Trench Digging

[JakeLS]

Good morning,
I'm looking for a little advice. I'm new to tractors and equipment in general. Yesterday I helped a friend dig a trench from his house to his new garage for electric service using the backhoe on my MT125. The backhoe worked great, much better than a shovel! My question is, how do you "finish" a trench with a wheeled machine? I had to leave enough space at one end or the other to drive the tractor out (ended up leaving the gap in the middle due to rocks and roots near the garage and sticky clay near the house). I've seen track machines lift the front end a bit with the boom and just spin the tracks 90 degrees and drive out over the trench but that wont work with wheels.
Any advice or will I need to continue hand digging the last 6 or so feet?

 

[Professor Marvel]

you have to pick it/walk it over the ditch using the hoe
practice this without the ditch a few times first

 

[JakeLS]

you have to pick it/walk it over the ditch using the hoe
practice this without the ditch a few times first

Thanks! Excellent advice on trying it without the trench first! Lol if it ever stops raining I'll give it a shot.

 

[Gary Fowler]

To get the front across, just lower the FEL to lift the front wheels slightly and skid across, keep the FEL down then use the backhoe to lift the back wheels and pivot the hoe to set one wheel across the ditch.
On narrow trenches, you can sometimes just drive across with the back wheels since they are much larger than the fronts.

 

[3Ts]

Since you have a tractor mounted hoe, be sure it can lift the back of the tractor completely off the ground. Otherwise - - -

 

[Red Horse]

Or you can just back up to end of trench at like 45 degree angle and boom out and just dig a wider hole at foundation- not pretty but it works. How wide and deep is trench. Or how about this very simple solution-you are not laying drainage pipe where you have to worry about pitch. Run out enough wire from house in trench, leave a couple of feet open, then backfill up to coiled wire and dig rest out.

 

[Diggin It]

^^ That's probably what I would do. Dig some, lay the conduit/pipe/wire, backfill that section, then move on. Second option would be some kind of heavy planking. I don't believe I'd be lifting and hopping over.

 

[Diggin It]

Since you have a tractor mounted hoe, be sure it can lift the back of the tractor completely off the ground. Otherwise - - -

I'm not sure these will. The outriggers will. The Hoe might straight back and down. Angling and twisting the whole machine? I don't think I'd trust it.

 

[Red Horse]

Simple is usually best solution

 

[4570Man]

It’s hard the get the last bit of dirt out of the trench without dragging it around some. I don’t think the dig and cover half of it approach would work very good. The digging at 45 degrees doesn’t work good either. My last tractor backhoe had no problem with the lift and hop over approach.

 

[Alan W.]

Sometimes you cant dig and cover as you go due to inspections needed.
Walking a dedicated backhoe over and around ditches is easy once you get the hang of it. Like all things it takes a little practice.
I always liked the old Case controls, you controlled the swing with your feet. Made it easier to lean back and control the bucket with a free hand.
Until you practice with your machine you dont know what it can and cant do, so have at it.

 

[Diggin It]

^^ They don't always need he whole length left open. I'm talking about filling a 10-15' section, enough to drive over.

 

[JakeLS]

I did think of the backfill method but he already had all the pipe glued when I got there so it had to go in all at once. I know the hoe will lift the rear of the tractor, i did it while trying to smooth the bottom of the trench. I'm not sure if i can lift and pivot but it's worth trying out the next time i have it hooked up.

 

[3Ts]

Walking a dedicated backhoe over and around ditches is easy once you get the hang of it. Like all things it takes a little practice.

All dedicated backhoes should be able to do this. Ag tractor mounted backhoes, not necessarily. Mine will lift one rear wheel off the ground, not both, so swinging the back end is a problem since i'd have to drag one rear wheel.

For digging ditches, mini-x can't be beat.

 

[woody]

just dig the last ten feet or so from the side if possible.

 

[dieselscout80]

Maybe dig both ends first and then the trench.

 

[4570Man]

Maybe dig both ends first and then the trench.

How would that help?

 

[4570Man]

For digging ditches, mini-x can't be beat.

Except maybe a trencher. I’d rather cover the trench back up with a loader bucket anytime.

 

[JakeLS]

I thought of this too. It would work but wouldnt be ideal. My hoe doesnt swing a full 90 so I have to dig at a slight angle or the one back tire will end up in the trench. In most cases I can deal with that.

just dig the last ten feet or so from the side if possible.

 

[JakeLS]

Hopefully I'll have a couple of dry hours tomorrow to try walking the tractor with the Hoe. If that doesn't work then I'll carry a couple of short lengths of 2x12 to bridge the gap. I think they would carry the weight over such a short span, the bucket is only a 12 inch.