Water line installer

[chadincolo]

Made this quick modification to an old ripper, added a metal conduit elbow, and am now able to bury 3/4 plastic water line anywhere from 8-20 inches deep (depending on how easy the soil works, been going about 14 inches). Put in some new sprinkler line to keep the grass alive, just need to get the sprinkler heads installed now.

By the way, since we haven't had much rain this year, in heavy clay soil, it's about all my W9 McCormick can do to pull that ripper 14-16 inches deep. In sand or looser soil it can go down 24-28 inches. For those who don't know, a W9 is about 55 or so hp, this one with weights and the front blade weighs around 9-10,000 pounds. The green around the tractor is the only green on the 2.5 acre lot the house sits on other than the grass around the house. It's right over the leach field...yes, it's dry.

 

[rickmacheske]

I've been looking for a 3pt hitch implement that can help me pull sprinkler line. You would think that they would be easy to find.

 

[flusher]

I've been looking for a 3pt hitch implement that can help me pull sprinkler line. You would think that they would be easy to find.

They are easy to find. They're called sub-soilers. You can get them from Tractor Supply Co, Northern Tool, and a lot of other places for under $150 for CUTs. Add a feed tube to the bottom and it's easy to bury poly sprinkler line and even rigid PVC pipe.

Use the TBN Search function and "sub-soiler" to find threads and photos showing how this can be done cheaply.

 

[rickmacheske]

Thanks Flusher.... I checked out as many old posts as I could find. A lot of words but it seems like the pictures have been deleted. I could probably modify a subsoiler (that was my plan) but I was wondering if there was one commercially available that was already modified to include the following:
1. a blade in front to make the cut through the turf/dirt easier and less disruptive.
2. a bullet of some sort to attach the poly that is dragged behind the subsoiler.

If anyone has modified a subsoiler, could they post pics? What did you use the for bullet? I was thinking about welding on a ring to the back, attaching a chain to something that looked like a bullet that could accept 1" poly easily.

Thanks,
Rick

 

[chadincolo]

1. a blade in front to make the cut through the turf/dirt easier and less disruptive.
2. a bullet of some sort to attach the poly that is dragged behind the subsoiler.

Mine actually has a knife edge on the front, lifted the grass about 3 inches, pushed right back down after after I got done by running the tractor tire over the trench.

I think you are imagining backwards, you don't pull the pipe through the trench, you anchor the end coming out the back of the elbow, and drive, pulling the pipe into the top of the elbow and laying it in the trench as it closes behind the blade. Pulling the pipe through the ground wouldn't work too well for much of a pull, would likely pull the pipe in two.

 

[Hib]

Here is pic of Fergusons version from the the forties and fifties.

 

[WVBill]

Rick

Here is a TBN Thread I posted a while ago that has pictures of the whole process I used for laying my water pipe using a tool similar to Chad's.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14926

 

[rickmacheske]

Does anyone have a link for something that I can buy rather than modifying?

 

[rickmacheske]

Here is one....but the company is in NZ. Anyone know of one like this in the US?

 

[RonR]

Does anyone have a link for something that I can buy rather than modifying?

Rick,

I think if you buy the subsoiler, a trip to your local muffler shop should be able to secure a chunk of tailpipe bent in a 90 degree angle. Couple of U bolts to mount it to the shank, and you should be good to go.

ron