How to dig a trench

North Idaho Wolfman

North Idaho Wolfman

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PoTreeBoy said:
Beautiful day here - not a balloon or cloud in the sky.
Click to expand...
OMG... Get in the game, they are UFOs not Balloons! :p
Unless you are an F22 pilot, they call them live target practice! ;) :D
 
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nbryan

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Chris11 said:
How does one dig a water line trench? Dig 6 feet or so with the seat facing backwards, get up, reposition the seat to forward facing, move the tractor 6 feet, get up, repositon the seat to the back again.....etc, etc. That doesn't seem reasonable.
What am I missing?
Thanks, Chris
Click to expand...
Addfing to the discussion about using the backhoe to maneuver the tractor:

Be VERY cautious when using the boom swing control (left-right motion control with the lever on left) while the rear wheels are raised by the backhoe, to move the tractor side to side.

Sometimes a little adjustment side-to-side is wanted, so the boom swing action can do that easily with the rear tires raised, but any movement can be amplified A LOT by self-reinforcing motion as a lever push to the left will shove the rear end to the right which adds your body weight momentum to forcing the lever FURTHER to the left...

The side of my head smacked the rops (or the rops smacked my head?) as the rear end LUNGED to the side that I was trying to move, with the motion itself pushing my weight harder against the lever which upped the lurching sideways...

I had my 3M Worktunes headset on as always and that took the blow, thankfully.

So now it's TWO hands on the swing lever with elbows firmly planted on knees to adjust side-to-side very slowly and carefully.
 
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GreensvilleJay

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I never listen to music/radio while operating tractors and such.....waay too easy to get distracted and then it's either hours in ER or $$$$ for the repairs..
 
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TX Chris

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GreensvilleJay said:
I never listen to music/radio while operating tractors and such.....waay too easy to get distracted and then it's either hours in ER or $$$$ for the repairs..
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I mowed my 2 acre yard with my headphones on. When I finished, I removed the headphones and heard an alarm sounding on my ZD326 zero turn - it was overheated. I mentioned it to my wife and she says "I figured it wasn't a big deal since you just kept going - it's been on the whole time". Rats chewed a hole in a coolant line and I had no clue.
 
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nbryan

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GreensvilleJay said:
I never listen to music/radio while operating tractors and such.....waay too easy to get distracted and then it's either hours in ER or $$$$ for the repairs..
Click to expand...
Having background music with your hearing protection isn't a problem if you keep the volume at background levels. Still need hearing protection! And I can still monitor the machine.
 
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fried1765

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North Idaho Wolfman said:
OMG... Get in the game, they are UFOs not Balloons! :p
Unless you are an F22 pilot, they call them live target practice! ;) :D
Click to expand...
At nightfall, and/or as soon as the golf courses close, the USAF will be awarding DFC's to all balloon shoot down participants! ;)
 
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top gnome

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I have about 30 hours on my backhoe. at first I would move the seat, and I still do occasionally , a couple of weeks ago I dug a 150 foot trench to drain a large area of water. if the path is well laid out you can use the backhoe to move the tractor, I am sure there are very many here with far more experience but here are a few tips. I raise the loader bucket - raise the stabilizer- put the tracotor in neutral. It takes a bit of touch to not raise the tractor too high and slam it down. before you try to move the tractor with the backhoe master making a trench slow and smooth using the dipper and boom. Once you can do that slow and smooth. plant the bucket close to the tractor and do the opposite and the tractor will move forward. Even in the short time I have been using the BH I can position the tractor forward backward and side to side pretty well. At least for me the BH was a great investment I had major water drainage issues that I was able to resolve in a couple of hours not to mention many removed stumps and digging footing for my tractor barn and removing brush and planting trees. while the BH is a long way from paying itself off the ablilty to get the work done as needed in small increments is very worthwhile.
 
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Chris11

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Thanks everyone. I like the idea of simply using the bucket to push the tractor ahead, plus the idea of temporarily disabling the safety switch.
Once it gets warmer I'll try them both to see which I like better.
Chris
 
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GreensvilleJay

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you can use a 4' stick to be your 'right foot ' and drive the tractor forward either 1 second at a time, or disable the safety switch.
I was taught to push using BH..so it's 'normal' to me.
yes it does take some practice......so lining up straight to a 'goal post' and MINOR steering really helps.
 
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fried1765

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top gnome said:
I have about 30 hours on my backhoe. at first I would move the seat, and I still do occasionally , a couple of weeks ago I dug a 150 foot trench to drain a large area of water. if the path is well laid out you can use the backhoe to move the tractor, I am sure there are very many here with far more experience but here are a few tips. I raise the loader bucket - raise the stabilizer- put the tracotor in neutral. It takes a bit of touch to not raise the tractor too high and slam it down. before you try to move the tractor with the backhoe master making a trench slow and smooth using the dipper and boom. Once you can do that slow and smooth. plant the bucket close to the tractor and do the opposite and the tractor will move forward. Even in the short time I have been using the BH I can position the tractor forward backward and side to side pretty well. At least for me the BH was a great investment I had major water drainage issues that I was able to resolve in a couple of hours not to mention many removed stumps and digging footing for my tractor barn and removing brush and planting trees. while the BH is a long way from paying itself off the ablilty to get the work done as needed in small increments is very worthwhile.
Click to expand...
BINGO !!!!!!
 
Runs With Scissors

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fried1765 said:
Can you see any balloons?
They SEEM to be everywhere every day!
Click to expand...
I don't see any balloons or UFO's, but I'm grabbing my dive gear and looking for that Sidewinder missile they lost in Huron near my cottage.

It took 2 shots I guess.

Giant balloons traveling at 10 MPH must be harder to hit than I thought😂

I bet I'd be the only guy on my block with one.
 
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fried1765

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Runs With Scissors said:
I don't see any balloons or UFO's, but I'm grabbing my dive gear and looking for that Sidewinder missile they lost in Huron near my cottage.

It took 2 shots I guess.

Giant balloons traveling at 10 MPH must be harder to hit than I thought😂

I bet I'd be the only guy on my block with one.
Click to expand...

Careful...!
Sidewinders often do explode!

The US Govt. will probably spend 10 million dollars looking for that missing Sidewinder.
What a dog and pony show this balloon thing is!

Oops:
My misquote!
Actually it is a: " lying dog-faced pony show"
 
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Runs With Scissors

Runs With Scissors

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fried1765 said:
Careful...!
Sidewinders often do explode!
Click to expand...
Hahahaha....If I find it, my dive buddy is a recent Army EOD retiree....I'll let him go first.....

I can just see my E-bay listing now........
 
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fried1765

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Runs With Scissors said:
Hahahaha....If I find it, my dive buddy is a recent Army EOD retiree....I let him go first.....

I can just see my E-bay listing now........
Click to expand...
On E-Bay....perhaps do....."Best offer" !
 
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Donystoy

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Getting back to digging a ditch, when using my B7200 I was able to operate the steering, front loader and directional pedal while still sitting in the B/H seat so there was no need to dismount. The last substantial ditch I did was over 500 feet long and at least 5 feet deep.
 
6869704x4

6869704x4

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You can get tricky and cross the trench you just dug.
 
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