$10.00 Slicer/Trencher

[BobRip]

I thin it is better to reopen an old thread that start a new one on the same subject.

 

[washita]

updating on the trencher according to my rough calculations a 10 cubic inch hydraulic motor should provide enough power (torque) for the digging and should provide the targeted 260/280 feet per minute chain speed that seems to be common on alot of small trenchers, my original calculations were 400/450 fpm until i realized that the older kohler gas engines did not spin at 3600 rpm if i missed something let me know i would rather over analize then build another yard ornament will post picts as soon as i talk the oldest daughter into posting them for me

 

[washita]

update took the plunge and order my hydraulic motor and coupler, will buy hoses locally, can't wait to get the motor so I can start fabricating the mount

 

[washita]

[/B][/ATTACH][/ATTACH] hydraulic showed up yesterday with coupler workingon mounting bracket today everything seems to be falling into place will post more pictures when complete

 

[J_J]

The chain and sprocket is almost worn out on my 4 ft trencher. It appears to be a throw away chain and sprocket.. Replacement is around $900 for chain and sprocket. I can't find any manufacturer that uses that chain and sprocket.

 

[washita]

finally got it done did about 1hour of trenching everything seems to be in good working order ie; dragged up a couple of cement blocks while playing in the dirt I feel it was money and time well invested even though it has been a long ongoing project, luckily enough I found a local supplier that was able to cross reference the FASTER brand couplers

 

[J_J]

wa****a,

Glad you got er done.

Who is the manufacturer of your trencher, The chain look very similar to my Power-Trac trencher, which had a worn out sprocket and chain. Chain replacement would be about $500, don't know price on the sprocket.

 

[washita]

the trencher was made by ARCHER in 1936 at least that is what the person at ballentines told me after I e mailed pictures to them hope that helps, ran trencher another 4 hrs today hooked a buried piece of steel lifted the powertrac rearend completely before the trenching chain stalled next time around I will use a reverseing motor, so I can clear the jams easier, I ended up using a 18 cubic inch hydraulic motor, with a 1500psi pressure relief, the valve does not open unless I stall the chain, overall very pleased, not as fast as a commercial unit, digs 6'' wide x 48''deep x 50 ft in 1 hour, thats still faster than I can dig by hand

 

[Frank Sorbello]

I like your slicer. How is it on hard ground? Did you ever make it into a cable/ pipe puller? Last question, what happens when you come across a big root or large rock?

Thanks
Frank

 

[MossRoad]

I like your slicer. How is it on hard ground? Did you ever make it into a cable/ pipe puller? Last question, what happens when you come across a big root or large rock?

Thanks
Frank

Thanks.

On hard ground, such as a sun parched baseball diamond, I have to make repeated passes. Sometimes it would only go in an inch at a time. But with the implement in front, it was not a problem to repeat the path over and over again.

Yes, I used it for pulling water pipe out to my garden. I just used a piece of rope through an existing hole in the back of the plow share. I made one pass through the yard without the pipe and repeated the path with the pipe. It went in like butter.... but our yard is all sandy loam and it was a rainy spring that year. Had it been last year with the drought, I suspect much more resistance would have been encountered.

What happens when I come across a big root or large rock?.... It STOPS! :laughing: The little PT425 only weighs 1500 pounds or so. That's why I make one run without pulling the pipe first. Any obstructions are marked with a flag or stick and I continue. I come back and hand dig any obstructions, then make a repeated pass to be sure I'm clear, then pull the pipe. Beats hand digging trenches for sure! :thumbsup:

 

[MossRoad]

Bumping this thread up as I was looking for it and its kinda useful.

 

[Frank Sorbello]

Hey Moss, Anyway to make that vibrate? I have been trying to make a vibratory plow for several years. Can't get it right.

 

[MossRoad]

Hey Moss, Anyway to make that vibrate? I have been trying to make a vibratory plow for several years. Can't get it right.

I thought about it at the time, but went with simple as could be. Our soil is almost 100% sand, so no need for vibratory plow for us.

So how you thinking about making one?
The make vibratory hydraulic motors.
Or, you could put a normal motor on it and drive some sort of eccentric.

 

[4570Man]

It wouldn't be hard to make vibrate but I would just rent one. It seems like it would put a lot of wear on your loader pins. It would probably be fine for a one time use, but I couldn't build it for the cost of renting.

 

[MossRoad]

I think if you put gauge wheels on it, and a weight block, you could put the loader in float and go backwards. The FEL would treat it like a trailer and not try to drive up over it like if you were pushing. The pins wouldn't suffer that way.

When I pulled mine in with that slicer, I made one pass without the pipe, then went back and retraced the first pass with a second pass, this time pulling the pipe in. Its very easy on a PowerTrac because you can see the attachment on the FEL arms from the driver's seat. It would be just as easy going backwards. The nice thing about going forwards, however, is that you can drive right up to a building or fence. But going backwards, you can start right up against a building or fence, so 6 of one, half a dozen of the other, I suppose.

 

[MossRoad]

When I first made this slicer thing, it was intended to be a giant edger for Little League ball diamond rehabs. We were members of a very small Little League with very, very few volunteer parents. Mostly just me and one other dad keeping up our three diamonds. We found a 4th diamond in the weeds and we decided to build a T-Ball diamond for the little kids out of it. We identified home plate and the baselines, staked them out, and used strings and stakes for end points. We used a staked line and a spray paint can to make the arc for the infield/outfield boundary and got some shovels to cut the grass line.... NOT! :laughing:

The infield was made of "moon dust" which is granulated limestone, and it was packed down like concrete. That's when I came up with the slicer idea. With the PT425 it was easy to just scratch the paint line in the grass about an inch or two deep at a time, and retrace the path exactly, only deeper each time, till we had a good edge. Then switched to the buckets to scoop/scrape out the infield of the encroached grass along the arc. Then refill with fresh material and pack.

Only later did I try to use it as a cable/pipe plow to the garden after seeing people on TBN do similar stuff.

 

[stuckmotor]

MossRoad,
Is that plow share hardened or mild steel?

 

[MossRoad]

MossRoad,
Is that plow share hardened or mild steel?

I don't know....

Bridgekeeper: What... is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?
King Arthur: What do you mean? An African or European swallow?
Bridgekeeper: Huh? I... I don't know that.
[he is thrown over]
Bridgekeeper: Auuuuuuuugh.
Sir Bedevere: How do know so much about swallows?
King Arthur: Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.

Got it at Rural King in the pile O plow shares years ago, if that helps.

 

[Ehanson]

I thought about it at the time, but went with simple as could be. Our soil is almost 100% sand, so no need for vibratory plow for us.

So how you thinking about making one?
The make vibratory hydraulic motors.
Or, you could put a normal motor on it and drive some sort of eccentric.

What about an "Impact Type"? Any way to make a rotating ratchet, pivot the shank in the middle and lift and drop the shank from the top on and off a cam lobe, creating a impact type action?
Probably not describing what I am envisioning, but , that's all I got.
and off the "cam" of the

 

[MossRoad]

Hey Moss, Anyway to make that vibrate? I have been trying to make a vibratory plow for several years. Can't get it right.

Food for thought....