Digging Question...

[CaveCreekRay]

Digger question for the pro's out there.

I have had a couple occasions where I needed to dig a shallow trench to bury cables or PVC piping. Running to Homey' Po for a trencher isn't cost effective.

I have tried to use my box with a single ripper down. Problem is, the ripper extends maybe three inches below the box lip. Not far enough.

I scoured the 'Net for extra-long rippers but 18" is about as long as they come. I am thinking about fabbing up a special longer tooth to do some light trenching.

You guys got any ideas or experience using the tractor to rip a narrow trench for laying wire or piping? Its rare that I do this so I don't want to buy a plow for occasional use.

Ideas?

Ray

 

[RonBoyBX25D]

Have you looked at a middle buster?

http://omni-mfg.com/OMNI-TRANSFORMER-BusterRipper-Attachment-P2339590.aspx

 

[zbhover]

I made a ripper attachment for my rear blade when I wanted to run power out to my shed for my block heater on the B2620.

If I remember right I used heavy wall 1-1/4" angle iron for the ripper "tooth" and some pieces of plate I had laying around for the rest. Its just a snug fit over the edge of the blade and a couple of smacks with a hammer jambs it on there so it doesn't fall off.

 

[85Hokie]

I too second the middle bust or sub soiler route....but zbhover has a damn fine idea.

Seen that done too with FEL - home made attachment - same thought however.

 

[Tooljunkie]

I built a single plow for my 3 point. Buried 4" weeping tile to drain water away from my shop. Ugly (hence no photo) but it works.

 

[Diydave]

I see no reason why you couldn't fab up an extra long ripper. Just get some cold rolled stock, long enough, and weld a tip to it. Thing to remember is that a subsoiler only costs about $150, and there is zero labor, other than hooking it up. I say go for it, if you have your own welder, or someone who will do this simple job, cheap...

 

[Grouse Feathers]

The picture of the rear blade with the ripper attached cutting through the lawn looks impressive. However, the pictured lawn looks nothing like the soil conditions in CCR's pictures. Could extended rippers on rear blades or box blades torque the implement enough to cause damage if the ground is hard enough?

 

[aarolar]

Subsoiler is king for this task, just weld an eye to the back of it and use it to pull the pvc or conduit.



Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[Eldubya]

Do you have a back-hoe?
Even if not, I took one of the scarifier teeth off of my box-blade and bolted it onto the side of my BH bucket. (could work on your FEL as well)
Works GREAT for ripping a nice, narrow trench.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Ray I would be surprised if you could pull more than 18" or even that in your soil, it takes a whole lot of HP and traction to get through the AZ ground.

Look at a subsoiler but I honestly don't think its going to work for you.

 

[CaveCreekRay]

GREAT suggestions.

My rippers are 18" and I can get a couple more for $30 plus shipping. I'll try and kluge one out of the two as one now only gives me about 4" below the box blade. If I take it easy in passes, I should be able to dig out the trench better than doing it with a pick.

The only issue is the rippers are cast iron. Welding that may take my friend with the huge welder. Don't think my Lincoln 180 will quite do it. I will have to surround the joint with gussets.

With just one ripper down, the KingKutter frame should handle it just fine. It has six rippers on there now and the torque should be less than one ripper.

I'll let you guys know how it works. May be a new product for Hodge.

Ray

 

[D2Cat]

Ray, you sure those rippers are cast iron?

Something like this will holes in them to adjust where you want might work.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Box-blade-s...034330?hash=item35fba30fda:g:u9kAAOxy4YdTWlPw

 

[CaveCreekRay]

I may be wrong on the cast... they are lumpy on the surface so they may be forged.

Yeah, I located an online source and I will try to weld up two of those. I will need them in the full-down/longest possible position. The nice thing is I can raise them or adjust height with the 3pt. The box will put enough weight on the one ripper it ought to do fine... if the welds hold.

I might make a storage bracket and keep the long tooth on the box for use in the field.

Ray

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

You won't be able to get a weld to hold, that's a whole lot of force on them.
Go to a steel supply and buy 2 - 1/2" thick peices of AR steel (or more depending on the total needed) ,and use that for the tooth.

 

[bxray]

Just a heads up. NEC rule.

Electrical pvc must be below 18"
The ripper did not look like it was deep enough.
It needs to be Deeper if spmeone is driving on it.
And put yellow tape in the trench as an indicator if diging later.


Here is a link to the nec 300.5 code

http://www.gaylor.com/what_we_do/kn...ts_for_installing_pvc_conduit_underground.pdf


Ray

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Yeah, for power lines I use a real trencher.

This is for putting in lines like driveway sensor lines and such.

Ray

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Sean,

I was thinking about doing just that. There is a killer metals place south of Sky Harbor that has everything. I always come home with a bunch of scrap to play with.

Cave Creek Welding can punch the holes in it for me. They have a 70,000 lb punch press. Pops quarter-sized holes in 1/2 inch like it was notebook paper.

Ray