Ditch Witch C99

[daveshoot]

What's cool about these is that there are few safety features. Once you get the hubs locked and set it in reverse, you can go sit in the shade... it will just trench and trench a pretty darned straight line on level ground all by itself. Of course it will also trench through AC lines, sewer and irrigation pipes, sleeping deaf dogs, and anything else.

Getting it into reverse is inelegant, at best. Idle down, disengage drive belt, reach down behind rear right wheel, flip the lever around the Planetary Reducer (when they are pinched together, it's reverse). That's the hard part. After re-engaging the drive, it has to rotate around until it "catches" and it starts to crawl.

Do NOT try to pop the belt in drive to free up the reverse lever with your hand... that's what I did.

More painful than bloody, really, due to my cat-like reflexes.

 

[Gmorr57]

being on the farm I have a lot of little jobs I want to do with it, getting water to the garden the barn and running drip Irrigation to my muscadines and blueberries. if I can keep her together till I am done (rocky ground ugh) it will be cheaper than a rental and my back doesn't like pick and shovel anymore. and I understand about digging to much at one time your back fill melts into the grass ;-) David thanks again for the manuals and advice on getting it into and out of gear , my cat-like reflexes left me about 20 years ago age and mileage and all ;-) .

 

[Stimw]

I think I did this right this is my C99 very short vid, I am missing the belt shroud but with new gas and condenser "as in points and" the old girl seems to be running well

Yep, that's the same one that I junked! I cut it up with my Plasma Cutter to make it smaller. I hated to junk the engine with that gear reduction but it was locked up from sitting and I had no use for it.
I was cleaning up and filled a 20 yard dumpster full of steel. When you are in that clean up mind set everything must go.
Pic is 20 yard dumpster, 15,240 lbs steel scrap.

 

[Sparky88]

Daveshoot,

I have a C99. Been using it for about 10 years now on and off for small stuff since I also have a DW 3500. It sure is a digging machine. I can confirm too that it will dig a line, no doubt. It sure is a tricky unit to operate though! Lots of things to know and in the proper order.

If you have the manual, you probably know this. Start the machine in freewheel at the start of the trench then put it in reverse. By the time it starts crawling back, you should have the chain boom down to the depth you want.

Second tip. NEVER, EVER have the engine throttled up all the way and engage the drive lever (main lever on the right side). If the gear set is ready to go forward, the machine will take off like a bat out of ****! Took me for a ride the first time it happened. Wow! Lucky to not get hurt.

Its a great machine, never had much trouble with it. Starts great too. But, I now have one issue. The boom raising mechanism is not working. Binding up for some reason. I have it torn apart but I need to find out how to disassemble the last part of the threaded rod. Mind sending me the manuals you have? I found this site searching for help on it.

Thanks

 

[daveshoot]

Should be in your inbox!

Yes, they will go for a jump in forward, and I had an incident or two before getting the hang of everything.

Now I am considering using it for a poor man's subsoiler for a garden plot, before disking. I could also surround the plot with subterranean gopher fencing (hardware cloth). At least only the deepest diggers will get in, then.

I was thinking we could have a C99 road rally. :cool2: It would be like the world's slowest parade.

 

[Pitch0958]

I sure would like a copy of that manual. I can't find one anywhere. If you can send it to me or let me know how you want to handle it, I sure would appreciate it.

 

[gwdixon]

Its a great machine, never had much trouble with it. Starts great too. But, I now have one issue. The boom raising mechanism is not working. Binding up for some reason. I have it torn apart but I need to find out how to disassemble the last part of the threaded rod. Mind sending me the manuals you have? I found this site searching for help on it.

Thanks

Friend of mine has a DW 1030 that had the boom binding problem. It would set the hydraulics into bypass mode and the boom wouldn't move. Sometimes it worked but mostly it didn't. The boom could be lifted by hand with much effort and grinding. We found the problem to be lack of lubrication.

On the boom swivel shaft there is a Zerk right on top. We pumped a tube of grease in that fitting and the boom finally freed up. Now it works perfectly and has had many hours put on it.

Maybe it is the same with your machine. Worth a try anyway.

 

[daveshoot]

I get a few requests for the owner's and parts manuals for this valuable old critter and I am happy to share. However, I can't send attachments with a TBN response, so if anyone needs these files in the future, just drop me a pm with an actual email address and I will send them right along. I can't just attach them to a forum post, it seems. Not surprising.

I also found you can't post PDFs to Photobucket, or I'd leave a link to them. The OM is about 2.7 Mb and the parts breakdown is 3.5, just give me a valid addy and they are on the way.

GW, thanks for sharing. There is also a zerk on the planetary reducer housing and I hope pumping that sucker full of grease eases the shifting process. Gonna try it in the morning. Shifting has been my biggest headache.

PS: I have always loved the word "zerk" so in the course of this reply I looked it up... worth a post in itself, if you like this sort of thing: Oscar Ulysses Zerk (1878 - 1968) - Find A Grave Memorial. Thank you, Oscar U. Zerk!

 

[msimmss]

Hi Daveshoot,
I recently purchased a c99. I read your post before. I am looking forward to putting it to work. Would you mind sending me the manual you scanned? That would be a huge help. The guy I bought it from got it working, but he could not remember all the steps re: locking wheels, gear shift...
Any help would be great.
Thanks,
Michael

 

[Gracor]

I have found that 1) I can trench more with rentals than I can possibly install in one shot, and 2) trenches do not age well.

The upshot is re-digging all those trenches out by hand with a contractor's shovel, or cobbling up something that allows the CUT to help with the chore. Neither have turned out well for me. Rain also disperses or compacts your backfill.

So, I bought a trencher off of Craig's List. Been stalking them for some time, but the $$ or condition put me off. Until now....

This "antique" Ditch Witch C-99 is an awesome little digger. It was $950 and I will call that good. The rope start kicks it on first pull every time (so far). It was well cared for and home-serviced.

View attachment 311511

Shifting forward and reverse is a little tricky. I can share one painful way not to do it, but it works pretty well once you get the hang of it. I can run an easy 2' deep when and wherever I want, and it's at least a little more maneuverable in some of the tighter places.

You trench in the reverse creeper gear, and once it's all going you can sit down and watch. It will just pull a straight line unless you hit something you should have known was there. Or an undocumented rock.

If anyone else has one, I have scanned the owner's manual and have the parts book as well. It's been out of production since at least '99.

I have finally got my pipes from the well to the house (and under the driveway, courtesy of a rental UnderWonder) and am finally making some real progress.

Hi, I have recently obtained a C99 and there are some parts missing from around the throttle bracket. A parts list and manual would be of great assistance can you help.
eegards
Gracor