Do you guy's have an opinion as to what works the best for compacting trenches? I'm thinking of getting a roller bucket or a trench compactor, I just do house foundations and utility trenching to them and compact everything to grade. I've just been using jumping jacks up til now and am looking to speed things up. Thanks
I have never used a roller bucket, but a trench roller works. It works for small areas in the open, too. If your trenches are too narrow, narrower that the roller, you will have to work across them, which is much slower.
Depending on your material and what equipment you are using a ho-pac might be the way to go. Never used one but they're very popular in some areas. I hate jumping jacks, too labor intensive. For trench compaction I either use my big roller and cut the sides back wide enough or if space is constrained, backfill with stone.
Thanks for the input guy's. Our material varies so much, from sand, clay, glacial till to shot rock sites. The last three jobs I've dug with my 225 hoe but had to back fill with my 60 because there is no room left with the lot set backs, fourteen foot cut and one entry point to start backfilling from (pia). My current site has pearock under 6 feet of clay layer, very sketchy compacting.
Nothing but hoe pacs over here
For a variety of materials a double drum articulated trench packer you cant beat. Easy to pick with the hoe and set in the walkout frost wall. Easy to set in the bottom of a sewer trench. Great compaction. With the remote you can stay out of the danger area. Rent a good wacker for a day or do a demo and see what works. Ive even ran the thing sitting in the hoe! If you have footage to do CM has it nailed. Hog it out, blow it in and hit it with the ride on.
a roller bucket or pack wheel works better and faster than a vibratory roller but it does not work very well in rock's 4" and larger if you have a quick coupler on excavator the pack wheel will do thicker lifts because it will plow to bottom of lift and walk its way to top (bottom up compacting) works well for mixing different or wet soil's together . I have one that you kinda hook the teeth on bucket into then chain up to back of bucket it an ok design kinda aggravating but it works
Thanks for all the input, I really appreciate it!
We have 9 hoepacs on sites daily and only 1 compaction wheel that seldom leaves the yard.