Trencher attachment.

[Kilroy2k1]

A couple weeks ago my friend and I got a little bored, i had the spare parts, so we whipped this little toy up.
http://www.skidsteerforum.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=52&gallerypage=1&currentitem=0&path=M%20620
http://www.skidsteerforum.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=52&gallerypage=1&currentitem=1&path=M%20620
He needs to run a new power line to his shop amd fix a plugged tile and I plan on installing a heatsource ground pump soon. The units a little dirty from our playing with it but boy does it cut well. 5ft straight down into clay, cant ask for better. I just hope the aux on my little M620 can run it properly.
Tom.

 

[Tazza]

Nice work
I have an old ditch witch that is pretty well dead, i was planning on stealing the trencher off the back and adapting it to my skid steer. Our dirt is shale and clay, so standard teeth won't do so well..

 

[sandhills-elect]

Nice work
I have an old ditch witch that is pretty well dead, i was planning on stealing the trencher off the back and adapting it to my skid steer. Our dirt is shale and clay, so standard teeth won't do so well..

How well do these work when you are trying to crowd them? I kick around buying one and decided to get a vermeer 3550 and love it with side shift boom. I just thought trying to look back and see where to go and setting there crowding might be a pain. Just like thoughts on how that works, i do electrical work and usually running from pole to a building. Brent.

 

[Kilroy2k1]

How well do these work when you are trying to crowd them? I kick around buying one and decided to get a vermeer 3550 and love it with side shift boom. I just thought trying to look back and see where to go and setting there crowding might be a pain. Just like thoughts on how that works, i do electrical work and usually running from pole to a building. Brent.

Thanks Tazza, you can fit just about any kind of tooth to these chains to match whatever soil you want to go through, The previous owner of this chain hardfaced over half the teeth for wear resistance so I imagine anything short of solid rock shouldnt be much a problem. Some of the test cuts we did were in very hard packed clay mixed with 0-2 gravel and it cut a little slower but it still did quite well.
sandhills-elect, I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean by crowding, can you describe it a bit for me?
Tom.

 

[sandhills-elect]

Thanks Tazza, you can fit just about any kind of tooth to these chains to match whatever soil you want to go through, The previous owner of this chain hardfaced over half the teeth for wear resistance so I imagine anything short of solid rock shouldnt be much a problem. Some of the test cuts we did were in very hard packed clay mixed with 0-2 gravel and it cut a little slower but it still did quite well.
sandhills-elect, I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean by crowding, can you describe it a bit for me?
Tom.

On a trenchers it is called crowding or could be called creeping or moving costant at a very slow speed. Just wanted to know how you keep a nice even speed while digging? Thanks Brent.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

On a trenchers it is called crowding or could be called creeping or moving costant at a very slow speed. Just wanted to know how you keep a nice even speed while digging? Thanks Brent.

Brent
I have a bradco 625 trencher, 6" dirt chain. It works great in all but the heavy clays when wet. They tend to plug the teeth and it gets easier to stall the chain, so you have to travel slower, especially if you want to go the the max 4' depth. Hard packed gravel is no problem and it will pull out up to a 7" rock My Bobcat has 3000 psi and it does work better then the 2600 psi NH.
It a bit of a pain to run a straight line sometimes in reverse, but manageable. Just light pressure on the steering levers back and listen to how hard the pumps are working and let the chain do its thing. You can't force it through the ground of course. I have never used a dedicated trencher, perhaps they have more power to the chain making them more productive in tough soils, which would help at times, but I'm happy with how this works
Ken

 

[sandhills-elect]

Brent
I have a bradco 625 trencher, 6" dirt chain. It works great in all but the heavy clays when wet. They tend to plug the teeth and it gets easier to stall the chain, so you have to travel slower, especially if you want to go the the max 4' depth. Hard packed gravel is no problem and it will pull out up to a 7" rock My Bobcat has 3000 psi and it does work better then the 2600 psi NH.
It a bit of a pain to run a straight line sometimes in reverse, but manageable. Just light pressure on the steering levers back and listen to how hard the pumps are working and let the chain do its thing. You can't force it through the ground of course. I have never used a dedicated trencher, perhaps they have more power to the chain making them more productive in tough soils, which would help at times, but I'm happy with how this works
Ken

That answered my question, i think for me the real trencher works best. I like to keep in a straight line so they can eyeball it later down the road and know where the line lays, if they don't want me to locate for them. I had the pump replaced in my vermeer and i think he said the pump was rated a 36 gallon a minute. Sunstrand so not a cheap fix, but i got the trencher bought right and used it about 2 years before replacement. Mine has the sliding offset so you can shift to right side and trench right behind your wheel whitch is really nice in some place and turning a corner you can shift it a little as you go and turn pretty sharp. I can put this in crowd and get off and move things if i need to also. I tihink it will dig close to 15ft per minute at 40inchs, (boom length). Thanks for the info Brent.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

That answered my question, i think for me the real trencher works best. I like to keep in a straight line so they can eyeball it later down the road and know where the line lays, if they don't want me to locate for them. I had the pump replaced in my vermeer and i think he said the pump was rated a 36 gallon a minute. Sunstrand so not a cheap fix, but i got the trencher bought right and used it about 2 years before replacement. Mine has the sliding offset so you can shift to right side and trench right behind your wheel whitch is really nice in some place and turning a corner you can shift it a little as you go and turn pretty sharp. I can put this in crowd and get off and move things if i need to also. I tihink it will dig close to 15ft per minute at 40inchs, (boom length). Thanks for the info Brent.

I would think production is 7 to 10 ft per minute at full depth. A skid only has 15 to 20 gpm to run it. Mine has a manual side shift and the ones we sell have a hyd side shift. It good for me a jack of all trades but if I burried lots of wire there would be better options or a hi flow would become a must to increase the power.
Ken