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Trencher recommendations

watglen

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Apr 3, 2009
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Dunnville, Ontario, Canada
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Farmer, drainage and excavating contractor, Farm d
Hello all,

I am investigating skid steer trenchers. Looking for recommendations on a new heavy duty unit. Looking for robustness, and high speed trenching, as deep and wide as possible. Soil is clay for the most part.
Track loader will be a jcb 3ts8t, one of those zoom boom high flow track loaders. Flow is 33 gpm IIRC

I was thinking Bradco was about the best out there, but I have never owned or operated one. Hell, i've never really seen one.

Thoughts?
 

KSSS

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Feb 27, 2005
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4,319
Location
Idaho
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excavation
That is not a great deal of gpm for high flow, what psi does it run at? It takes a bit of flow to go wide and deep at a productive rate. At least you have decent material to work in. I would spec a chain with all cups and no pointed teeth or like a 70/30 combo if the ground gets real hard. The more cups you have the more material you can actually move.. Bradco makes a good trencher, as does Lowe. Lowe has a lot of different chain designs and hyd side shift if that is important.
 

CM1995

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Alabama
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Running what I brung and taking what I win
The only experience I have is our almost 20 year old Bobcat trencher. It's worked well for silt fencing although the trenches are just 1' deep or so. We've replaced the teeth once and a seal on the drive motor.

Can only imagine what a newer Lowe or Bradco is like.
 

watglen

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2009
Messages
1,314
Location
Dunnville, Ontario, Canada
Occupation
Farmer, drainage and excavating contractor, Farm d
That is not a great deal of gpm for high flow, what psi does it run at? It takes a bit of flow to go wide and deep at a productive rate. At least you have decent material to work in. I would spec a chain with all cups and no pointed teeth or like a 70/30 combo if the ground gets real hard. The more cups you have the more material you can actually move.. Bradco makes a good trencher, as does Lowe. Lowe has a lot of different chain designs and hyd side shift if that is important.
As far as flow goes, I checked across many brands and they all come pretty close to 33 gpm, unless you go into something like the Cat 299 forestry machine. I didn't think it was that much either, but they are all the same. I know you like CASE, I will check that.
 

watglen

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2009
Messages
1,314
Location
Dunnville, Ontario, Canada
Occupation
Farmer, drainage and excavating contractor, Farm d
I see the lowe trencher uses a chain reduction gear. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I kinda figured the planetary reduction gearset would be more durable.

Thx
 

watglen

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2009
Messages
1,314
Location
Dunnville, Ontario, Canada
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Farmer, drainage and excavating contractor, Farm d
Has anyone considered putting the trencher to the side of the machine and drive forward instead of backward?
 

KSSS

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
4,319
Location
Idaho
Occupation
excavation
As far as flow goes, I checked across many brands and they all come pretty close to 33 gpm, unless you go into something like the Cat 299 forestry machine. I didn't think it was that much either, but they are all the same. I know you like CASE, I will check that.

I looked up the numbers, the comparison page I use, didn't have your specific model but the JCB 300 has a psi of 3300 which is good. Everyone elses larger machines are in the high 30's on GPM. Your machine I am guessing is 75 hp and I think the reason for the lower gpm at high flow. All other OEM's that are higher, also are over 75 hp. Having the higher psi makes a big difference on attachments like that. As far as the chain reduction. I am not sure which puts more power to the ground, chain reduction or planetary. The planetary removes a chain from the equation, I have a chain reduction in my Lowe post hole auger. I have dug tens of thousands of holes with it in 27 years and have replaced that chain once. If the chain is an issue for you, there is nothing wrong with Bradco that I have seen.
 
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