Laying Pipe
 

Now that I have your attention!

Need to run some water pipe underground about 75m as the crow flies. (Forgive the units, I am using a Leupold rangefinder and can't figure out how to get the damn thing to read out in feet.) All right let's call it 250 feet.

My thought is to get a coil of 3/4" PVC pipe and use a "subsoiler" on a three-point hitch behind a tractor to embed the pipe in the ground. It won't be below the frost line, but I plan to blow it out with compressed air in the winter anyway.

A "subsoiler" is basically a single tine with a hardened steel tooth on it. You lower the tine with the three point hitch and make a pass. Some tractors are powerful enough to pull the pipe on the first pass, others require more than one. Depends on the soil conditions, depth, etc., Some of these subsoilers include a shear pin so that if the tooth hits a rock, rather than breaking the hitch, the pin (actually a bolt mounted in shear) gives way rather than something more expensive. Some don't use a shear pin, the tractor isn't that powerful, it just stops.

Now some questions:

1) Anybody ever done this themselves before?
2) Is there a preferred method? I realize that there are alternatives, such as a vibratory plow, but am not sure whether these can be rented, and if so, at what expense.
3) If I had a professional install this, such as the folks that do underground sprinkler work, is this an expensive service? For reference, I think dealer rates for Porsche service are "expensive."

Given the distance to run I think hand trenching is out of the question and something more elaborate such as a Ditch Witch is probably overkill.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance, there seems to be a tremendous amount of tractor and farm implement know-how here (guys who like mechanical stuff tend to like a lot of DIFFERENT kinds of mechanical stuff)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1301359245.jpg

How about renting a walk behind ditch witch. Blowing it out with air is going to be a pita.

How about renting a walk behind ditch witch? Blowing it out with air is going to be a pita.

Do you mean so it can be placed below the frost line? I see the advantages of that but in this climate (upstate NY) that probably requires 48" depth.

Yes, below the frost line. 48" is deep down here it's about 18".

48" cut will take a wheel that is at least 8" in diameter... that is not a cheap machine to rent.. I am talking about a Vermeer.... others have co-opted the "ditch-witch" name..

Anyway its not a big deal to blow out the lines.... Most of the tri-state area sprinkler systems get "blown" late November every year....

Tim, is the blowout something that can be accomplished with a normal compressor or am I going to have to get a freaking Sullair 180 CFM wet bath rotary screw type :)

All this so I can grow my own vegetables.

Vermeer like the painter?
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1301361266.jpg

Forgot about those....

in the fall you see all the sprinkler/lawn services in the 'hood with the 185 CFM compressors..

Anti-freeze, biodegradable...

Or you can get some RV anti-freeze ;)

Where are you doing this?

Despite being a big fan of Kubota, I don't think your tractor has enough ass to do the job.

Depends on the soil. I would rent a small trencher and install 18-24" down. Put caution tape in the trench for future reference.

I would rent one of these and have at it.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1301364606.jpg

I don't know where you are, but in the country I'd ask some of the local farmers if there's a local guy with a backhoe for a reasonable price. My guy is $50/hr and if you have your ducks in a row can lay and backfill that trench in about 4-5 hours. $250 well spent and you won't have to worry about frost.

Just make sure you wait till around June so all the wet is out of the ground.

Laying pipe! Why back in my day, that meant something else! Your talking about work. Think I'll go back to sleep, have a nice day.
Robert Faust

I'd try a backhoe, or renting a trencher before I tried that plow thing.... It just looks like a bad idea....

You need to get it at least 24" deep, for a french drain. I did this 2 years ago around my barn and it works great !

I have about 37m of 1/2" plastic water line layed from the house to the back of the garage. Use it for power washing cars & trucks. Summer only. It's about 18 years old. Bought it at a Lowes type place. Freeze thaw stable. I blow it out with my 5hp compressor. Mine is above ground, but I'd just put yours a couple inches underground and not worry about it. You could burry it with a shovel in a couple hours. All you want to do is protect the water line from damage, not ensure you have a winter supply source. Unless your wanting to supply a grow op in the back 40. :)

You'd be there forever using a backhoe, especially that little toy. I'd go with blowing it out and bury it just out of harm's way.