Trenching ground techniques

[Dansos]

wanted some opinions on what you guys think about trenching. I have always dig trenches by hand, but I am getting very tired with that technique. When my father was alive, we did not have the financial means to buy a ditch witch or any other kind of equipment for trenching, but now that I am older, I would look into making an investment on one.

We are based out of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Soil up here is VERY rocky and very hard.

The last couple of times we needed to dig, I used our rotary hammer with a spade bit and someone in back of me shoveling the broken up ground (still a strain on the back)

Would a ditch witch be able to trench in very rocky soil? Or would we need to break up rocks with jackhammer or sledge?

Would a vibratory plow make more sense in an area like this?
They seem a little more expensive, but I am not getting any younger and we do a lot of pipe work which requires trenching.

Any thoughts or personal experiences are greatly appreciated.

 

[Jon456]

How much ditching are you talking about? What about sub-contracting out to someone with a small excavator like a Bobcat?

Rentals may even be a better option. Around here, you can go down to Home Depot and rent a trencher for $125 for 4 hours, or a mini-excavator for $174. Better than buying because you don't have to deal with storage and maintenance. And you can get the right piece of equipment for the job at hand. Home Depot may not be the best source of informed opinions, but a rental company that serves professionals will probably be able to give you good advice on the right type of equipment for your local soil conditions.

 

[hbiss]

Trenchers and vibratory plows are useless in rocky soils. And, depending on how big the rocks and how rocky, a mini-excavator could be almost as useless, rent one for a few hours and see how it works for you. Situations like this I would just normally go right to a full size loader/backhoe with a narrow bucket.

-Hal

 

[Little Bill]

I contract that out 99% of the time. If it's a place with little access, I'll rent a trencher but otherwise, I contract it out. I can usually contract it cheaper than I can rent.

 

[Jon456]

The advantage of contracting it out it is you get a skilled operator who knows how to dig a trench properly and is less likely to damage something or mess up the job.

 

[hbiss]

Good advice there. And they have insurance.

-Hal

 

[readydave8]

I never found a cost savings in owning equipment for occasional trenching, just a convenience as far as scheduling, and saving trips to rental place

 

[Dansos]

at our local rental place a trencher is $140 per day and that’s for a 36” walk behind. A mini excavator is around $170 per day
The problem is they charge a lot for delivery ($100+ One way) and I don’t think our van (2018 Transit 150) will be able to tow a trailer big enough to haul that kind of equipment. We sub out all of our underground service digging but for little trenches out to pools and/or sheds, I don’t think any of our regulars would be interested in a smaller job like that. I figured a little trencher would be ideal if we are only running 3/4”-1” PVC and the trench is pretty neat and can be backfilled quickly but I do understand about having rocky soil and not being able to use one. Maybe subbing out the digging to some local kids would be better

 

[Jon456]

Since you already have connections with local earth guys, perhaps talk with them about soil conditions and the trencher. They may have some good recommendations for you.

 

[Jon456]

Thinking more about your last post...

The fact that companies rent trenchers in your area suggests that those machines are able to work with the local soil conditions (unless the jobs you're getting are in areas more rocky than what's typical for the local earth conditions). The smallest one they rent is probably the smallest one you'll want to buy. Of course if you buy, you'll also need a trailer to haul it and a vehicle powerful enough to tow both. So that levels the playing field on the delivery issue. Which brings us back to the rent vs buy discussion.

Buying saves you the trouble of going to the rental shop, filling out paperwork, watching the clock on the job, and returning the equipment. And what guy doesn't like buying new tools? But the downside to buying is you have to store and maintain the machine. Plus there's that huge capital outlay up front and it's a depreciating asset. Only you can decide if you do enough of these small trenching jobs to make buying worthwhile. Even if so, I would rent first so you get a feel for the capabilities of the machine you're thinking about buying.

 

[Dansos]

Thanks for all the input. We found a few used 18” trenchers for sale around $1500. That is something we can handle and I believe it will be compact enough to get into our van, even if I have to rearrange the shelves a little. I would not want to buy a trailer unless I had to.