Registered: Nov 2005
Location: minnesota
Posts: 3660

way off topic but I know that on this board there is someone who has done just about every kind of physical labor job. I have a trench to dig- 3 feet deep 5 inches wide 25 feet long- to bury drain tile. area is rooty, but otherwise not bad soil. Has anyone ever used a walk behind power trencher? I think my local rental joint has them- are they easy to use? get through the roots? will they go 3 feet deep?
I moved about 15 ton of rock and retaining wall blocks last weekend and am feeling too lazy to hand dig. what do you think?

__________________
patriotism is supporting your country all of the time and your government when it deserves it.
if you think the price of education is high, check out the cost of ignorance!

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2007
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 2713

I got a cousin who works in a rental yard that rents them out. People rent them all the time that have never used them and he shows them how to operate them. Pretty simple to operate, rental places will usually show you how to use any equipment you rent if you ask. As far as digging three feet you should be able to get one that will dig that deep.

__________________
Golden Woods Bo
Golden Woods Fancy B

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2006
Location: milan,mi
Posts: 1379

I have used a few, should work for what your doing, just depends on the root size a small rental one wont go thru a big thick root, what I did was to use an old chainsaw chain to cut them as i hit them, JMHO

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Feb 2006
Location: Western Pa
Posts: 2106

It'll work as long as you don't run into shale or blue rock. Shale and blue rock stops the commercial size.....

__________________
UKC GrNtCh PKC Ch Pa HTX Sniper (Deceased) Four time qualified for World Championship
Duane and Seth Jones/Jarret Davis partners
Beaver River Kennels/Team Pa
USAF proud!!! 6 Years active 19 Reserves MSgt (ret) Raven 457
Carpe Nocturnum-Seize the night!

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Nov 2005
Location: minnesota
Posts: 3660

thanks for the info- I know that I could just ask the guys at the rental first- but I swear I have asked them every stupid question possible already!!! gonna rent one tomorrow.

__________________
patriotism is supporting your country all of the time and your government when it deserves it.
if you think the price of education is high, check out the cost of ignorance!

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Central Michigan
Posts: 6544

Truly,

I used one last year to run electricity out to our dog building over 300 feet away. We went 2' deep. I will not lie it was a job. I found that it went through most roots, but there were a few that required a little axe and spade work. My wife and I ran the trencher non stop for 4 hours to finish the job.

It was pretty easy to use as far as following the destructions ... I mean instructions.

Good luck with your job.

__________________
Larry Atherton

Aim small miss small

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Oct 2007
Location: Northeast Mississippi
Posts: 888

Yes they will work and are VERY simple to operate. I work for The Cat Rental store, and we rent them all the time. The small walk behind's are able to dig 3 feet deep and I think they have a 4" chain on most of them. I believe you can get a 6" chain on them if you ask for it. They will have trouble with the bigger roots, but like has already been mentioned you can cut the bigger roots and keep digging. You can also get a ride on trencher that already has a 6" or 8" chain depending on the model that will cut through the bigger roots, but they cost more. We rent our w/b trenchers at $125 a day $225 a week and $500 a month. The r/o trenchers are $250 day $500 week $1800 month. I'm sure your rental store up there will be around the same rates. Be ready to pay a FTV charge if you don't have rental rider insurance. FTV simply means Fire, Theft, and Vandalism. Most rental places will make you carry this if you don't have a rental rider on your insurance, but it only covers FTV it doesn't cover any rental damages. Our price is 14% of the rental rate ex: $125 + 14 % = $18 for a total of $143 + tax. I hope this information helps.

__________________
Casey L Clayton
(662) 523-0375
Mantachie, MS

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Oct 2007
Location: Northeast Mississippi
Posts: 888

And the FTV is to keep you from having to buy a $5000 machine if somebody steals it or it catches fire. It is just a precautionary should something happen.

__________________
Casey L Clayton
(662) 523-0375
Mantachie, MS

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Nov 2005
Location: minnesota
Posts: 3660

larry- thats 80 feet per hour- thats a sure time saver from handdigging.

thanks again for more info- thanks casey lee for rental info, i've got a shop about 2 miles away- bet i can get a 4 hour rental.

__________________
patriotism is supporting your country all of the time and your government when it deserves it.
if you think the price of education is high, check out the cost of ignorance!

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Oct 2008
Location:
Posts: 368

I will borrow you a shovel??? oops sorry dont want you to ruin a nail!

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jun 2008
Location: southwest,pa(greene co.)
Posts: 352

hold on tight if you hit big rocks,or roots when your digging they tend to jump,but they do a great job,and the backfilling is alot easier than a backhoe.less cleanup is a good thing!!!!

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Nov 2005
Location: minnesota
Posts: 3660

thanks to everyone for the good info on trenchers. in the end, we decided to do it by hand. a friend said he needed $80 more than the rental shop did. we ran into some roots up to three inches thick that were easily dispatched with a sawzall.got the draintile in and now it is finally raining [after one of our driest mays in history]!!! just in time!! thanks again for all the helpful info.

quote:

---

Originally posted by DEMODOG1
I will borrow you a shovel??? oops sorry dont want you to ruin a nail!

---

__________________
patriotism is supporting your country all of the time and your government when it deserves it.
if you think the price of education is high, check out the cost of ignorance!

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Oct 2008
Location:
Posts: 368

i dont follow you around i just laugh at most your posts and cant resist replying sometimes! CIRCLE IT THERES A TINY LITTLE VINE RUNNIN ALL THE WAY OVER THERE!!!! Sorry i never counted the bails i have put up and no im pretty sure i havnt put up that many But im pretty proud of you!WOW a retaining wall now you don over done yourself that musta about killed a guy!

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: May 2006
Location: Wiscoonsin
Posts: 1941

Call diggers hot line to protect youself. JMO

Scott

__________________
Red Ryder coonhounds.
Home of the
Xtreme Hyde Dawg

Home of,
PR Nitech Leinie Red Ryder
PR Jan Da Red Ryder Butcher ( JJ )

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jun 2006
Location: Platteville, Wi
Posts: 5676

ben, i used a hand trencher when i worked for an electrical contractor..if i were you i would rent a skidloader with a trencher attachment..

__________________
Home of:
- Gr. Nite Ch. Iowa County Crybabe
- Nite Ch. Hickory Nut Dan
- Gr. CH Nite Ch. Hickory Nut Dan II
- CH. Gr. Nite Ch. Hickory Nut Dan III 2008 Performance Sire
- CH. Gr.Nite Ch. Hickory Nut Dan IV 2004 ukc world hunt finalist
- Ch. Gr.Nite Ch. Mounds Creek Sassy II
- Nite Ch. Hickory Nut Bucky HTX 3 wins towards grnite
- GrCh.GrNtCh Hickory Nut Bawlie HTX
-Nite ch. PR Iowa County CryBaby II 2013 Badger State Hunt Champion
qualified for 2013 UKC World Hunt
CH Nitech She Hate Me (scar) HTX Iowa County Kennels

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Feb 2008
Location:
Posts: 3550

BEN ISNT THAT ALITTLE BIT OF HAD LABOR FOR A HAIR STYLISH

__________________
MANIAC MY NAME HUNTING MY GAME!!
MANIAC BLOOD ROCKS!! WHERE THE TRACK POWER IS!!

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy24/maniacjr4/SAM_0522.jpg

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/1619.jpg

IF YOU WANT TO PACK HUNT
BUY YOU A PAIR BEAGLES!


GR NITE CH. HARWOODMANIAC JR 4 # 2 TOP 100 UKC WORLD 2013 OWNER JAY HYDE & DAVID DEPEW




GRNITE CH Hoghill Harwood Kasper
owners Hyde Warlick Leatherman
Qualified for 2013 world Hhunt
OWNER HYDE & WARLICK LEATHERMAN. MY PH 574 306 8438
K-LIGHTS ph.936 767 4965
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy24/maniacjr4/SAM_0734.jpg

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: May 2004
Location: Kentucky Wildcat Country
Posts: 4600

quote:

---

Originally posted by truly
thanks to everyone for the good info on trenchers. in the end, we decided to do it by hand. a friend said he needed $80 more than the rental shop did. we ran into some roots up to three inches thick that were easily dispatched with a sawzall.got the draintile in and now it is finally raining [after one of our driest mays in history]!!! just in time!! thanks again for all the helpful info.



I don't quite understand why you have to follow me everywhere on this site and taunt me- but I think it is funny that you might think that I would shy away from physical labor. If you knew the tonnage of material that I have moved in my lifetime!!!! Jesse- have you ever had a 10,000 bale summer? I've had three of them- handstacking 10,000 bales on the wagon@ at an avg. of 60 pds. per- comes to what-600,000 pounds of hay moved? thats what? 300 tons? and thats just the stacking- then it has to get unloaded and restacked in the haymow!From my freshman year til I graduated I ran all of the feeding on our 70 cow dairy- three 60 foot silos [2-20 ft diameter-one 16] , while it was machine unloaded, it all had to be hand moved to the cow stalls and pens by wheelbarrow and shovel, after that point. rough calculations of about 10 ton of material per foot of height of silos- about 1800 ton per year of material hand moved.
Not to mention the many retaining walls that I have built as an adult, handdigging to do foundation work, etc.....

Yeah- whatever- I am afraid to break a nail.

---

__________________
Perry Metcalf.. Go Big Blue !

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged