I just recieved word that we will be doing a fairly large outdoor project, trenching EVERYWHERE 90% of it through the grass

Has anyone used one of these "ez cable trenchers" ? If so how did it work out for speaker wire?

The landscaper we occasionally use can't help us out because of our time frame

[Link: sunbeltrentals.com]

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This is what I use and it seems to work well

:)

#jealous
#Want
#childhood dream


Do you own it?!?

LOL! Yes

We also purchased one of these walk behind 10 years ago [Link: ditchwitch.com] and it has worked really well. We had to upgrade for a large project but the little guy did a great job. We have a lot of mature trees so the one you referenced probably wouldn't get through any roots or obstructions. Notice he is working in a completely open field LOL! I do like the concept but we will typically lay conduit vs. only laying DB wire. Definitely much faster than our solution leaves much less of a trench opening. How deep does it go???

Too bad he is trenching a golf course fairway and not a typical yard, which would have roots and all matter of nonsense just below the surface. Around here one would have to contend with the compacted gumbo clay "soil".

Dude, That is totally awesome! just out of much curiosity what does one like that run? i assume you are "leasing" it?

You have got to be doing alot of cable laying between buildings to justify that amazing machine, how often do you guys use it? Im curious to see how this little machine works out, as much outdoor AV that I do i can justify the cost of this little guy ($2,099) since

The rental one will go down to 7" which is more then enough to keep the wire away from the yard aerators, Im also planing on running one of those wire markers things so when the yard gets 811'ed it will show up. I also like how it doesnt leave a huge "mess" like the ditch witches do.

im going to go ahead and rent it, worth a try for $75/day ill report back. Its a big "saw blade" so i dont see it having any issues going through the normal surface roots, We'll see!

I've used a vibratory trencher. (If you google you will find plenty of them.) The nice thing with the vibratory trencher is that very little damage is done to the sod, and very little patching / reseeding is needed.

The vibratory trencher basically uses a knife to slit the soil, and there is a feed tube that feeds wire or flexible pipe/conduit into a sleeve in the knife that exits at the bottom of the knife. In Michigan the soil in the area I used one was quite sandy, but the machine would bury the pipe 4' deep! (Otherwise you get to winterize the sprinkler system every year.) In Houston with very dense clay soil I used one to put a system about 18" deep, in very heavy gumbo/clay soil.

I would suggest the vibratory trencher if you can find one at a rental place in your area. Another option is to ask the sprinkler system install guys, as many will use these to lay pipe for sprinkler systems.

I was looking for the vibratory trencher but nobody rents one. Were on a fast tracked timeline and i dont think i could get irrigation guys out soon enough.

My client is ok with the trencher, as you can see in the video its not that bad. And im sure once it gets raked out and compacted it will be barely noticeable. Ill be spreading some grass seed just for good measure.

I would also recommend a vibratory plow but they can be a little difficult. For one, you will never know if you cut a sprinkler feed or wire. And two, they typically don't go down very far. We don't have that attachment on the big guy but we do have pallet forks, trenching blade, back hoe, bucket, and 24" post hole digger. It was just over 40K for the trencher, trailer, and 10K for the pick up truck and we own it. The smaller trencher was only like $8500. Unfortunately we now have a 1 ton truck that is hauling something over 2500lbs which means anyone who drives the pickup has to go through MNDOT regulations. So everyone has to get their health evaluated by a doctor and we have to get a special license for guy....man I hate government bs.......

Actually considering how capable that awesome machine is that doesnt seem to bad. How often do you guys use it?

Do you mean 25,000lbs? That is insane that you need to be regulated towing something over 2500lbs, how the hell do people drive cargo trailers there; or do they?

my old cargo trailer was over 3500lbs loaded

Sorry, 10,000 total vehicle weight including vehicle. 22k is the next jump with has even more regulations and licensing requirements. Our trailer alone fully loaded is 10,000lbs.

I have a lot of experience to all of the machines referenced above.

The first one you linked I actually have sitting under a tarp since I bought it last year. Unless i'm wrong it doesn't go down 7" it goes down 4". It's kind of light duty but will work in certain situations.

The trencher is just that...makes a trench. Destroys the grass and mixes it with the dirt which is piled along the side of the trench. Then you have to maually backfill the trench, the machine won't do that for you :)
Then you have to re sod or re seed.

The vibratory plow is the way to go. Neatest machine of all, and contrary to the depth it depends on the blade that's on it. It can easily go 8-14". If you know how to use it it will cut through roots up to maybe a 3 or 4" diameter, if the blade is sharp.
Yes you will not know if you cut anything in it's path underground, but you could just turn on the sprinkler system zone by zone to make sure every zone is working with full pressure afterwards. You might want to do that beforehand also so you aren't blamed for any existing problems. If you find you've cut a line you can flag it for their irrigation company or repair yourself.

Last but not least, make sure you call for a markout of utilities.
http://www.call811.com/

They will mark utilities...cable lines are notorious for only being 1-2" under the grass. They wont mark anything installed underground by someone else such as bbq or pool heater gas lines, etc.
Keep in mind sometimes the markout isn't too accurate so give a foot or 2 to each side of the marking. Where you might cross the marking line I would dig up a narrow trench to expose any lines so you can jump over it by raising the blade of the machine as you approach and then lower back down after you jump over it.

and then you have to find out what code says about depth of cable in direct burial situations

and what is the frost line and everything else///

That thing doesn't have enough weight to it to keep the blade down. If that's as deep as you want to go, this is a much better option
[Link: dogfencetrencher.com]

I used one of the Honda trenches from DMR nearly every day for about two years. They work great, even in rock and frozen ground. But again, they only go about 8".

They have two models, the one that sunbelt is renting goes down to 7" the cheaper one is 4" How does it work since you have experience with it??

vibratory plow definitely would be the way to go but i cant find anyone that rents it out and im not about to use my customers house a test bed for learning how to use it :)

811 is getting called tomorrow, i ALWAYS call them even if were just hand trenching.