Wheel saw trenchers

[tylermckee]

Who's got experience running skid steer mounted wheel saws? Curious what type of production they can get in different soil conditions. Have a job coming up, 15 Miles of trench for 2" fiber optic conduit. 18" depth by 6"-12" width. All through paved streets, 3" max asphalt, ground is typically very hard clay with some cobble size rock mixed. Decent amount of 4"-8" rock with the random 3' rock here and there.

 

[Txhayseed]

What kind of machine do you have ? Are you going to rent one for this job ? 6 to 12 wide you say ?? Thats a huge variance and several different set up ups to get those widths. Your either going to get it set up to get you max cut width or minimal cut width. You would have to choose. 12 " cut on a rock wheel is a huge cut. Ive never seen a skid steer rock wheel that big. 8 inch cut is pushing it for a skid steer attachment im sure you can go bigger but thats a big ask even from a high HP high flow machine. If your not digging through solid rock why do you need a rock wheel ?? If its clay with mixed loose stone a trencher attachment with with rock teeth staggered into a 12" cut would be fast and better suited. Her in central Texas where its 90% rock thats what most our customers run in a mixed loose rock dirt combo. If your hitting solid rock or bigger rock that a trencher chain is going to pull. Save yourself the effort and rent a rock saw. A rock saw costs but you make up for it production and down time fixing teeth ect.

 

[skyking1]

I only ran one rock saw and have no notes about it, but it was a big dedicated beast with a rear engine and I sat out in front of the wheel to drive it. It was a 4'~5' diameter and probably a 16" wide cut?
Sorry i did not pay more attention. It was a piece that Wildish out of Oregon brought up to the Centralia I-5 paving job in 2009? Yeah my brain is rotted on those details.