Hey Guys I'm doing some subdivision work with my machine on a large property and I have to dig an approximately 1km(3000ft) long drainage ditch, install water and storm lines, as well as a septic field. I wanted your guys opinion. Because I'm doing so much trenching and utility work on this job would it be worth pickin up a V bucket as apposed to trenching with the digging bucket and trying to slope with it? Also, would it be better to dig a ditch over the side with a clean-up bucket or dig and straddle a ditch with a V bucket? Thanks
Ideally you should have a flat bottom on the bucket for pipe and duct to allow sufficient stone around the pipe to make it structurally sound and to prevent distortion,for the ditch pull it long ways depending on your depth easier to use the pipe laser on.What are the restrictions on the building code like? I'm a little to far away to be sure what is legal or not.
can't say on the v-bucket i have never had that luxury, i don't like to side dig unless i have to,alot easier to stay online when u are sitting on line,also unless it i a wide tench your trench will usually end up up wider than it needs to be..but checkout redot's threads with his v-bucket his trenches look nice and clean, i say he 's just spoild :drinkup
jon what size of machine are you using?
V buckets are awesome! You could probably find a used one and resell it after the jobs done.
It's a 200.
V-buckets are nice...in the right situation. You did not say how deep you are digging your trenches, or what ype of ground you expect to encounter. You did not state what size of bucket do you have on your machine now? These all factor into your decision. From what you have said thus far, I don't think that 3,000' of trench will justify the expense of buying the V-bucket. Diging from the side of the trench line is EXTREMELY inefficient (compared to digging with the long axis of the trench) and should only be done if there is no other choice.
JON I did a trench using a clean- up bucket over 1.5 k worked well and fast, there is no side wall colapse to speak of. i would clear, swing, and trench, swing clear and so on so on. i agree with DGODGR.
Forget side digging, not very productive.
Sany Excavators - Trenching & Buckets In reply to your question on trenching and purchase of a "V" bucket for 3km - seems a bit of an overkill. Just completed 2 jobs - 1 was for a water pipeline 30km long installing a 40mm water pipe; the other was 15 km long installing a 800mm water pipe. In the first job all trenching was done in line with a GP/flat bucket. This was suitable for the digging conditions - sandy with rock deposits. No blasting required. Machine used was a Sany SY210 - a 21ton excvator with long undercarriage powered by a Mitsubishi 6 cylinder turbo motor and after cooled motor developing 114kw. Bucket size (standard GP/flat bucket) was 1m3. Minimal wear on tips and pins. Second job 2 machines were used Sany SY210 as above and a Sany SY230 - this is a 24 ton excavator also with long under carriage and powered with an Isuzu motor - 6 cylinder turbocharged and intercooled developing 125kw. Bucket size (standard GP/flat bucket) was1.2m3. Because of the size of pipe trenching was done from the side - which is extremely time consuming and inefficient, but is doable. Based on the above - look at the digging conditions and terrain. If you have to blast, then possibly a "V"/rock bucket is necessary. But based on a 3km tranch I do not believe that this is additional expense is necessary
Sany Sy210 Excavator Trenching Hi Guys - Thought you would be interested in these pics. Sany SY210 excavator trenching a water pipe line outside Richards Bay, South Africa
I expect to be going average of 4 to 5 ft down. Ground is marshy so quite soft. I have a 60" clean-up and 36" digging bucket.