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Must be another way trenching

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sesails
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 16 Northeast Georgia - Toccoa area.
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2007-03-01          140110


Has anyone seen an option for laying a water line that might be done with a furrower? I need to go to a depth of 18" and realize that a furrower goes to maybe 6" or 8". Was wondering if maybe a two implement approach whereby a second furrower is attched after the first is removed and this one was then run through the trench. If the second was extended and corner braced and was allowed to pull the dirt or sand all the way to the top of the trench and then toss it to the side it sure would be quicker than a backhoe. It seems like there must be an alternative solution somewhere. Any suggestions appreciated.



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Must be another way trenching

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2007-03-01          140111


The trick is to make repeated passes in the same furrow.

We've done stuff like this several times in the past, you just keep going back and forth in the same spot with a middle buster or similar tool until you are at the desired depth.

You do however need to have a modified unit with a pipe laying jig at the foot. If you don't it's a huge battle, a real PITA to get the pipe at the bottom of the trench.

Best of luck. ....


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Must be another way trenching

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yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2007-03-01          140112


Renting a Ditchwitch that only cuts a narrow swath is the fastest way to do it. Some also have an attachment to feed the waterline at the same time.

I have a homemade subsoiler that requires a Big tractor to pull it thru. It is category 2 three point mounted to a 6x6 box frame. Mounted on it are 2 x 6 beams that extend vertically downward about 2 1/2 feet. The bottom is cut at a 15 to 30 degree angle from the horizontal with the point going forward. On the bottom of that is a 1/2" thick x 3" wide x 8" long plate welded to the bottom. The leading edge sticks out about an 1". This shoe at the bottom causes it to suck itself into the ground. We had 2 prongs going into the ground to dig up tee roots. If you weld sideplate wings to it, you will have room to uncoil your water lines behind the prongs before the dirt falls back in. ....


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Must be another way trenching

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2007-03-01          140115


I've done this in the past with a home made three point rig, like was said repeated passes are about the only way to get it deep enough. Rocks and tree roots can be a real challenge too. the last few times I've just used a narrow hoe bucket where any rocks or roots are a challenge. Most any rental center have nice chin type trenchers that only cut a narrow slot too. Best of luck. Frank. ....


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Must be another way trenching

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2007-03-01          140116


How big is the line you want to run? If you are not talking about something very large a single shank subsoiler will work if you don't have a large amount of roots or rocks. If the pipe is flexible enough and small enough you can weld a pipe or such to the subsoiler to pull the water line to the bottom of the trench and do all in a single pass. Of course the HP required and the strenght of the subsolier will depend on the soil and what is in it. The above suggestions work well also especially for large pipe or with the rocks and roots. Used single shank subsoiler can be found for $75 or so. ....


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Must be another way trenching

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2007-03-01          140127


I made a middle buster of sorts with a furrower welded to one of the scarifier teeth on my box blade. It was for running shallow sprinkler lines. It didn't work. The wings have to be higher and much wider than the trench to be effective otherwise the spoils go over the top or around and back into the trench. Looking back, if I had a single-bottom plow and going each direction that proably would have left a cleaner trench an less hassle and no worries about getting it right in the trench each time.

I have also used pallet forks set next to each other on the skid steer to make trenches for running corrugated plastic drain tile.

A few years ago I saw on the web a guy who made 3pt attachment that was pulled forward and consisted of a flat-bladed "chute" (think a piece of wide U-channel angled into the ground) that as the cutting edge engaged the ground the spoils were pushed up the "chute". To prevent the buildup of spoils falling over the back side and into the trench, the top of the chute was curved to one side dropping the spoils to one side. Supposedly it owrked well according to the inventor, but I quickly fabbed something up to try it and all it did was build up at the front end and fall over the sides.

Murf is going blow a nut when he reads the next entry, but I have used a backhoe with it's bucket set at the right depth and ran forward with it...ahem... like a plow (a rented NH 655 backhoe). I could make a 24" wide trench about 24" deep in two passes in compacted clay.

(Murf I've got my ears plugged so fire away, buddy---on second thought we tend to think alike ---scary I know--so you probably have tried it too.) ....


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