Trencher Rentals

Operating Trenchers and Earthmoving Equipment

Maintenance, Safety, and Operation

The use of trenching equipment depends upon the project, terrain, equipment, and total cost. Once the project owner decides on what must be accomplished and how the project should be accomplished is it easier to select and arrange for the Trencher Rental.

Before a project begins, contractors must know the type of soil they're handling and what lies under the soil, such as cables and pipes. They also should look at existing drawings that tell them the best routes to dig the trenches without disturbing existing utilities.

Open cut trenching is the conventional method used for installing underground utilities. Specialized equipment is not required to cut or dig open trenches although some equipment manufacturers do make vibratory plows and saws that cut into the ground neatly and quickly.

Typical trenching methods work on water mains, sanitary sewers and storm sewers. Commonly after the site is graded, crews use the equipment to dig various size trenches using backhoes, dozers and loaders and trenchers making use of level lasers for precise excavation and pipe lasers for pipe installation.

Trenches must be dug from the building to the street or to the main connection for water and sewer. For very large storm sewers or box culverts, a crane in brought on-site to lower the sections of pipe.

Utility contractors also have to know local codes for buildings and utilities.

Trenching equipment has become more compact, is easier to use and offers current technologies. Bobcat offers the LT414 trencher attachment that operates on various Bobcat compact track loaders and skid-steer loaders. The attachment is suitable in all ground conditions and also features a larger diameter auger with a tapered design to remove more material from the side of the trench, limiting the amount of spoil falling back into the trench.

Ditch Witch manufactures a line of trenchers suitable for residential and short-run commercial service to heavy-duty underground construction and vibratory plowing. Its pedestrian trenchers are compact and are designed for short-run commercial applications up to 36 inches deep. Vibratory plows are then used to install smaller and shorter cables and utility service lines.

Commercial contractors use the heavy duty Ditch Witch trenchers for mainline utility work with capabilities to dig to 99 inches and plow to 48-inch depths. The RT line of Ditch Witch heavy-duty trenchers offers four-wheel drive, hydrostatic ground drive, turbocharged diesel engine, and attachment systems.

The HT heavy-duty trenchers offer steel or rubber tracks, computer-controlled track drive, larger capacity fuel tank, trencher stabilizers, and a bit block digging system that allows the operator to customize the digging tooth pattern. Ditch Witch's HT220, the heaviest-duty trencher, can dig to 8 feet deep and can withstand rock-laden job sites.

Interchangeable attachments from Ditch Witch make the tractor more versatile. The manufacturer offers mechanical and hydrostatic trenching attachments — saws, plows, a combo attachment that combines the trencher and vibratory plow, and reel carriers that places pipes and cables into the ground.

Vermeer Manufacturing Company produces trenching equipment, including a line of ride-on trenchers that are applicable for small to large trenching projects. Its line of ride-on trenchers features five different models that dig various depths for medium-size utility projects. Four models of rockwheels are equipped with shank rotary carbide teeth that increase cutting performance through rocks or rocky soil.

Vermeer's newest trencher is the RTX1250 with rubber tracks that is an addition to its line of 10 other track trencher models. This ride-on trencher features quad track design for more stability on rough terrain and can work in a wide range of weather and ground conditions with increased traction and less ground disturbance. The RTX trenches depths up to 72 inches and widths up to 18 inches for larger utility applications.

With the variety of trenching equipment, many of which feature updated technology, utility contractors can add to their fleet and offer more options to any project even though trenching methods have stayed the same.