Trench, Plow, or Dig Ditches?
One of the things that you will have to decide when installing your irrigation system will be which method you use to get the pipe in the ground. Of course you want to easiest and most practical route possible, but there is no single right answer that I can give you. The best method of trenching will depend on a few different factors.
The most popular and widely used method is the use of a trencher. Trenchers come in all shapes and sizes, but I would recommends the walk-behind or pedestrian type trenchers for residential jobs. These types of trenchers do well in soft to medium types of soil. However, if you live on the beach and having a very sandy soil, then the trencher may get stuck easily. In very sandy conditions we will hand dig because the use of a trencher just becomes counter-productive.
A riding trencher is great for big commercial jobs or even a very large residential yard. I do not like using the riding trenchers in average to small sized yards because they are hard to maneuver in smaller areas and you may find it hard to get through tight spots like the fence leading to the back yard.
Another popular option is the plow method. This method is best suited for harder soil types such as hard clay and rock. The plowing method has become popular because of the elimination of trenches through your yard. You plow in your pipe and dig up where your heads will go. This way to go is more suitable for professionals who have gained the experience of operating the equipment.
As mentioned about the very sandy or beach sand soil, you will just have to hand dig. I relate this type of digging to "digging in a salt shaker" if you get my analogy. It takes about three shovel scoops to equal one as the sand keeps falling back in the ditch!
Still, not matter which choice you make there will be some manual hand digging involved. If you are not afraid of a little hard work and getting your hands dirty, then go for it! If you are in bad health or just cannot tolerate digging, then it may be best to hire a professional to install your irrigation system.
Scott Young
http://www.autolawnsprinklers.com
The most popular and widely used method is the use of a trencher. Trenchers come in all shapes and sizes, but I would recommends the walk-behind or pedestrian type trenchers for residential jobs. These types of trenchers do well in soft to medium types of soil. However, if you live on the beach and having a very sandy soil, then the trencher may get stuck easily. In very sandy conditions we will hand dig because the use of a trencher just becomes counter-productive.
A riding trencher is great for big commercial jobs or even a very large residential yard. I do not like using the riding trenchers in average to small sized yards because they are hard to maneuver in smaller areas and you may find it hard to get through tight spots like the fence leading to the back yard.
Another popular option is the plow method. This method is best suited for harder soil types such as hard clay and rock. The plowing method has become popular because of the elimination of trenches through your yard. You plow in your pipe and dig up where your heads will go. This way to go is more suitable for professionals who have gained the experience of operating the equipment.
As mentioned about the very sandy or beach sand soil, you will just have to hand dig. I relate this type of digging to "digging in a salt shaker" if you get my analogy. It takes about three shovel scoops to equal one as the sand keeps falling back in the ditch!
Still, not matter which choice you make there will be some manual hand digging involved. If you are not afraid of a little hard work and getting your hands dirty, then go for it! If you are in bad health or just cannot tolerate digging, then it may be best to hire a professional to install your irrigation system.
Scott Young
http://www.autolawnsprinklers.com
posted by Irrigationman at
5:48 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home