Laying sprinkler pipe.

Singlecoil · Mar 24, 2006

I have sod laid over hard clay and need to get the sprinkler pipe down about 8 inches. I used the BX24 backhoe to dig the trench, carefully peeling the sod off as best as I could, then piled the clay in a different spot. This would be the one time having a 12 inch bucket is not an advantage. I took the bucket teeth off so it would dig a little narrower trench. I elected to fill the trench by hand as I assumed that it would be easier than trying to do so with the tractor. This was a pain in the behind. I'm thinking I should have used the FEL to backfill (duh!) then stomp on it with my boots before laying the sod back in. Has anyone tried using the FEL to peel sod or grass? The sod has been there about a year so it is pretty well dug in. It seems to me that it would be great if I could roll it back in 48 inch segments, then dig with the backhoe to get down deeper.
Or should I just use a pickaxe and dig a narrow trench by hand. Wait a minute....that would require shutting off the tractor, I'm not sure I can do that /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

It would be nice to have a backhoe attachment with a 2 foot long, five inch wide, slightly curved spike on it for this project.

Jimbrown · Mar 24, 2006

My personal opinion is that you would be far better off to rent a small walk behind trencher. It will cut a 6 inch trench and the sod will rapidly grow back over it. I have dug some water lines for my house with the BX and it just makes a pretty big mess no matter what you do.

npaden · Mar 24, 2006

I've contemplated getting a 1 bottom plow to use for trenching stuff. Not sure how much of a mess that would make though. Anyone ever tried that?

I also need to put in some more of the 1/4" drip irrigation stuff and thought about just putting 1 chisel in on a box blade and tilting it all the way forward and making a 3 or 4 inch trench throwing in the drip line and then stomping it back down.

Not sure if anyone has tried either of those or not.

flusher · Mar 24, 2006

Do a TBN search on "subsoiler" and you'll find several interesting threads on laying PVC pipe for landscaping using your BX24.

I'm landscaping my place now (10-acre parcel, house near center of the parcel, about 3/4 acre of landscaping ). Before I can lay the sprinkler pipe, I have to put in two 4" PVC landscape drains, each about 80-ft run to daylight. Used my 21 HP Kubota B7510HST with a KK middle buster plow to cut the trench for the drain pipe. Works fine. Took about 15 minutes to dig the 160 feet of trench.

Before I had the tractor, I rented a Ditch Witch 1330 trencher from Home Depot. Dug about 1100 feet of trench (12", 18" and 24" deep) for water, electric power and gas service to the house, several sheds and the garage/shop. Did that work last April when the ground was soft. Took about 8 hours. Trencher worked fine. The hard part is muscling it into position at the start of a trench line since it doesn't have good steering. Cost about $125/day (24 hours).

Sully2 · Mar 24, 2006

Here's the one I intend on using to bury my water and my electric lines....IF it ever decides to dry up a tad here ( one day nice..next day rain!!)

KubotainNH · Mar 24, 2006

That looks like a good idea. It makes me wonder if you could clamp a steel pipe in the hose, connect the pipe to the back of the attachment with a cable and drag the piping in while trenching.

texasjohn · Mar 24, 2006

I am able to pull black plastic pipe with a subsoiler in a trench for at least 40 feet or so. Never tried further, likely would go much further, particularly in lighter soil than I have. I pull the subsoiler where the pipe needs to be first to get all the rocks out of the way. Then come back, attach the plastic pipe to near the bottom of the subsoiler and pull it thru the same trench. Helps to have a helper to keep the pipe straight. There are several designs for doing this.... search for subsoiler on TBN to see others who have done this. Warning... in my case I pulled the pipe part way, got interrupted and came back a week later to continue the pull...oops, the clay had clamped down on the plastic and would no longer pull. So, make your complete pull in one pass.

Singlecoil · Mar 24, 2006

The one chisel on the box blade method is a great idea! I'm going to try that one. My backyard wasn't landscaped so I don't care at all about how ugly it gets but I'm thinking there has to be a better way for the rest of the front. Hopefully this is it. I was looking for an excuse to try out the new box scraper anyway. I'll read up on the subsoiler as well.