Trenching

[The Griff]

I am needing to dig a trench a few hundred yards to lay a 1 inch water line. I'm near Dallas so I need the trench to be a minimum of 12 inches. Can someone recommend an attachment that can accomplish this?

I'd like something that can maybe be used for other things in the future, for example I may put some french drains in later. I was wondering if a plow or middle buster might work good for this? I'd rather it be a bit wider than is needed for the 1 inch pipe so I can use it for other things in the future. I figure I'll only need to lay one water line but it would never hurt to have a plow or something similar in my possession.

Oh and my tractor is a New Holland 1920 in case that matters.

 

[sensabmc]

Subsoiler with pipe laying tube mounted on it. Just drive along and it will cut a nice slot and lay the pipe at the bottom of it. When done you just drive over the line to push the ground back down. Does very little damage. Within a week you won't even know where the cut was.

French drains require a ditch witch. Just rent one when you need it. I put on 550feet of 4" drain line. The ditch withch cost $125 for 4 hours. It only took 45min to cut the trench.

 

[Sysop]

+1 what he said...

A plow isn't really going to reach deep enough for what you need. The 758B backhoe for your tractor (if you can find one) is going to run about $4k so you need to have many uses for it to make it worth it. A subsoiler would be less than $500 and work for your small lines, and larger lines can be dealt with in other ways (a couple parallel cuts with a subsoiler and a narrow shovel to clean out the hole does do okay for 4" to 6" stuff down to about 18" deep as long as you don't find big stones).

 

[The Griff]

Subsoiler with pipe laying tube mounted on it. Just drive along and it will cut a nice slot and lay the pipe at the bottom of it. When done you just drive over the line to push the ground back down. Does very little damage. Within a week you won't even know where the cut was.

French drains require a ditch witch. Just rent one when you need it. I put on 550feet of 4" drain line. The ditch withch cost $125 for 4 hours. It only took 45min to cut the trench.

Just googled that. That looks awesome!

+1 what he said...

A plow isn't really going to reach deep enough for what you need. The 758B backhoe for your tractor (if you can find one) is going to run about $4k so you need to have many uses for it to make it worth it. A subsoiler would be less than $500 and work for your small lines, and larger lines can be dealt with in other ways (a couple parallel cuts with a subsoiler and a narrow shovel to clean out the hole does do okay for 4" to 6" stuff down to about 18" deep as long as you don't find big stones).

Actually my tractor came with the backhoe when I bought it. Not sure if it's the 758B or not. I thought about using the backhoe, but if I'm not mistaken, it can only do a few feet at a time before having to jump off the backhoe back onto the tractor to move forward again. Seems like it would take awhile. Unless I'm missing something? I'd like to not have to buy anything!

 

[Sysop]

I thought about using the backhoe, but if I'm not mistaken, it can only do a few feet at a time before having to jump off the backhoe back onto the tractor to move forward again. Seems like it would take awhile. Unless I'm missing something?

Not that I'd advise it, because it can be unsafe if not on level ground; but I have occasionally been known to leave my tractor in neutral with no brake set while digging long runs. I can reach my loader control from the backhoe seat and will raise the loader and the backhoe stabilizers, then use the backhoe to 'push' the tractor a few feet. Set the stabilizers down, reach around and drop the loader bucket, and go back to digging. If I remember to leave the steering tilted down all the way I can reach it to make adjustments from the hoe as well. Most I've done like that has been about 70'-80' of a 100' trench, one bucket wide and 4' deep.

 

[dragoneggs]

Not that I'd advise it, because it can be unsafe if not on level ground; but I have occasionally been known to leave my tractor in neutral with no brake set while digging long runs. I can reach my loader control from the backhoe seat and will raise the loader and the backhoe stabilizers, then use the backhoe to 'push' the tractor a few feet. Set the stabilizers down, reach around and drop the loader bucket, and go back to digging. If I remember to leave the steering tilted down all the way I can reach it to make adjustments from the hoe as well. Most I've done like that has been about 70'-80' of a 100' trench, one bucket wide and 4' deep.

Boy I wish I could do that maneuver... sounds absolutely pleasurable. Unfortunately my trenches are not on level ground to say the least! I end up hopping on and off or working on the BH from my knees 'cause I am tired of flipping the seat around every 5 minutes or less. I think I will need to rent a HD trencher on tracks to do my next 150ft trench to bring water down to my wife's vegetable garden.

 

[Sysop]

sounds absolutely pleasurable.

You have an odd sense of pleasure my friend... :laughing:

I just do what I must the best I can with what I have.

 

[Concordriver]

Although we are all tempted to utilize our existing equipment to do tasks like the one you plan, sometimes it is easier to just go to Home Depot and rent a Ditch Witch for a day.

 

[bdog]

A 12"'deep trench is not deep at all. You should be able to dig at least 50' per hour with your backhoe at that depth probably more once you get used to it. That would be 100 yds every six hours . If you have 300 yards to go you could knock it out in 2-3 days.

 

[flusher]

For the 1" water line, rent a Ditch Witch from Home Depot or a local equipment rental place. I rented a HD walk behind Ditch Witch to dig about 1100 ft of trench with depth varying from 18" to 30". Cost about $125/day. Took about 8 hours to finish the job.

Good luck.