Do you own or rent a TRENCHER ?

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Buck Parrish

Senior Member
Location
NC & IN
I've had quite a few jobs lately where I had to rent a trencher. Had I known, I would have rented by the week or so. I thought about purchasing a Ditch Witch
RT 30. It's the ride on one. I couldn't find the price for it. But it's likely about $10,000.
Do y'all own or rent one ?
 

Fulthrotl

~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
I've had quite a few jobs lately where I had to rent a trencher. Had I known, I would have rented by the week or so. I thought about purchasing a Ditch Witch
RT 30. It's the ride on one. I couldn't find the price for it. But it's likely about $10,000.
Do y'all own or rent one ?

i sub out the digging stuff to someone with a license, and liability insurance.

i've used rental riding ditch blitches, and they seemed to do a good job of breaking down.
a hose would break, or some widget would go south, and with it, the day's plan.
rental units are often pretty thrashed, so my perception of DW may be skewed,
as i've never used one in good condition.

so, i'm not a big fan of doing my own trenching, but if i was, i'd be looking
for something used like the kubota... it'll get in almost anywhere,
and a good operator can dig around all sorts of stuff. a ditch witch would go
faster in long straight runs, but you can't get into tight places, which is
where sparkies seem to need to go. having a speedy DW loses it's charm
when you have to hand dig 30' of trench at either end.... :rant:

i had a fellow doing a fair bit of 18" ditch for me this year, and he was
flat amazing on where he could go with one of those, and what he could do.

http://www.machinerytrader.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=10933449

that one's new at $18k.
 

Rampage_Rick

Senior Member
We own a Ventrac with a trencher attachment (plus a mower and turbine blower)

It will rip up rocks the size of a cantaloupe or flagstone about a square foot. Most recently I did a 300' run across a 20° slope. Can't imagine doing that with a ditch witch.

ky400trencher_10156698.jpg

Gotta ask the boss to spring for the 15kW generator attachment...
 

J.P.

Senior Member
Location
United States
Where I work owns both. The cab on the mini ex is real nice......heat and a/c.

The stuff you get at the rental places was always a pain.

If you have enough work for a machine, buy it a depreciate it out.
 

J.P.

Senior Member
Location
United States
We own a Ventrac with a trencher attachment (plus a mower and turbine blower)

It will rip up rocks the size of a cantaloupe or flagstone about a square foot. Most recently I did a 300' run across a 20° slope. Can't imagine doing that with a ditch witch.

View attachment 13597

Gotta ask the boss to spring for the 15kW generator attachment...

Is there a blade on that thing for backfilling?
 

rlundsrud

Senior Member
Location
chicago, il, USA
I owned a ditch witch 4010 with a trenching boom and the backhoe attachment. My thought was it would save me money vs. renting or hiring it out. Once I saw the time involved in moving, storing, maintaining, and operating it, I realized it was better to farm it out. It also deferred liability from me thereby made it less stressful.

I would also like to add that in most cases (when trenching a parking lot, or if there was expensive landscaping) I found it to be cheaper to have my sub do horizontal boring rather than an open trench. There is no spoil to remove and you don't need to worry about compacting backfill or replacing asphalt. The cost was actually pretty comparable to open trenching after you figured in the spoil removal and backfill/retopping costs.
 
Another vote for sub-ing it out- use someone else's time, equipment, insurance, expertise, etc, just as many of us would sub out MV (or fiber) terminations. That is, unless you really want to own a trencher and learn to operate it :).

It's like the sign in the Italian restaurant "I've got a deal with my banker- he doesn't make pizza and I don't cash checks."
 

readydave8

re member
Location
Clarkesville, Georgia
Occupation
electrician
I've had quite a few jobs lately where I had to rent a trencher. Had I known, I would have rented by the week or so. I thought about purchasing a Ditch Witch
RT 30. It's the ride on one. I couldn't find the price for it. But it's likely about $10,000.
Do y'all own or rent one ?

$10k sounds low unless you're wanting older used machine with a fair amount of hours. In which case break downs regularly.

I had a V-30 for many years but couldn't justify running it for less per hour than I was making running hole hawg and kleins.
 

rt66electric

Senior Member
Location
Oklahoma
ditch -witch J20

ditch -witch J20

I own an "ole RUSTY" J-20. Paid ($2000 ??) for it years ago
some people have antique tractors or old cars, I have a ride-on trencher, Don't use it much ,nor does, make much money, but I usually "get the job"

I have a 2 in ball on the front blade and use it to jockey trailers more than digging.

All my kids have learned to drive and use an clutch on this thing( its slow and who cares if it runs into tree---can't hurt-it)
 

JFletcher

Senior Member
Location
Williamsburg, VA
^-------- Trenching machine. :D

I had a V-30 for many years but couldn't justify running it for less per hour than I was making running hole hawg and kleins.

I'd think it'd be as much if not more due to equipment transport, wear, fuel, etc.

Does anyone make a trencher that can go 24" just to bury UF cable? or is 4" width about the narrowest you can get? Ive seen ones for other apps that are narrower but only go like 7" deep.
 

10fords

Member
Location
California
A couple of years ago I bought a used Ditchwitch 2200 for $1500 and put around $500 into it for repairs/maintenance. The first job I used it on paid for it. I have only used it on one job since, and that was because I was in a rare slow week and figured I'd keep as much of the job money for myself as I could. Other than that I think it is way better to have those who dig for a living do it for you. They are better at it, and the liability of digging up something you didn't want to is something I would rather avoid. It is nice having the Ditchwitch for around the house use at your leisure instead of having to coordinate everything at once because you are on the rental clock.
 

LLSolutions

Senior Member
Location
Long Island, NY
I bought a used Vermeer RT100 for $2500, it was a sunbelt rental with 300 hours so at least in my head it was properly maintained. I believe the rental for this one is about $250 a day so it's paid for itself in 2 years, plus I can't imagine it's depreciated much from when I bought it. The biggest thing I like is not having to leave the job to rush back to a rental yard before they close. When I was looking my big concern was how easy it is to maintain. This one in particular has a Kohler engine that had good reviews and the Vermeer drive system is 100% hydrolic so the worst thing most people deal with is a blown hose. Also my local Vermeer dealer is very helpful and getting a few parts here and there is painless. Bonus advice- I put one of the simple battery tenders on there that has a quick connect since I only use it maybe 10-15 times a year and don't like pull starting a 15 horse engine. I've actually had a few other guys borrow it and I usually just ask for $100 and bring it back fueled so that offset the cost also.
 
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