Chopping Chain Saws

Archive for the ‘About trenchers’ Category

Depending on whom you talk to, trenchers may or may not be classified as a form of chainsaw.

Trenchers as their name implies are specially designed for digging trenches. Anyone who has ever dug a trench knows that it is backbreaking work.

Trenchers are available in sizes ranging from massive pieces of equipment weighing upwards of thousands of pounds to small walk-behinds, which weighing only a couple hundred pounds and costing a few hundred dollars. There are trenchers to suite any landscaping need, or digging needed.

If you want trenches dug, and want to do it quick, simple, and easy, then DO NOT USE A STANDARD CHAINSAW! Last summer a man in my neighborhood decided to save money and not rent a trencher and instead, used his chainsaw to dig the needed trenches for his new sprinkler system. Within 15 minutes, his chainsaw hit a rock, kickback, and struck him square in the forehead, knocking him unconscious. Thank goodness for the safety features on the chainsaw, or otherwise his injuries would have been more serious, if not fatal. (By-the-way, his hospital bills were 10 times more than what it would have cost him to rent a mini-trencher for the weekend.)

For individuals who want to purchase a trencher, there are several options available. The first is the mini-trencher. These were first introduced in 1986, by Bill Rose, who was the developer and inventor. The mini-trenchers are perfect for homeowners and businesses that only require the digging of a trench up to one foot deep. In addition to the mini-trencher, there are numerous companies that manufacture attachments, which can be used with existing equipment to dig trenchers, such as Compact Power, Toro, and CEAttachments. Each of these companies manufacture, trenching attachments, which can be attached to skid steer loaders, and even excavators. However, for companies who need to dig a trench that is several feet deep, there are larger trenchers.

Large trenchers weighing as much as 12,000-pound and having 85 horsepower, operate similar to that of a chainsaw, in that they use a chain and bar to cut through the earth. These large trenchers can dig trenches several feet deep, and are often used to dig trenches for water lines, sewer, electrical lines, and even phone lines. Depending on the condition of the dirt and the depth of the trench, one can normally cut about 100 feet in five minutes, or less.

There are many landscape contractors as well as lawn sprinkler system companies who prefer to rent trenchers depending on the requirements of each project. However, it would be more affordable for them to purchase a mini-trencher, than to constantly be wasting profits on rental fees. Costing a few thousand dollars, mini-trenchers are an affordable option for your company’s trenching needs. In addition, they are also somewhat compact in size. Mini-trenchers are perfect for any landscaping and irrigation company that is on a limited working budget, and who have a limited amount of storage space.

Companies, which already own large trenchers, will also benefit from purchasing a mini-trencher, for the simple reason that mini-trenchers do not tear up an existing lawn. In addition, if you are burying a small line such as a ¾-inch line, then you have less amount of digging and dirt removal, saving you time and money. In time, a mini-trencher will pay for itself and start making you money.

Bill Rose is the developer and inventor of the Mini-Trencher, which was introduced in 1986.

Determined to find a better way to dig small narrow trenches in dry, rock hard soil, Bill Rose took a chainsaw and with the help of a friend, modify it. Bill and his friend took used saw chains and welded what they referred to as small diggers onto the chains. To their surprise, it did dig into the dirt.

In 1983, Bill hired a company in Portland, Oregon to make the trenching chain as strong as possible, using a 3/8″ pitch chain. The chain had to be easy to change so that the motor could go from woodcutting to dirt cutting. However, this limited them to the use of motors with outboard sprockets only, which made it vital that they replace the sprocket covers with ones that offered more clearance and provided more protection to the operator.

Bill Rose’s invention has become nearly indispensable to landscapers, irrigation companies, as well as to garden centers who have used his mini-trencher for root balling and pruning. Today, the mini-trencher has advanced to the capacity of being able to cut a 12-inch deep trench as fast as 30 feet per minute. Bill Rose and his mini-trencher are a true example of what ingenuity and imagination can create.