Need to Trench Internet Cable in......Any Ideas?

[monteu]

I need to run 150+ ft of internet cable from house to shop. Actually its been laying on the grass since last winter and still has not been mowed in two. Before I have driven twenty miles and rented a little gas powered trenching machine to do something like this, but I am feeling lazy. Is there anyway I can do this with some kind of hand disc tool that you just roll across the ground. Only need it a few inches deep. Anybody ever trenched with a chainsaw. There is a youtube video about it.......but not sure if I want to try it.

 

[Midniteoyl]

I simply open up the ground with a square shovel. Insert about 8" and rock back and forth to open a shallow trench. When done all the way, put cable in and stomp to close the ground back around it. Places the cable at an avg of 6" down or so.. leave a little slack at each end for ground movement.

Simple

 

[deerseeker001]

i have a mantis tiller with edger attachment,would slice a nice clean 5-6 inch deep grove slide your cable in and cover.

 

[JNYRCNG]

Northern Tool sells a cheap (Nortrac brand) 3-point subsoiler that I use to pull wires all the time. Works great for pulling sprinkler pipe and landscape lighting wire and just leaves a slit in the ground.

 

[Ken45101]

150' ? I would probably do it with a shovel as mentioned. Especially if you wait until the ground is wet and soft.

i have a mantis tiller with edger attachment,would slice a nice clean 5-6 inch deep grove slide your cable in and cover.

Darn! I think I might have one of those, sitting on a shelf, unused and forgotten!!! If you use one of those, mow the grass short first.

 

[troutsqueezer]

$40 + teenager. Problem solved.

 

[charlz]

I have the same thing but mine is more like 200'. Subsoiler would probably work ok, I have used this method for poly irrigation pipe. You have to be careful with network cable that you do not put too much pull on it. If you pull hard enough to start straightening the twists it loses it rating. Doing it with moist soil would probably be the best as it should slide right along. Not likely to get any deeper than 12" though. You can subsoil the path first and then come back and hook up the cable and subsoil it in, breaking up the soil first helps. Mine is a hayfield that might get plowed someday so I am going for the 'rent a ride on trencher and lay it deep' method. Also going to put conduit in since it will be deep and if I ever want to change the cable type, put fiber in etc. it will be easy through conduit.

 

[RxRatedZ71]

Get a piece of flat bar from local hardware store and run it through your scarifer hole in you BB. Drill a hole high enough so it hangs far down and then lower your BB and see if it will slice through the ground and any roots...maybe grind an edge on the front of it to help the progress. My neighbor tried this a few days after a rain to lay some intercom wire for his gate.

 

[Midniteoyl]

My local Co-Op has a walk behind (pull?) version of this.. A Wheel Trencher.. for laying propane lines from tank to house. If you dont want to/can not trench with a shovel, maybe you can find one for rent?

 

[Oliver1655]

If you have the ability to fabricate, similarly to above mention with a flat bar on edge, you can attach a piece of 1/2" conduit which has a 90 degree bend at the bottom & the top to the back edge of the flat bar. This will allow the wire to be fed into the slot/trench as you make it.