best attach to dig elect lines?

[MrJoe]

Good Day: I want to add low voltage lights around the property so I need to run the lines first. What's the best attachment to use to dig a trench about 8" deep and a few inches wide /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif The DX 24E has cat 1 3ph, the ground is typical lower SE Conn, topsoil w/ scattered rocks /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Thanks, Joe

 

[Holzster]

Get a sub-soiler. most of the time you get a center plow & you can take that off & put a center plow on.
here is a link:
http://www.mytscstore.com/detail.asp?pcID=4&paID=1029&sonID=76&page=2&productID=1221
a sub soiler is just a single bar - with mine I can dig 12" deep real quick in clay soil.

 

[Ledgemere Farm]

You have a couple of inexpensive options. If it's only a short distance, you can just use your loader. set your tractor perpendicular to the trench location and lower your bucket in the "dumped" position. It takes a little finesse with the valve, but you can do it. If the trench is a long one, I'd reccomend a middle buster. You can get them from Northern or Valu-Bilt or TSC. You will probably still have to get down off the seat and do a a little shoveling....

Have fun. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[AndyMA]

Personally I'd rent a trencher unless it's out in the open and you don't mind tearing up the rest of the lawn in the area. I have a backhoe, FEL, trencher, middle buster etc and there just isn't any comparison. Doing it with the tractor, there are just too many issues with maneuverer and making a mess.

Andy

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I modified a sub-soiler by drilling 2 holes in the trailing edge. Then I ran hose clamps through the holes and used them to hold a piece of PVC pipe on the back of the sub-soiler. The pipe has a 90-degree bend in it. I ran electric wire through the pipe and sunk the subsoiler into the ground and drove forward, the wire was buried about 8" deep as I drove. I needed to run wire to my daughter's play house so she would have lights. I think it took about 5 minutes to run 60' of wire. The plastic pipe cost me about $2. The hose clamps were about 49-cents for a 2 pack.

See pictures of it in my photo gallery in the PHOTO section of TBN.

SUB-Soiler with Cable layer

 

[EastTexFrank]

Bob's idea is pretty ingenious but when I wanted to lay a water line to my wife's garden, I hired a walk-behind trencher for half a day ... 4" wide trench, 15" deep. Yea, I know it's not nearly as much fun but it is quick, cheap and simple and you do get to play with the tractor and boxblade when backfilling the trench. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[bczoom]

Joe,

Is there a reason you need to go so deep?
I only ran my wire a couple inches below ground. It makes it a lot easier to pull a little wire out of the ground when you need to replace a light fixture when people run them over.
Honestly, a shovel worked the fastest for me being only a couple inches deep.

Brian

 

[DK35vince]

I used a setup this summer similar to what Bob Skurka suggested.
I ran 650' of phone line in under 1 hour, and that included some hand digging a the very beginning and end where the tractor ran out of room.
No backfilling, no major lawn damage. The subsoiler heaved the ground up just a bit as it cut through.
When I was finished I just ran my tires down the heave to pack it down and I was done. Work real slick for me..

 

[GerardC]

This is what I did. Works great. I made mine offset. G

 

[keeney]

Best = Vibratory plow, trencher, and backhoe combo machine (i.e. ditch witch with all two of the above or all three attachments). purchase = $$$$$ rental = $400-600 per day.

Sometimes, you also might want one of those steerable boring things to go under streets, driveways, and stuff.

Cheapest = Hand Shovel. $$, maybe you already own one.

My local HD has a small "Dingo" unit for rent with a small vibe-plow and/or a trencher atatchment that would be perfect for homeowner work. I think they wanted about $180 per day for the machine and one attachment on a trailer.

- Rick

 

[theboman]

A couple of teenagers with shovels and matics and $5 an hour each with a bonus for doing a nice job! $100 gets a lot of ditch and makes a couple young's sore with a few dollars in their pocket.

 

[sparkkky]

The great thing about low voltage is that it does not have to be buried at a certain depth like line voltage. The least the NEC requires is 18" and 24" required under a drive.

 

[dbelisle]

WOW !!
Teenagers for $5.00 an hour ???

Where do you find those...........

Dave in NH

 

[GerardC]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( WOW !!
Teenagers for $5.00 an hour ???

Where do you find those...........

Dave in NH )</font>

197? G

 

[sweettractors]

I removed all the tines from my 48 inch Forst Choice roto tiller, except, one outside row. I used a air ratchet and took 10 minutes to remove them. For maximum digging depth, I then removed my skid on that side of the tiller and lowered the lift arm, on that side, with lhe tractor leveling box asssy. Makes short work of installing these type low voltage lines, putting in edging brick and pvc feedline to my goldfish pond about 100 yds from the house. --Ken Sweet

 

[theboman]

Get a couple neighbhood boys and you're paying cash... get the 13-15 year old range. A few extra dollars for a little hard work.