Trenching machines

[JD Farm]

Want to get some draining done and with the price of contractors now I'm wondering whether to get a trenching machine, something small like a ditch witch or seen a Case online. Looks like they will be about £10k.

Silly idea or worth looking at? Doubt they will lose money but will they just be a money pit to keep going

A digger might be a better idea and can use on other things or are they a lot slower and more cumbersome

Not done a lot of drainage before

Thanks

 

[snipe]

I think a drainage company in Lincolnshire hire them. And chapalows in West Yorkshire do too

 

[suffolksmallholder]

IMO a drainage Co will do a proper job and the drains will work.
Or a ‘farmers-job’ where you spend a LOT of money, make a mess and nothing works.
Your choice though.
SS

 

[suffolksmallholder]

A Case chain trencher is a great little tool for water pipes.
SS

 

[Magnus Oyke]

My mate has a Mastenbroek, I think it was about a quarter of a million

 

[Dave W]

There’s a couple of ride on ditch witch on Facebook recently. They are brilliant tools for a one man band. I sold one earlier this year too a fibre optic cable company.

@Grassman bought one a few years ago to put ground source heating pipes in. Bought a simple chain trencher on skidsteer backplate and I snapped it with a topping linkage to go on rear 3pl. Worked brilliantly but you really need a hydrostatic or vario tractor

 

[Overwelly]

Look at soil max plough, combined with rtk gps it is possible to lay pipes to mm accuracy, much quicker than a chain trencher as well

 

[JD Farm]

Would a case chain trencher or ditch witch be ok for putting a 4 inch perforated pipe in

 

[Devil's advocate]

AFT 100

 

[Boohoo]

A trencher would be a complete waste of time here but I suppose not everyone is putting their drains 12ft deep

 

[Dave W]

Would a case chain trencher or ditch witch be ok for putting a 4 inch perforated pipe in

Would be fine. The teeth have spacers so can be configured at various widths.
This is the one I sold

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[IOW91]

I've used a self propped Ditch Witch with a little Deutz engine in a few times at the firm I used to work for. Done land drains and some trenches for the gas board. Done a good job, unique little machine really.

I have also used my mates 360 mounted trencher, that goes on an 8ton machine. Excellent bit of kit. Put a fibre optic trench in for a new farm house with it.

 

[Devil's advocate]

A trencher would be a complete waste of time here but I suppose not everyone is putting their drains 12ft deep

Brave man who climbs into that trench.

 

[Devil's advocate]

 

[daveydiesel1]

How do they cope with stones

 

[Wombat]

A trencher would be a complete waste of time here but I suppose not everyone is putting their drains 12ft deep

Nope i have some just gone in at 50cm as its all the fall we can get

 

[IOW91]

How do they cope with stones

On the self propelled ditch witch, it wasn't uncommon on gravely land to have a stone whistle past your ear

 

[daveydiesel1]

On the self propelled ditch witch, it wasn't uncommon on gravely land to have a stone whistle past your ear

What aboutbig stones

 

[Boohoo]

Brave man who climbs into that trench.

Why would you climb in? Dig it out, put the pipe in and stone it.

 

[Boohoo]

Nope i have some just gone in at 50cm as its all the fall we can get

Sometimes we lay the pipe at that sort of depth where fall is limited but the bottom of the drain can be much deeper.