6" Drain Pipe Trencher for Excavator

by Dick Zick II
(New Milford, PA)

My brother's got a small excavation and water control business and wanted a less labor intensive means of laying drain pipe. We dreamed up a trenching tool for his excavator for digging a contoured trench, just right for 6 in. solid drain piping that's not intended for water infiltration. In use, you just plunge and drag it down your drain run. It makes a fairly neat radiused bottom trench with much less shovel and rake work compared to using his 1 ft. bucket. It's made from about 25% scrap angle and I-beam with purchased parts being 1/2 in. plate steel and shaft collars. I made all cuts with my Hobart Airforce 400 Plasma Cutter (bought for the job) and Porter Cable Portaband. The welds were done with my Lincoln Pro MIG 175 and .040 Fluxcore wire (smokie but HOT!). Misc clean-up work was done with angle grinders and wire wheels. The whole assembly weighs about 100 lbs and is rugged.