deep for some three inch line. He was using my backhoe, a JD 510D which has plenty of power, a hundred plus feet per hour is all he could do, in your case a trencher would be much quicker. When they dug my power line, it was much faster with the trencher.

 

[dfkrug]

Don't forget....there are 2 kinds of common trencher: walk-behind
and ride-on. I have used neither but those I know who have used
both will never go back to the walk-behind kind. Even Home Depot
rents those.

One line, 18" deep, use a ride-on trencher.