Mini Skid Steer Trenchers
Mini Skid Steer Trenchers are popular attachments for many construction projects. Used to dig trenches for water, gas or electrical lines and pipes, it’s easy to see why you’ll often find a mini skid steer trencher around construction sites.
How Does a Mini Skid Steer Trencher Attachment Work?
A mini skid steer trencher uses your mini skid steers auxiliary hydraulic system to turn a chain assembly. The chain assembly holds teeth that dig up the earth leaving a trench behind.
You can use your mini skid steer trencher attachments to trench through rock, frost and frozen ground. The correct chain and teeth set up must be used however.
The teeth on the mini trenchers chain pull the dirt out of the earth, forming a trench. Mini trenchers will have a boom on top of the trencher chain assembly with a scoop on the end of it. This is called the “crumber”. The crumber will pull loose material forward into the chain so it can be lifted out of the trench, leaving a clean finish.
Once the earth is on the surface, a horizontal auger pull the dirt away from the trench.
Let’s look at each item individually.
Mini Skid Steer Trencher Chain
The chain on your mini trencher is doing the digging and heavy lifting and therefore should be one of your first thoughts when choosing a mini skid steer trencher.
When deciding on the size of chain you want for your mini trencher, you have to consider both the host machine, as well as the depth and width of the trench you are wanting to dig.
Starting with the trench its self, most mini skid steer trenchers come with a 36” long chain. Be sure to select a trencher chain that is long enough for the trench you are trying to dig.
Different width chains are also available. 4” to 8” wide are common for mini skid steer trenchers. Be sure to buy the correct size for the trench you are creating.
As for the host machine, it is important to be sure your mini skid steer has the auxiliary hydraulic power necessary to operate your mini skid steer trencher.
What Kind Of Trencher Teeth Do I Need?
Because some of us need to trench in looser soil, while others need to trench through rock and frost, mini trenchers can be purchased with different combinations of teeth.
For loose dirt, a cupped tooth works best. It allows the mini trencher to carry more earth with each rotation. This would be referred to as a “dirt chain”.
In order to cut though hard earth such as rock however, a more aggressive tooth is needed. This is where a rock tooth auger works best. The teeth look like bullets and are made of harder material than a dirt tooth, to cut through the earth.
The drawback to the dirt chain is that it can’t cut through hard material, while the drawback to the rock tooth is that it can’t clear the trench or pull up loose material.
This is where the combo chain comes in. A combo chain is a mix of both rock and earth teeth on the same chain. Most of our customers prefer the combo chain set up, unless they know for sure they are only using the trencher for a very specific purpose.
Have more questions?
Give us a call today. Our team would be happy to answer all of your questions. 1-866-990-SKID
