Which machine would you use?

[Blue Mule]

I need to dig 4 trenches. Each trench needs to be 6-8" wide and about 50 feet long. I'm going to lay pipe in the ground to carry gutter downspout water farther out into the yard. Currently it's dumping about 6 feet from the house. I want it to dump 50 feet away. So I'm going to bury pipe for 50 feet and then terminate onto the grass above grade (the yard has a nice slope to it).

I'm going to rent a machine for one day to dig these 4 trenches. I can't decide whether a Ditch Witch style trencher would be best, or a mini ex. I figure that the trencher would be more precise with depth, width, and staying in a straight line but would probably require two passes to achieve the 6 inch width I want to lay my pipe in the ground. A mini ex would give me a 12" bucket or slightly less so one pass would do the trick, but it may be hard to keep a consistent depth/fall on the trench as I move along. I have rented both machines a few times in the past so I'm no pro operator but I'm decent.

What machine would you use? Or is there something I haven't considered?

 

[5030]

Trencher, hands down.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

you don't say how deep nor what you are digging into?

Deep rock versus shallow sand with be very different.

Without details I would say chain trencher will make less of a mess but wont work in rock nor normally dig as as deep as a bucket on a hoe or excavator.

 

[Blue Mule]

Probably 8 to 10 inches deep. Excellent soil with only a few rocks here and there.

 

[2manyrocks]

You'd be creating a much bigger hole with the 12" bucket. Digging 200 feet will go much faster with the trencher.

 

[dodge man]

Trencher and don’t forget to call for a utility locate.

 

[sea2summit]

Trencher. 6-8” wide with anything else, other than a shovel, isn’t gonna happen.

 

[Blue Mule]

Alright thanks guys. I'll go with the trencher.

As far as utility location, we had this house built 5 years ago and watched all utilities put in, even did sewer and water ourselves, so I know exactly where everything is at and I'll only be crossing the sewer line at one point with one of the trenches, and zero utility crossings on the rest so I'm good. I plan to use a shovel to locate the sewer line specifically and avoid that one spot with the trencher.

 

[dougtrr2]

I figure that the trencher would be more precise with depth, width, and staying in a straight line but would probably require two passes to achieve the 6 inch width I want to lay my pipe in the ground.

What machine would you use? Or is there something I haven't considered?

I have only used a trencher once. I am having a hard time envisioning how you could make two passes. Wouldn't a lot of the the dirt on the second pass just fall into the first trench?

Doug in SW IA

 

[skramer360]

The trenchers at the rental yard where I used to work dug a 6" wide trench. One pass easy-peasy.

 

[Rockbadchild]

The only thing with a trencher is you can't use it to backfill... unless you have a tractor with a FEL I would take the mini ex

 

[AndyMA]

I'd rent the trencher to dig the trench. And a tractor or skidsteer to backfill

Andy

 

[4570Man]

A trencher doesn’t do the double pass idea for a wider ditch at all. If it won’t dig it in one pass scratch off that idea. But most trenchers dig 6 inches which is sufficient for laying 4” gutter pipe. A trencher will be much less invasive on the grass so that would be my first choice.

 

[4570Man]

The only thing with a trencher is you can't use it to backfill... unless you have a tractor with a FEL I would take the mini ex

A ride on with a blade can. I wouldn’t want a walk behind trencher just for that reason although hand raking gutter lines isn’t a big deal. Raking in 3ft deep ditch is too much work.

 

[tradosaurus]

I realize the gutter won't be full of water but is it still best to place it below the frost line?

 

[Rockbadchild]

I realize the gutter won't be full of water but is it still best to place it below the frost line?

The issue with that is you get so deep there's nowhere deeper to run the water too ... As long as it has enough slop for the water to continuisly run through the pipe he would be fine most of the time, it may freeze but it might freeze regardless if you go straight down to 6 feet... it always freeze at the transition from gutter to the pipe at the ground level even if its vertical never in the horizontal pipe if enough slope is given (enough slope would be 2%) ... At my old house the sump pump was running all year long none stope and the offtake was going in the gutters underground pipe to the street and it would pump all winter without issue and it was only 1 foot deep. I only had frozen once and it was only for a week in the spring... Sometime the condition are just right and there is simply no way around it.

 

[bdhsfz6]

As far as utility location, we had this house built 5 years ago and watched all utilities put in, even did sewer and water ourselves, so I know exactly where everything is at and I'll only be crossing the sewer line at one point with one of the trenches, and zero utility crossings on the rest so I'm good. I plan to use a shovel to locate the sewer line specifically and avoid that one spot with the trencher.

You'd be surprised how much you "forgot" about where the utilities are. Many states have a law requiring you to call for a locate before digging. All it takes is a phone call and it costs you nothing.

 

[LD1]

No need for drainage to be below frost. Just maintain grade and make sure it has fall to "daylight: so it wont hold water.

For what you describe, at such a shallow depth....trencher hands down. And even backfilling by hand wont be bad at such a shallow trench.

As said, trenchers dont like rock....but only 10" deep....even if you hit a rock you can hand shovel it out or around it without much work.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I need to dig 4 trenches. Each trench needs to be 6-8" wide and about 50 feet long. I'm going to lay pipe in the ground to carry gutter downspout water farther out into the yard. Currently it's dumping about 6 feet from the house. I want it to dump 50 feet away. So I'm going to bury pipe for 50 feet and then terminate onto the grass above grade (the yard has a nice slope to it).

Have you considered how you are going to handle the outlet transition between the pipe and the lawn? Unless the slope is great enough, it can be tricky to do without creating a mowing obstacle. Rodents and debris, like grass clippings and leaves, can also plug the pipe unless there is frequent and sufficient flow.

 

[Blue Mule]

Have you considered how you are going to handle the outlet transition between the pipe and the lawn? Unless the slope is great enough, it can be tricky to do without creating a mowing obstacle. Rodents and debris, like grass clippings and leaves, can also plug the pipe unless there is frequent and sufficient flow.

What I have now is 6' of corrugated pipe laying on the ground at each back corner of the house and 20' at each back corner of the detatched garage. That is the ultimate mowing obstacle. Not to mention it's ruining the grass at the end of the pipe and keeping the yard wet close to the house. Anything I do will be an upgrade even if I don't install a pop-up box somewhere down stream.

However, I think there's enough slope that I can just keep the trench exactly the same depth below grade all the way down until I'm satisfied that it's far enough into the field and then give it a terminus exposed. I also plan to use perforated pipe during the last 50% of each run to give water a chance to shed off before reaching the exposed opening at the end. Even during a thunderstorm the flow won't be great and no more than 1/2" deep inside the pipes.