BH Question: Digging trenches

[AJRAPTOR]

AFQTP - BACKHOE OPERATIONS - EXCAVATE, LOAD, AND BACKFILL MATERIAL - YouTube. This video is a good starter for anyone thats not use to using a backhoe.

 

[LD1]

AFQTP - BACKHOE OPERATIONS - EXCAVATE, LOAD, AND BACKFILL MATERIAL - YouTube. This video is a good starter for anyone thats not use to using a backhoe.

I didnt have time to watch the whole video, just the "excavation" part, so I'll give my feedback:

First, if you operated like that, it would take about a week to get the 1000 ft trench dug:laughing: But I know, it is an overly cautious "training" video.

But a couple of serious things though. First, most dirt (at least in my area) dont dig that easy.:laughing: It appeared he had street pads, and if I had those, I wouldnt be able to dig squat even with my 18k lb machine. So dont get discouraged if dirt dont fill the bucket quite that easy.

Second thing, it is fine to push yourself forward, but honestly, with all you have to do, if you have a swivel seat, I find it easier to just put the darn thing in gear and drive. But if you have a 2-seat backhoe and it is a PITA climbing over things to change, I can see the benefit.

Third, I "know" it is common practice, and it is even outlined in most manuals, but I dont like making a habit out of moving "re-positioning" with the swing cylinder. It puts added and unessicary stresses and wear in things.

And my last comment about the video, if you are trenching and plan to backfill later, DONT put the dirt "as far away from the excavation site" as you can. Keep it close. And dont make big piles. Try to spread it evenly alongside the trench. Makes backfilling MUCH easier. Just dont put it soo close that it falls back in or you run out of room. But you'll be able to judge that in short order.

And for the record, I still dont like raising the back tires off the ground. I have seen manuals that say to do that, and some that say to do NOT. But I dont believe that the tractor is "more stable" with the back tires off the ground. From a physics standpoint, you are raising you COG as well as narrowing your footprint. I just put the pads down enough to take the weight off the tires and level the machine. But raising the tires in the air 5" is unnecessary IMO.

 

[copperhead1967]

How long....twice as long as I usually estimate. I use the bucket on end as a depth guage and will follow the terriain to get slope if placing drains. Usually look at the site and get a good starting depth and work to the outlet end of the drain. For uniform trenches I use the bucket depth again which on my BX is around 18 inches or so. I too extend the hoe out as far as it goes and dig to one side with the spoils. I use the loaded curled bucket bottom when swinging out to push the pile further from the trench and then dump the load. After the drench is roughed out a few long pulls will bring any clumps to you and you can clean them out then or catch on the next round. I then backdrag when possible with the FEL to pull the pile even futher from the ditch then scoop it up with the FEL to haul out. Mind you I'm liberal with my gravel on drains. If burying the pipe I just push the dirt in and use the tractor wheels to pack it for final grading.

 

[boggen]

is it an osha requirement to raise tires off ground. so you do not accidentally have tractor in gear, when you go to operate backhoe and tractor takes off?

been there done that. thinking i have things out of gear and go to get off, and hit a lever, and the tractor begins to move on me. but this has happened when just operating tractor and not directly going to operate backhoe.

and with operating backhoe, you can really get a tractor a bouncing, and jerking around. that may cause gear shift to move or lever for shuttle shift to move, or hst to bounce some, into gear or some such. and machine to take off, granted i never had this happen. but going to assume it went through someones mind, when they say get tires off ground. when operating backhoe.

operator awareness *shrugs* making sure you have tractor set, and can not roll away while operating backhoe.

 

[AJRAPTOR]

I didnt have time to watch the whole video, just the "excavation" part, so I'll give my feedback:

First, if you operated like that, it would take about a week to get the 1000 ft trench dug:laughing: But I know, it is an overly cautious "training" video.

(as you said "it is an overly cautious "training" video." it is only ment to give you the basics of running a backhoe key word SAFE yes your right it would take a long time I run heavy equipment myself yes I know this stuff also this is a video for people with ZERO seat time really so it its not perfect but its better then say some people trying to dig with a backhoe and thinking they only need to put one stab leg down and that will hold them.)

But a couple of serious things though. First, most dirt (at least in my area) dont dig that easy.:laughing: It appeared he had street pads, and if I had those, I wouldnt be able to dig squat even with my 18k lb machine. So dont get discouraged if dirt dont fill the bucket quite that easy.

(clearly they are digging in a sandy type soil it is easy to dig in that soil but the method is right regardless I have dug in everything from sand to hard rock with both backhoes, excavators, skidsteers, and front end loaders. The rubber streepads would give you bite if you got your rear wheels off the ground a bit when digging in hard ground due to a higher psi for traction. I dont have the rubber street pads on my backhoe and I dig in both sand and hard rocky type ground. I wish I had the rubber street pads to keep me from sliding all over the place in both loose and hard soil as my machine is only a b26 it takes pratice to dig in all different types of ground. but again your right you cant always get a full bucket the point of the video tho is to get keep it productive by getting the bucket as full as you can if your only gonna put a shovle full at a time in your bucket then your wasting time and fuel)

Second thing, it is fine to push yourself forward, but honestly, with all you have to do, if you have a swivel seat, I find it easier to just put the darn thing in gear and drive. But if you have a 2-seat backhoe and it is a PITA climbing over things to change, I can see the benefit.

(it also depend on where your parking brake is located also but I have a swivel seat in my b26 but its so small you wont see me just spinning around and pulling ahead so I move my machine with the hoe when I only need to move a few feet at a time)

Third, I "know" it is common practice, and it is even outlined in most manuals, but I dont like making a habit out of moving "re-positioning" with the swing cylinder. It puts added and unessicary stresses and wear in things.

(again your right it but wouldnt hurt the machine to much to reposition yourself using the hoe I do it myself but again this video is for people with ZERO seat time it can be tricky if your not use to the controls I myself wouldnt try to do a formbord jump or a ditch jump if I was new to the machine and didnt know the controls the best. so moving the few feet you need to move is fine this way in the video if your not sure of what your doing. or you dont want to hit the wall of your trench and knock it down or mess up the compaction of the floor of your trench.)

And my last comment about the video, if you are trenching and plan to backfill later, DONT put the dirt "as far away from the excavation site" as you can. Keep it close. And dont make big piles. Try to spread it evenly alongside the trench. Makes backfilling MUCH easier. Just dont put it soo close that it falls back in or you run out of room. But you'll be able to judge that in short order.

(yes your right dont put the fill as far away from the trench as you can but dont put it up close either by law where I am the fill must be at least 3 feet away from the hole for saftey reasons. also if your if you dig below 4ft you must slope or bench the walls. so if your diggin 8 feet down the top 4 feet must be slopped and the bottom 4 feet can be stright wall. Now If im digging a trench and have a guy in the trench laying pipe I dont the fill so close that it could make the trench wall fall in and hurt or even kill the guy in the hole. so really it depends on what the ground compaction is like and or the laws you have where you are and what the job type is.)

And for the record, I still dont like raising the back tires off the ground. I have seen manuals that say to do that, and some that say to do NOT. But I dont believe that the tractor is "more stable" with the back tires off the ground. From a physics standpoint, you are raising you COG as well as narrowing your footprint. I just put the pads down enough to take the weight off the tires and level the machine. But raising the tires in the air 5" is unnecessary IMO.

(yes I aggree 5" is a bit much if on level ground but what about a slope? one side is gonna be higher then the other most of the time I like to just take the weight off the wheels so as not to hurt the axles or drivetrain with the shaking of the side swinging of the hoe all ou need to do is level and stablelize the machine remeber they are called stablelizers and not jacks for a reason.)

I just added a few notes in () to what you have said

 

[AJRAPTOR]

is it an osha requirement to raise tires off ground. so you do not accidentally have tractor in gear, when you go to operate backhoe and tractor takes off?

been there done that. thinking i have things out of gear and go to get off, and hit a lever, and the tractor begins to move on me. but this has happened when just operating tractor and not directly going to operate backhoe.

and with operating backhoe, you can really get a tractor a bouncing, and jerking around. that may cause gear shift to move or lever for shuttle shift to move, or hst to bounce some, into gear or some such. and machine to take off, granted i never had this happen. but going to assume it went through someones mind, when they say get tires off ground. when operating backhoe.

operator awareness *shrugs* making sure you have tractor set, and can not roll away while operating backhoe.

This why you set the parking brake :thumbsup: and this is also why tractors have that seat safty switch in them now days. from people trying to start the tractors from the ground and low and behold its in gear and the parking brake is not set and it takes off so dealers had to put in the seat switch to keep that from happening when the tractor is in gear.

 

[rdsaustintx]

Never straddle your trench. Even if you have to go back, just for a moment, fill it in first. Trust me... :ashamed:

 

[MHarryE]

Never straddle your trench. Even if you have to go back, just for a moment, fill it in first. Trust me... :ashamed:

Straddling not all bad. I had to do that digging in a water line for my brother-in-law. It was wall to wall so I pivoted near the end, dug back, and waited drinking coffee until my nephew finished milking cows so he could use his skid steer to fill in so I could get out. That's a nice thing about an excavator with a wide tread width in solid ground.

 

[LD1]

I just added a few notes in () to what you have said

Additions not too bad:thumbsup:

My only comment is about the "keeping piles 3' away law"

That only applies if you are going to be getting in the trench. And when doing water line and tile by the roll, I dont get in the trench. But I also forgot to note, keep all the fill on only ONE side of the trench. It makes backfilling easy and it makes laying the line/tile easy as you dont have to be climbing over your piles.