I'm Aaron Graber with ventrac, and in this video we'll do an overview
of the trencher.
The ventrac trencher is one of our attachments that helps
change perceptions about our tractor. As good as this trencher is by itself
when coupled to the 4500 tractor it puts it in a league of its own.
This trencher has a five and a half inch cut width and a maximum depth of 40
inches below grade. It has a standard combination chain with
carbide tipped rock and dirt teeth to help power through
difficult ground conditions. It also comes standard with a removable
crumb scraper to help keep the trench very clean at the bottom. As you move
along we've also tuned this trencher to have a
much higher chain speed than comparable hydraulically driven models.
This makes it more efficient and faster to attach this trencher to the tractor.
You'll simply drive into the hitch arms, latch the mechanism,
connect the belt-driven PTO,
and then connect the two auxiliary hydraulics.
Operation of the trencher is fairly straightforward but there are a few key
tips that are important to remember. The very first thing you want to do is
check every time what the chain tension is on the boom.
To do this, make sure the boom is level to the
ground. The tension should be somewhere between 1.25 and 1.75 inches of gap
between the bottom of the boom and the top of the chain.
To use the trencher, turn the pto switch on which will activate the chain.
From there you want to lower the boom into the ground slowly
as you back the machine up. If you need to cut next to a building or you want
to cut straight down into a trench, then you'll have to remove the crumb scraper
periodically while you do that.
To change the angle of the boom which
affects the total cut depth you use the auxiliary lever of the SDLA.
Move it to the left to raise the boom, and move it to the right to lower the
boom. Once you've moved the boom to the depth
that you want to cut your trench which is noted on the dial indicator on
the left side of the trencher. Then you can place the trencher itself
in float position and start driving backwards. While you're
trenching keep an eye on that depth indicator
because it shows you how deep the boom is.
underneath the grade. The official ventrac recommended setting is somewhere
between 2500 and 3200 rpms depending on soil conditions
and speed desired. Also while using the trencher
you want to have a weight transfer setting of two or three
typically but that can vary depending on the conditions.
Before you start digging make sure to call your local hotline to find
any utilities that are buried underground to make sure you're not
going to trench through anything that's already in existence.
Also since you're running a trencher underneath the ground and you can't see
what's underneath you, there is a chance for rocks or stones to
come up through and potentially bind in the auger or the chain. If you
run into one that's large enough to do this
and stop the trencher the belt will slip first
as a safety mechanism so that nothing gets destroyed. But if you notice the
belt slipping and the trencher has stopped
hit the pto switch immediately to stop power to the trencher
and then lift it out of the ground slowly to inspect.
Before you inspect the trencher, make sure the tractor is off and the parking
brake is on. With the trencher on the ground so
there's no chance for you to get in the way as an operator.
Due to the specific nature of the trencher, there are several other
attachments that pair very well with it. Obviously a blade
and a bucket can help move dirt back in to close the trench
and if you're very concerned with the results on a higher end property you can
use the broom to sweep the dirt into a very small
confined area where it will settle on top of the
trench and ultimately leave as little trace as possible.
Some customers have used the sod cutter to first remove turf
in one pass, slide it off to the side and then install irrigation lines with
the trencher. And then once they get the dirt put back
in over top they can set the sod in and it's like they were never there in
the first place. And since all of these attachments are on a ventrac you can
switch between any of them in a matter of seconds. It's
a value-added service that you're totally missing out on if
you've got a ventrac and not a trencher.
Thank you for watching this video on the ventrac trencher.
For pricing or other information on this attachment and others,
visit our website at ventrac.com and make sure to watch other videos
here on our youtube channel.