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Lawn Trencher Operation

There are often times when you need to dig a trench.  It may be to install or replace part of an underground lawn sprinkler system or to install an underground electrical supply to a separate area.   I have never heard anyone say they love to dig ditches, even a little ditch.  So if you are in a situation where you need a trench 8 inches to 30 inches deep and anything over 10 feet long, a trencher is a great piece of machinery.

For the do-it-yourself person, a trencher is easy and safe to operate under most conditions, which is true for most residential lawn areas.   However, for trenches across a steep slope, through a drainage or irrigation ditch, under driveways or in very rough terrain, it may be beneficial to hire someone else to do the trenching.

Trencher safe operation

You can rent a walk-behind trencher from most equipment rental companies and a trailer is included.   So all you need is a vehicle with some towing capability and a few hours or your time.   You should be able to trench 100 feet (12 inches deep) in an hour once you get setup and going.

Safety tips:

1. Mark the trench path including all side trenches from beginning to end.
2. Keep the trench path at least 18” from any fence, sidewalk, patio and all permanent structures.
3. Double and triple check for any utility lines that may come anywhere near the trench path.   You may need to call your local utility company and have their lines marked several days in advance.  If there are any utility lines that do cross your trench path, manually dig this area so you can be 100% positive the trencher will not come close to damaging the lines.   Cable and phone lines will usually be within a few inches of the surface but home electrical and gas lines should be below the frost line.
4. Remove any large rocks, tree branches and other foreign objects that can be seen in the path.

An alternate piece of equipment to the standard trencher is the plow.  The plow slices the ground and pulls the pipe or electrical line as it moves across your lawn.  The advantage here is that there is no need to backfill and re-seed the grass when finished, since there is no trench.   The plow knife blade just slices the ground and leaves the cable underground as it moves.   The plow is limited to depth and is not a good alternative if you need to place several sprinkler lines underground in the same trench or with rocky ground.  Also for installing sprinkler heads you would need to dig in the area for head placement.

Many walk behind trenchers are usually used for trenches less then 4” wide and 24” deep.  However many are capable of trenches 30” deep.   When you pick up the trencher at the rental store, make sure they go over all controls and their proper use.  Forgetting one little control like the axel lock can cause much more difficulty and frustration then needed.

A few common sense safety instructions on trencher operation are:

1. Check all fluid levels after every 4 hours of use.
2. Before starting engine, make sure all controls are in neutral, the boom and chain are in the clear and the chain guards are in place.
3. After starting the engine, keep the boom off the ground and practice with each control.
4. Do not operate on a side hill to keep trencher from a rollover.
5. Keep all people and hands away from the digging area during operation.
6. Always shut the engine off before clearing dirt from in and around the digger chain.

 

Common trencher questions:

1. What happens when the trencher runs into rocks and tree roots?   Small to medium size tree roots and rocks up to 8” across are not unusual in any residential lawn.  A good trencher will usually handle these types of foreign objects without much of a problem.  The trencher digger chain will chew through the tree roots and bring the rocks to the service.    Avoid all large tree roots, 4” and larger, since this could damage the tree itself.



2. How much time will I need to rent the trencher?   This of course depends upon your experience with such equipment, the amount of trenching you need to complete (not only number of feet but also the depth) and how far away you are from the rental place.   Typically you would rent for a full day, sometimes for a half day.   If you have a large job with little experience in this area, rent the equipment end of day Friday and return first thing on Monday to a single full day rental.   I would recommend calling the rental dealer a couple days ahead of your event and reserve the equipment.
3. Where are some good places to rent a trencher?   Most tool and small equipment rental dealers will have one or two trencher available.
4. What if I need to go under a sidewalk or driveway?  If this is for an underground lawn sprinkler system, you should try to avoid having to tunnel under a sideway and especially a driveway.  You may need to take a round-about way to get where you need the trench, but this is usually better.   If you need to tunnel under a sidewalk less than 4’ wide, this can be done by using a garden hose, a good nozzle and some ridged pipe to keep the garden hose going straight.  Dig down on each side of the sidewalk at least below the sidewalk base to avoid the loose rock.  On the pushing side, also dig a trench back 5’ so you can keep the pipe level.   Using the pipe with the garden hose, slowly push a tunnel under the concrete.  The water will wash the dirt out as you push under the sidewalk.



5. Will the trencher do all of the digging?  No, you usually need to hand dig at each end of a trench to get up close to where you need to be or to just clean out the trench in a couple locations.

Related Information:

1. Underground Sprinkler Line Repair Is your lawn sprinkler line in need of repair? Is there a major wet spot in your lawn where it should not be? This can be especially bad if close to your home foundation....
2. Garden Drip Irrigation System Save on water and time with a garden drip irrigation system while keeping your flowers looking great. ...
3. Landscape Lighting Installation How To tips on how to install your low voltage garden lighting system....
4. Landscape Lighting Basics Spend some design time before you spend the money on landscape lighting.  Some design time can bring big savings and help provide more satisfaction later on....

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