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Cutting the Line
Trencher Experts Delve the Depths of Machine Operation
Ride or Walk?
How to Determine if a Walk-Behind or Ride-On Trencher Fits Your Job
By Greg Ehm
When choosing between a walk-behind or ride-on trencher for a specific job, several factors come into play. First and foremost, contractors need to evaluate the job that they’ll be working on to determine which piece of equipment may provide the most benefit. After proper assessment of the job, the following questions should be considered:
- What are the length, depth and width of the trench that is to be dug?
- Are there any space constraints on the jobsite — is the jobsite clear of obstructions?
- What are the soil conditions in which the trenches will be dug?
- What is the project timeline and budget?
- What equipment is needed to get the machine to and from the jobsite?
Requirements for a particular job help determine whether it’s better to use a walk-behind or ride-on trencher.
Which Trencher Is Right for the Job?
According to Jon Kuyers, utility products segment manager for Vermeer, knowing the depth and width of the needed trench, along with the trencher’s maximum digging depth, is crucial. For example, water lines need to be installed below the frost line. If a trencher only has a maximum digging depth of 30 in. and a 42-in. frost line exceeds the digging depth, the water line will probably freeze.
“Another factor to consider when choosing between a walk-behind or ride-on rubber-tire trencher is the jobsite and possible constraints that it would pose,” Kuyers says. “If a customer is working in a new housing development with zero lot lines, a ride-on trencher may be more beneficial, but if the customer is confined to the backyard due to fences or gates, a smaller walk-behind trencher may work best.”
Kuyers also says that digging conditions must be considered in order to choose a unit with enough horsepower and machine weight to effectively dig. In difficult digging conditions, a ride-on trencher would be a better choice. Using a lower horsepower, lighter walk-behind machine may result in lower productivity, increased operator fatigue and abnormal machine wear.
“Generally, walk-behind trenchers provide increased mobility in tighter confined areas,” Kuyers says. “Ride-on trenchers may provide a higher production rate due to their ability to dig more effectively in hard digging conditions.”
Ride-on trenchers are best suited for the installation and placement of gas, electric, water, phone, fiber-optic pipes or cables in multiple types of soil conditions up to 72 in. deep based on the horsepower and size of the tractor and trenching attachment. Since ride-on trenchers are larger in size and structure and have more horsepower, they are designed to productively excavate and withstand soil conditions where other types of technology are not efficient or capable.
On the other hand, walk-behind units are ideal for digging service line trenches that are required in narrow or confined spaces where larger units are not able to effectively maneuver. Service line trenches are usually shallower and narrower, depending on the region and do not require a large amount of horsepower. Walk-behind units also have a smaller and lighter footprint. They are easier to maneuver and do not require as much ground restoration as a larger machine.
Rent or Buy?
Requirements for a particular job may also determine whether it’s better to rent. A contractor may own a machine, but it may be too large or small for the job. In this case, it may be in the contractor’s best interest to rent a machine that best fits the job specifications.
“Contractors also have to look at the frequency of the type of work,” Kuyers says. “Some may only trench a couple of times a year, so renting a machine for a couple of weeks at a time may be more economical.”
Kuyers recommends consulting your local dealer when making a decision. The dealer representatives are extremely knowledgeable in helping select the correct unit, as well as the digging chain that will make the unit most productive.
Once a contractor can answer these questions, it will be easier to narrow their choices down and get a clearer picture of what their needs actually are.
Greg Ehm is a technical writer for Two Rivers Marketing, Pella, Iowa.
Trencher Tool Carrier
Astec RT160 Is a Unique Spin on the Compact Utility Loader Formula
A compact utility loader already looks like a walk-behind trencher, especially when
it’s wielding a trencher attachment on the front. That notion got the utility equipment
experts at Astec thinking. Why not allow their trenchers to take attachments?
It wasn’t long before Astec released its RT160 Plus tool carrier — a machine created to
specifi cally appeal to the rental industry. Based on the company’s popular RT160 walkbehind
trencher, the RT160 Plus is powered by a 24-hp Honda engine. Buyers may select
a set of different attachments – things like brooms, snow blowers, landscape rakes,
dozer blades, stump grinders and (you guessed it) trencher attachments to maximum
versatility. The attachment lift is controlled by a hydraulic cylinder, and the hydraulic
drive is capable of running attachments up to 13 gpm.
“With the RT160 Plus, we’ve taken a trencher that is fully capable of high production
trenching and adapted it for multiple uses with these attachments,” says Klane Kirby,
Astec Underground executive vice president. “This makes the unit much more versatile
which increases the owner’s return on investment.”
Astec Underground manufactures a complete line of walk-behind and ride-on trenchers,
vibratory plows and horizontal directional drills. Innovative machines like the
RT130 walk-behind trencher and the RT160 Plus tool carrier are quickly joining the companies
growing product line.
“These newly engineered units
pay homage to the Astec heritage
while confi dently demonstrating
the company’s vision for the future,”
says Kirby.
Visit www.astecunderground.
com to learn about the full line
of Astec Underground parts or
to contact the company for more
information.
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