Digging trench for electrical feeder

[Cheap5.0]

Im going to start digging my feeder trench for the barn tomorrow. I was thinking of picking up a pick axe and doing a little bit here and a little bit there.

Anyone have a better tool for the job?

 

[fiveohpatrol]

unless you only have 5ft of distance to dig, do yourself a favor and rent a trencher.

 

[pattenp]

If a short distance use a trench shovel.

 

[Cheap5.0]

unless you only have 5ft of distance to dig, do yourself a favor and rent a trencher.

250 foot. I need the excersize.

If a short distance use a trench shovel.

Thanks, ill look at those @ TSC.

 

[PECVD2]

"Call First"
Rent a trencher.
trencher shovel near the transformer, power pole or/and service just to avoid any surprises or trencer malfuntions.
I had to go 200' and code/inspector required 48" deep, since I was going under a driveway.
Here is pic after I started to fill the beast back in.

 

[Jarhead0408]

Got a 100' one to do myself, planning on renting the trencher.

 

[6768rogues]

Remember to get a stake out. It is free.

 

[Shadowdog500]

250 foot. I need the excersize.



Thanks, ill look at those @ TSC.

250 foot, you need a trencher.


Chris

 

[bczygan]

250' isn't "exercise"...It's suicide.

 

[mrobins297aaa]

holy **** 250' by hand?..........I had 170' and I had a trencher for all but about 15' that I had to do by hand and that was too much.............better get started so you'll be done before the snow flies......lol

 

[rasit]

250 foot. I need the excersize.

Please post a picture of yourself with the pick ax before starting......Depending on the amount of exercise you currently need, be ready to call 911

 

[camarotoolman]

Great exercise if you have the time. Saves alot of gym fees too!

 

[BD1]

REQUIREMENTS: AED Defibrillator and cell phone to call 911.
Place add on Craigs list , wanted someone with trencher. Any utility company with trencher working in area ? I had the gas company do mine on the side.
250' of exercise is lots!
What about water out there too ? Airline pipe ? What is barn gonna be used for ? I ran separate wiring for a 3 way switch from garage to barn. Wired for a outlet for my engine heater for tractor. I can turn on in garage without going to barn to plug in. Just a thought.

 

[jonzer12]

I did 30' myself a few years ago as it was just soil and clay, it was easy. 250', no way in hell.

 

[aka Larry]

I've got 200' coming up soon and I never even considered doing it by hand. A trencher rental is like $90/day here and damn well worth it IMO.

 

[jhelrey]

A trencher for 4 hours is only going to cost you $150.00. Why turn it into a 3 week deal when you could finish it in a day?

 

[pattenp]

You also need your head examined.

250 foot. I need the excersize.



Thanks, ill look at those @ TSC.

 

[A29]

Just finished a 30' ditch. All clay, really nasty.

 

[bczygan]

Make it a real challenge and use this:

 

[Highbeam]

Not that a trencher makes it easy. Depending on soil conditions and terrain, you can be whooped after running a trencher. The last one I used came from home depot tool rental and it was a nice unit. Be certain that the trencher can easily hit the required depth.

Once you are done trenching you will still have to go back with a skinny shovel and clear the bottom of the trench. Plenty of chance for excersise. Then the conduit runs and then backfilling and tamping, and cleaning the mess.

 

[FITO]

To quote Ralph Wiggum, "Thats unpossible".

Work smarter not harder and get one of these.

 

[skeletonizer]

Being in the thumb you shouldn't need a pick. Buy a case of beer and have three or four pals help. 3 hours tops if you only need to be 2' deep.

I rented a trencher for my 70' trench but had to be 4' deep. Just helped a pal with a 170' long 2' deep run. Shallow is easy with a regular shovel unless your in the UP.

 

[JimH]

if you try to do this a little at a time, every rain shower not only wipes out your progress but creates even more work.

 

[Cheap5.0]

I chuckled at the responses guys, thank you

I might be high in the sky dreaming about digging this by hand. I just called the rental, its $70 for the first hour and $35 for every hour after that or $200/day.

Id be surprised it it took me more than an hour. I am on pure sand here, with 6" of top soil.

 

[akdiesel]

I'm getting ready to run about 200' of cable my self and will be looking for a vibratory plow (pipe puller) to do mine.
If you have an established yard or an area you do not destroyed this is the best choice. Just entrance and exit holes to access your lines.

 

[Cheap5.0]

I'm getting ready to run about 200' of cable my self and will be looking for a vibratory plow (pipe puller) to do mine.
If you have an established yard or an area you do not destroyed this is the best choice. Just entrance and exit holes to access your lines.

Is that those big tracked machines i see the utility companys running pipe undergroud with?

Those are pretty bad ***, i wonder how they keep the pipe on track and not veering off course?

Its going in my back yard, its already tore up from the all the traffic...it will be a few years before it gets back to normal.

 

[akdiesel]

They come in different sizes. You can get them as a walk behind that can go as deep at 12" or larger ones that can go as deep as a few feet. Some are tracked and others have wheels.
From what I have seen they seem to keep cables and pipe (pex / pvc) in line very well.

 

[bczygan]

If your soil is very sandy, to the point that a deep and narrow trench will collapse then a backhoe might be needed. But the vibratory would work even better. Check with local building contractors and see what they have done. That will tell you what is most efficient and cost effective for your local conditions.

 

[Cheap5.0]

If your soil is very sandy, to the point that a deep and narrow trench will collapse then a backhoe might be needed. But the vibratory would work even better. Check with local building contractors and see what they have done. That will tell you what is most efficient and cost effective for your local conditions.

My neighbor dug a trench for something similar that was about 40 ft, he didnt have any trouble with collapse. When i say sand, i mean that in land version of sand we see...not that dune sand ya see at the beach.

This stuff holds up pretty well until it dries out, then it starts crumbling.

They come in different sizes. You can get them as a walk behind that can go as deep at 12" or larger ones that can go as deep as a few feet. Some are tracked and others have wheels.
From what I have seen they seem to keep cables and pipe (pex / pvc) in line very well.

Pretty amazing stuff considering ll the forces at work when you shove pipe through substrate.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Ifyou rent the trencher, I'd suggest two trenches while you have it rented. One for the electrical and go ahead run the water line in the second trench. Buy a 250' roll of the black plastic fexiblepipe at TSC. . . . don't forget to throw some TV cable in a trench while you have them open.

 

[mrobins297aaa]

besides the electrical these were the items that went in my trench:
3/4" well water line
3/4" soft water line
coax cable wire
cat 5 wire
5 wire for lawn sprinkler zones

 

[camarotoolman]

You can use a farm type plow to do the top part and finish by hand. I would run h2o and cable too.

 

[5lima30]

+1 on the "call before you dig" and get it marked. Then do yourself a big favor and rent a Ditch Witch! BTW you will still get alot of exercise with it and covering the trench back up with a shovel.

 

[miketyler]

Damn skippy on the DitchWitch. I did over 500ft recently with one rented from Home Depot and it was a MAJOR workout. Wear gloves. That monster is not steerable, you muscle it around in the direction you want it to go.

 

[mrpowderkeg]

My buddy dug his with his bobcat forks, using one fork. I'd rent the trencher for sure! Oh just a side suggestion, run some empty conduit in the trench as well, later on, you can feed in whatever you want without re trenching it.

 

[cyamaha2007]

If your time is of minimal worth to you id go for it. I did mine by hand it was crappy but my time was of little value. I did 215 ft 3ft deep, my brother helped also. Ive been doing just about my entire build the hard way but when moneys tight what option do you have. Heck i dug my septic tank out by hand talk about a shity weekend.

 

[nehog]

REQUIREMENTS: AED Defibrillator and cell phone to call 911.

For me that might be necessary, but for someone else perhaps not. Worth keeping in mind that only 40% of those suffering a heart attack survive 30 days. However, around my place, the 'soil' is pure sand, easy to dig, I had my 100 ft trench dug by hand in a couple of hours by a kid who was reasonably strong in body but weak in mind.

...

I ran separate wiring for a 3 way switch from garage to barn. Wired for a outlet for my engine heater for tractor. I can turn on in garage without going to barn to plug in. Just a thought.

I suppose the obligatory "that does not meet code as you cannot have multiple feeds to a seperate building..." is in order here!

 

[rslaback]

Those are pretty bad ***, i wonder how they keep the pipe on track and not veering off course?

I wondered that too so when the gas company was putting in a new line across the street I asked. The tip of the machine digs at a slight angle. It also has a sonar locator in it. The tip can be spun to point the digger a certain direction. A guy walks ahead of the machine with a locator and radios back to the operator if it needs to go up, down, left or right. If it needs to go straight they just rotate the end so it goes each direction which equals straight.