Which machine would you use?

[Blue Mule]

I need to dig 4 trenches. Each trench needs to be 6-8" wide and about 50 feet long. I'm going to lay pipe in the ground to carry gutter downspout water farther out into the yard. Currently it's dumping about 6 feet from the house. I want it to dump 50 feet away. So I'm going to bury pipe for 50 feet and then terminate onto the grass above grade (the yard has a nice slope to it).

I'm going to rent a machine for one day to dig these 4 trenches. I can't decide whether a Ditch Witch style trencher would be best, or a mini ex. I figure that the trencher would be more precise with depth, width, and staying in a straight line but would probably require two passes to achieve the 6 inch width I want to lay my pipe in the ground. A mini ex would give me a 12" bucket or slightly less so one pass would do the trick, but it may be hard to keep a consistent depth/fall on the trench as I move along. I have rented both machines a few times in the past so I'm no pro operator but I'm decent.

What machine would you use? Or is there something I haven't considered?

 

[5030]

Trencher, hands down.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

you don't say how deep nor what you are digging into?

Deep rock versus shallow sand with be very different.

Without details I would say chain trencher will make less of a mess but wont work in rock nor normally dig as as deep as a bucket on a hoe or excavator.

 

[Blue Mule]

Probably 8 to 10 inches deep. Excellent soil with only a few rocks here and there.

 

[2manyrocks]

You'd be creating a much bigger hole with the 12" bucket. Digging 200 feet will go much faster with the trencher.

 

[dodge man]

Trencher and don’t forget to call for a utility locate.

 

[sea2summit]

Trencher. 6-8” wide with anything else, other than a shovel, isn’t gonna happen.

 

[Blue Mule]

Alright thanks guys. I'll go with the trencher.

As far as utility location, we had this house built 5 years ago and watched all utilities put in, even did sewer and water ourselves, so I know exactly where everything is at and I'll only be crossing the sewer line at one point with one of the trenches, and zero utility crossings on the rest so I'm good. I plan to use a shovel to locate the sewer line specifically and avoid that one spot with the trencher.

 

[dougtrr2]

I figure that the trencher would be more precise with depth, width, and staying in a straight line but would probably require two passes to achieve the 6 inch width I want to lay my pipe in the ground.

What machine would you use? Or is there something I haven't considered?

I have only used a trencher once. I am having a hard time envisioning how you could make two passes. Wouldn't a lot of the the dirt on the second pass just fall into the first trench?

Doug in SW IA

 

[skramer360]

The trenchers at the rental yard where I used to work dug a 6" wide trench. One pass easy-peasy.