Which attachment to dig ditch??

Arkinsaw Dave · May 18, 2009

What attachment (besides a shovel

) would you all recomend to dig a ditch to re-route water that is flooding a driveway?? I looked at a middle buster at T. S. today and thought maybe that might do the trick, but is there something better suited to this task? Thanks

BigD23 · May 18, 2009

Not sure how far you have to dig, but my BH has sure been a good friend when it comes to this type of work.

Don

MtnViewRanch · May 18, 2009

Depends on what type of ditch you want, and where you need to put it.

A backhoe is always good, but a middle buster can work very well also. Or you could use a rear blade if you can tilt it enough. Also depends on what type of side you want on the edges of the ditch. Lots of variables.

I can go up to 19" below grade with my John Deere middle buster. My rear blade makes a ditch about 14" below grade as shown in the picture.

Erik_in_Hoyt · May 18, 2009

I've used a middle buster before with good results.
If you want something more finished looking, use the middle buster to dig the starter trench then come back with a back blade or box blade with one set of tires riding in the ditch to give you some bevel and clean up the sides. (or start with the box blade if you have a top n tilt setup)

waldersha · May 18, 2009

Just got done doing this with my plow and rear blade to keep water from washing out my garden. Used the plow first to open up the ground and then came back through with the blade to smooth it out. Looks similar to what MtnViewRanch is showing above. Turned out real nice.

dangerdoc · May 18, 2009

Arkinsaw Dave said:
What attachment (besides a shovel ) would you all recomend to dig a ditch to re-route water that is flooding a driveway?? I looked at a middle buster at T. S. today and thought maybe that might do the trick, but is there something better suited to this task? Thanks

My first tractor had 3 pt with down pressure. I did a lot of ditch work with that tractor and a straight blade with angle and pitch adjustment.

You can move a lot more dirt with a backhoe but unless you have experience, it it dificult to end up with a ditch that looks nice. It takes patience but you can end up with a nice looking ditch using a straight blade. as you go, put your rear tire in the ditch and you can make a pretty deep ditch with a blade also.

I've not had much luck with a middle buster my buster doesn't go very deep into the soil and what dirt it does dig is laid loose along the path.

If you already have a blade, try it, it you don't have a blade, you need one, just make sure it is heavy enough and has pitch adjustment.

djradz · May 19, 2009

Arkinsaw Dave said:
What attachment (besides a shovel ) would you all recomend to dig a ditch to re-route water that is flooding a driveway?? I looked at a middle buster at T. S. today and thought maybe that might do the trick, but is there something better suited to this task? Thanks

I think you'll need a rear blade or some other way to distribute the diggings, if you were to use a middle-buster. I've had great luck with just a rear blade tilted similarly to the picture, but less extreme. What you'll find is that even with a less extreme tilt (but plenty of angle) is that you can make a couple of passes and get the soil pushed well away from the trench at the same time. When I've done it, much more of the blade is involved in the effort rather than just the tip. I've even rigged my blade to be angled beyond the last adjustment hole, so it really digs almost like a plow. With each pass, as the tractor wheels ride in the furrow (trench) you'll dig deeper and deeper.