trencher rental

[SCWOOD]

What should I know about renting a trencher.Going to run water line to garage.Any advice welcome.Never used one before. Thanks!

 

[lotsoftools]

Just make sure you call before you dig! The last thing you want to do is cut the phone/water/gas lines in the neighborhood.
Get the biggest one you can afford/handle, it will make the work so much easier, especially if you hit a lot of roots.
I like to rent from RSC on a Friday, because they only charge one day rate and you get to keep it all weekend.

 

[Lkdelta]

Check for buried utilities

pick a spot away from the house to start..get a bit of practice before getting close to the siding of the house

Check around if any good friends or good relations might need to get something done.
They might be willing to split the rental/delivery because they can get their work done too

 

[R-132 Fan]

Be sure there aren't any buried power lines, gas lines or electric cables in the area you will be diging in.
Have a pick and shovel handy as you might not be able to run the ditches up against the buildings at the beginning and end of the trench. If you have trees in the area, have a good sharp axe in case you need to chop some roots out of the ditch.

 

[Macgyver_ga]

If you hit a large enough rock, it will start bouncing, make sure you lift the boom back up if it does. Other than that, it's pretty easy to operate. I rented one of the ride on skid steer ones last year to pipe mine and my two neighbors' gutter downspouts off the back of our properties. I trenched 7 trenches averaging 30' each in less than 4 hours with it. We would have been there for days doing that with a shovel.

Edit: Just remember it's easier to go in reverse and dig the trench "backwards"

 

[jimp]

Make sure you are deep enough the first time, no second chances without a lot of work.

 

[holdover]

put in a outside wood stove at my son's house a few weeks ago. Needed 150' of trenching and had no other work that needed done. Priced a ride on trencher at 225 for the weekend(pick up Fri PM bring back Monday AM) and a mini excavator for 250 same time frame wasn't sure which we were going to use because of rocky soil. Called a local plumber that had a ditchwitch with a backhoe attachment and trencher 275 turn key, went with the plumber.. Be sure to call Miss-Utility or whatever it is called in your area to locate all the public utility lines, they usually need at least 3 days notice. Good luck

 

[just1more]

How deep do the trenchers your looking at go? / Where do you live? If you are in the north, keep in mind frost penetration in the winter. I live in northern IL and ran my water line 4 feet deep.

I also used a ball valve with a drain inside the basement, so I can drain the line if I ever wanted to.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I suppose I don't have to tell you, call before you dig.

Why? If you dig without calling, it puts you in the liabilty spot of most utilites. If you call, they come and mark everything OK then the liabilty is off you.

 

[SCWOOD]

How deep do the trenchers your looking at go? / Where do you live? If you are in the north, keep in mind frost penetration in the winter. I live in northern IL and ran my water line 4 feet deep.

I also used a ball valve with a drain inside the basement, so I can drain the line if I ever wanted to.

I live in upstate S.C. 1.5' deep should be good.I will call before I dig. Thanks for all the info!

 

[MustangRick]

Not sure if it applies in this case but sometimes you have to worry about the hours on the meter. A friend rented a small excavator and he had it for 8 hours but could only add 6 hours on the meter.

 

[djjsr]

I used a "Ditch Witch" when installing a sprinkler system. GREAT machine!!!

After you get your utilities marked, think about if you have any underground PVC drains. A trencher will cut through them without hesitation. I learned the hard way.