Skid steer trencher production

[tylermckee]

Anyone have much experience with these? have a job coming up that's 700' of power line trench. I can rent a 6"x48" trencher for our TL130, I've never used or been around them being used for anything other than irrigation systems. Trench needs to be about 42". Running through a field, no utilities. Ground shouldn't be to bad, a mix of topsoil, sand and clay, some rocks but nothing major. Was originally planning on digging with a 160 excavator and a 2' bucket, thinking the skid steer could be more productive and have a little less to clean up which would be nice. Anyone have any production numbers they have experienced at a similar depth?

 

[clintm]

not used one in a couple of years on a skid steer but I do remember that a dedicated trencher was a least twice as fast as a skid steer attachment so you would be better to rent a dedicated trencher

 

[casecx700]

I am not going to claim to be an expert on trencher attachments as I have never used one, however in talking to landscapers that used them regularly (in Arizona in hard ground) they are good for shallow digging but have a hard time with deeper excavation much like you are talking about. The person I was talking to said that the Skid steer was not able to provide enough weight or downward force and that would slow down the progress.

 

[JD8875]

I ran one Monday afternoon on my TL130 and was blown away! I was cutting 6" trench 36" deep for electrical conduit. In good clay soil I was making 4-6 ft per minute. The machine certainly didn't lack weight, down pressure, or power as were my concerns. I was running a Bobcat 318 model that belongs to a friend, at least for now until he puts a price on it. I hit some rocky ground and that shut it down pretty quick and I had to dig about 100' with my mini ex. All total I dug 400' of 500' with the trencher and loved the speed and ease.

John

 

[monster76]

Idk but from my experience a 48" will make a 36" trench because allot of material get slung back into the trench

 

[06Pete]

I have a john deere 48" that I run on my Tak 240's I never really timed it but I put in 2800 feet of force main in a day at 24'' -28'' deep. The deeper you go the slower but from what I have seen I can keep up with a dedicated trencher in straight runs they have the advantage in turns. Mine is pretty much unstoppable as I regulary cut through roots and even trenched through basecoat once without sawcutting customers choice? for me I would not hesitate to do 700' with one in a day. The flow of the skidsteer has a lot to do with production though with my old 763 bobcat it would get you there but now I get there a lot faster.