Trenching on a Hill with Backhoe

[EddieWalker]

I agree with all the other posters. Start at the top of the hill and work your way down.

It's also allot better to start at the end of the run and work your way to the end in one run. Makes for a cleaner dig and takes less time overall.

Before you dig, be sure you know how your going to backfill the hole again. If the trench is along a road, will you be digging on the side of it? Where will the spoils pile go? On the road or on the other side of the trench?

If you're digging along a finished road of some type, (rock, gravel, blacktop, etc ) than you might not want to pile the dirt on top of it. It's just that much more work to protect your road and risk damage to it.

Sometimes the spoil pile has to go next to the trees with no way to push the dirt back it. Then you have to pull it in with the hoe bucket. It's very time consuming, but in some situations, it's your only option.

Sometimes backfilling can be more work and effort than digging the ditch!!!

Eddie

 

[Highbeam]

I agree, from the top down. Always have the hoe uphill. Imagine facing down hill with the tractor above you and hoeing from the downhill side. The frontend of that tractor is going to get light as you curl and lift the material.

My biggest trouble is always that trench. Crossing it or digging it while straddling the trench will mess up the trench or cause you to roll the tractor.

We have established to always have the hoe uphill and then it is nice to know that as you creep downhill while digging the trench that you will always have the tractor planted on native smooth ground. This way you can pile the spoils right beside the trench for easy backfilling.

The trick is when you get to the street. You don't want your tractor sticking out in to the street while you finish the last 20 feet of trench so you may be stuck with a straddle experience for the last bit. Mucho dangerous on a 4 foot trench. Think real hard so that you don't get yourself stuck at this point.

We used to call your area Grass Pants. There is a river through there that is great fun, the rogue or dechutes? There is a campground along the river that you can raft in to. Have a truck drive you way up the river and then raft your way back to camp. Great experience.

 

[Darren]

I've been in your situation and tried a trencher to no avail. I did start from the top to open a 4" wide trench. Some of the rock couldn't be handled by a backhoe. I ended up using a jackhammer on about 100' of the run which included all of the side hill. The only other problem was finding 3' long points for the jackhammer. FWIW, you don't pry with one. Always lift the hammer straight up.

 

[dent8]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( You also use front bucket curled and run in the ground as a spade to hold you back.

This should be standard procedure when doing any hoe work.

I'd also sugest the trench line surface area be leveled to an even grade prior to starting the hoe work. Make it a little easier to maintain grade and set up the hoe.

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )</font>

When you say curled are you meaning cutting edge down so it digs in, or, my image of a (biceps) curl, tipping the bucket back and up, flexion in anatomy speak?
Curlydave, you may be one of my closer neighbors on here, my family's place is outside of Ruch, Medford's closer, but I like Grant's Pass more.
Dennis

 

[CurlyDave]

When you say curled are you meaning cutting edge down so it digs in, or, my image of a (biceps) curl, tipping the bucket back and up, flexion in anatomy speak?

I have done some research in the JD manual which came with the TLB and it first says to rest the filled bucket on the ground & push down with it until weight is taken off the front wheels. It then says that if this isn't enough to prevent the machine from moving, turn the bucket over and then dig in with the cutting edge. Digging in is probably a bit harder on the TLB, but clearly it is a reasonable thing to do. If I had to trade safety for a little more machine wear, safety wins every time.

 

[QRTRHRS]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The trick is when you get to the street. You don't want your tractor sticking out in to the street while you finish the last 20 feet of trench so you may be stuck with a straddle experience for the last bit. Mucho dangerous on a 4 foot trench. Think real hard so that you don't get yourself stuck at this point. )</font>If the hoe extends beyond the outriggers enough, you can alway set up perpendicular to the ditch to finish up. Sometimes you need to finish up without the outriggers supporting you in order to not collapse the sidewalls.

 

[Taylortractornut]

Dig goin down hill. Its alot easier to maintain grade that way to. I also recoment placinge caution tape in the trench about a foot above your utility lines. Most places cary a marker tape that has a print of the tpe of utility that your placing as well. I have to go put in 400 feet of underground electrical lines tomorrow myself going down a hill.

 

[escavader]

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When you say curled are you meaning cutting edge down so it digs in, or, my image of a (biceps) curl, tipping the bucket back and up, flexion in anatomy speak?
] i USUALLY PICK UP THE FRONT TIRES ALSO WHEN IM DIGGING
escavader