Trencher

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blue302

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Yo what's up guys,I have a job that I'd like to rent a trencher. I'll be laying 2- 3" pipes at least 18" deep 100' long.Would any of you recommend or not recommend any style or brand name .A price would be cool too.Thanks.
 
Not really a question that can be answered here.... You're gonna have to call around to the rental joints in your area for a ditch-witch. Or tap out a low ball mom+pop excavator with a back-hoe. A good operator in clear soil could knock it out in ~two days tops. Get behind 'em to lay pipe, and fill at the end of the last day.

Know how to operate a Bobcat, wanna learn? :cool: The hard way....
Although they also have trenching attachements, you might want to go for the back-hoe attachemnt. Or the new digger attachment.
http://www.bobcat.com/products/att/pro_att_digger_qt.html

The reason I even mention Back-hoes as opposed to a small trencher is that you are dropping two pipes, and thats two passes. And the trencher is only gonna make a debris filled hole in most soils that will be problematic to drop a 3" pipe in. (nevermind two...)

Oh, dont forget to call your local USA or equivilent! Have 'em find the Utilities the right way...
 
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We do many trenching projects and find the Ditch Witch the most efficiant way to go. It's easy to handle and takes little to learn how to operate. A 100 foot thench should take about 2 hours to dig plus 2 hours for pipe and back fill. We've found that a shovel is the easiest way to back fill. Always call the underground utility site in your area to mark all underground lines
 
Two days for 100' on a backhoe? Why not put some fuel in it and let the engine help out; it goes quicker that way. Unless it's solid rock or tree roots it should take a good operator about an hour to open up 100'. Your behind her laying pipe and then she gets behind you to do the backfill if you have arranged to have the inspector there to verify the depth. All done in 3-4 hours max. I know I'm dreaming but I't has actually gone this smooth for me on several jobs.

Bob on the left coast.
 
Two days, compansates for several factors of slowness... ;)

  1. Getting the beast off the flatbed
  2. Breaks and lunch
  3. "Duh, which way do I go?"
  4. Obsticals
  5. "Oh you mean over there..."
  6. "Sorry buddy, my time starts and ends at my shop."
  7. And then back fill....
If you are standing there with pipe in hand, it does go a lot quicker....:cool:
 
Yeah the 'pipe in hand' needs to be a 30" piece of 3/4 rigid to beat the s--- out of slow trenching people!

Bob on the left coast.
 
bkludecke said:
Why not put some fuel in it and let the engine help out; it goes quicker that way.
Click to expand...
A guy goes to Sears and buys a chainsaw "Guaranteed to Cut 10 Cords a Day."

Takes it home, does some cutting, and stacks and measures the wood: 3 cords.

"Hmm. I didn't really give it a whole day; I'll try it again tomorrow."

Next day, he eats breakfast, cuts, eats lunch, cuts, eats dinner, measures: 5 cords.

"Hmm. Maybe I didn't give it a real whole day. I'll try once more tomorrow."

Next day, he starts at the crack of dawn and doesn't stop until dark: only 8 cords.

"Hmm. Maybe there's sometyhing wrong with it. I'll take it back tomorrow."

Next day, he goes back to Sears and asks the salesman to check out the saw.

The salesman opens the case, picks up the saw, and pulls the starter rope.

The saw starts instantly. "Brrrmmm! Brrrmmm! Brrrmmm!"

The man stares at the salesman and exclaims "What's that noise?!"
 
Getting a contractor to do the work may be a good idea, get a firm price for the job.

If you do the work, make sure your insurance covers trenching, one problem can cost you everything, make sure you have the utility mark-out done, and all city, and state premits in place, some cities require dust control, make sure it is in place before the dig, have your inspections scheduled to allow the job to flow.

Good Luck
 
A big rental outfit here put a mom & pop rental place out of biz. At the auction, we bought a walk behind ditch witch. Came with trailer, we love it! We charge tack on equipment cost on every job it goes on equal to the big renal place. Our rig has paid for it self many times over! :)

FWIW, Yes shovel in the back fill best as you can, then use a garden rake to finish.
 
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blue302 said:
I'll be laying 2- 3" pipes at least 18" deep 100' long.
Click to expand...
When you get parallel runs of 2" or better, then I'd say to forget the ditch witch. Get locates called in, get an excavating contractor, let them have the liability for things hit on this one.

The ditch witch's cut is just too narrow to effectively install parallel runs of conduit that size, IMO.

Remember, your conduit needs to be measured to the top of the pipe, not the bottom of the trench. With 3" conduit, I would tell the digger that the trench needs to be consistently 24" or better, to allow for the height of the conduit and erosion. For an added bonus, install flagging tape in the trench to help avoid future damage to the raceways. I'd also figure in expansion couplings into the bid on both ends of the raceway, for settling.
 
We can dig trench from 4" to 12" with a Vermeer 5750 trencher. We just install the spacers for the width. It has the backhoe attachment also and it seems like we use that more than the trench part. We bought it used several years back and it has paid for itself already easily, not to mention the convenience of not having to be at another contractors mercy to dig a trench. We have some upkeep sure, but it is worth it. I need to buy a 2nd trencher soon because I cannot remember all the times we needed 2 trenchers.
 
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