single bottom plow vs Trencher

[skyhightree1]

I have 120 feet of romex to run to my barn behind my house and I don't want to use my trencher to do it. I want to use my single bottom plow so it creates a mold that i can just flip back down on top of the wire and wouldnt have to worry about dirt settling and refilling it when it does and replanting with grass has anyone tried that? What are the pros and cons of doing it with the single bottom plow other than depth but im not worried about that too much. :help: :help: :help:

 

[NMVaquero]

Never tried it but if you are in an area that freezes bury depth should be a big deal.
That tube may be flexible, but it will burst.

 

[M.Magis]

If you have a subsoiler or middle buster and a welder, you can find plans online for a DIY pipe layer. You can buy them also, but that may not make sense for a one time thing. You can find examples by doing an image search for "3pt pipe layer".

 

[skyhightree1]

I have a subsoiler and middle buster just wanted it tobe a easy replacement of dirt and not have big ugly dirty line all the way across.

 

[M5farm]

Iuse an old 1 row ripper foot to lay line and pipe. it was a watermelon planter in its day

sub soiler only disturbs about 4 inches wide. I lay pipe and drive back over it front and back tires and its good as new. I don't know anything about the pipe your laying but with pvc make sure your bells are facing the right direction and preglue all joints for the entire run you are making. once you start it in the ground don't stop until you where your going

 

[ALACOWMAN]

i got a middle buster... ive built drainage ditches, ran water lines etc.... subsoiler works great for what your wanting to do

 

[skyhightree1]

Gotcha I just dont want to be filling in the rut for years to come till its nice and packed

 

[dun]

Romex is electrical wiring sheathed in a plastic coating, not pipe, although if it was run through conduit it would be pipe on the outside, but still electrical wire.
That said.

If you have much rock you might want to run it in conduit or even old garden hose. Just something to protect it from the rocks. Trust me, it's a real bugger to find that nick that's causing problems once it's buried

 

[Jogeephus]

I use a single shank subsoiler for stuff like that. We don't have rocks but I like to run the shank once to soften things up then I'll hook the pipe or wire to it and follow the line. Works great and the only digging is the little bit on each end. I then put the tractor tires on top of the "trench" to tamp down.

 

[skyhightree1]

Romex is electrical wiring sheathed in a plastic coating, not pipe, although if it was run through conduit it would be pipe on the outside, but still electrical wire.
That said.

If you have much rock you might want to run it in conduit or even old garden hose. Just something to protect it from the rocks. Trust me, it's a real bugger to find that nick that's causing problems once it's buried

Excellent point dun about the rocks and nicks. I dont have many here but that is excellent advise. Jo also excellent advice I may try that and see how it works.

 

[NMVaquero]

Romex is electrical wiring sheathed in a plastic coating, not pipe, although if it was run through conduit it would be pipe on the outside, but still electrical wire.
That said.

If you have much rock you might want to run it in conduit or even old garden hose. Just something to protect it from the rocks. Trust me, it's a real bugger to find that nick that's causing problems once it's buried

You are right.... Was thinking rehaeu pipe.

 

[B&M Farms]

If you have gophers you will want to put it in a pvc pipe too. They can chew into the insulation of the romex and cause a short. I see no reason you coudn't lay it over with a bottom plow and then just cover it back up.

 

[dun]

If you have gophers you will want to put it in a pvc pipe too. They can chew into the insulation of the romex and cause a short. I see no reason you coudn't lay it over with a bottom plow and then just cover it back up.

Years ago I noticed in one spot between the buck and doe barns that when it was wet I would feel a funny tingle in my feet. Dug up the wire and a gopher had gnawed through the isnulation and had fried himself when he made contact with the ground and hot wires. The lights worked in the barns and everything but there was that funny feeling in my feet at times. That was near the mex border, I learned about the rocks while here in MO

 

[Bigfoot]

Just my thoughts, because I have never laid wire with a plow, but I would think the plow would make a bigger mess than the sub soiler. I have laid romex with a sub soiler many times. I usually make several passes in the same path, before I lay the wire. I have a pice of pipe welded to the sub soiler near the bottom. I don't know what the stuff is called, but it comes in a can. You dip things like pliers that lose their rubber in it. I line the pipe with it real good. I will also say the last wire I buried that way, wire was cheap compared to now. The last underground wire I ran was so expensive, I didn't want to take chances on having to rerun it. I hired a trencher, and put it in conduit.
Side note---------- I need to bury an underground electric fence wire real bad, in the next two weeks. I have loaned my sub soiler to someone, that loaned it to someone. Now they can't remember who they loaned it to. While I am running the wire with a grubbing hoe and shovel, I will be thinking of them.

 

[Fly-guy]

I just completed a sprinkler project and burried over 400' of pipe with a single bottom plow and then used my 6' blade to back fill. Sure beats renting a trencher and it worked just fine.

 

[dun]

I just completed a sprinkler project and burried over 400' of pipe with a single bottom plow and then used my 6' blade to back fill. Sure beats renting a trencher and it worked just fine.

I'm sort of envious. Around here even a trencher won;t usually do the job, it's a backhoe or nothing. Even with a backhoe you need to change the bucket teeth at least once in 400'

 

[CottageFarm]

Definitely go with the subsoiler, it will heal faster.
And put it in conduit. I prefer the plastic stuff personally, but it doesn't matter. Can't tell you how many clients end up with a break or a short that takes forever to trace when it's just romex. Besides, with conduit you can use the individual strands rather than romex, it's easier to pull the wire and less expensive. And use 12 gauge rather than 14, even if you only have 15 amp breakers

 

[Jogeephus]

I just can't get why if Sky's wife is yielding the paintbrush why he can't run the hand shovel for a few hours. Seems like the least he can do. :hide:

 

[dun]

Definitely go with the subsoiler, it will heal faster.
And put it in conduit. I prefer the plastic stuff personally, but it doesn't matter. Can't tell you how many clients end up with a break or a short that takes forever to trace when it's just romex. Besides, with conduit you can use the individual strands rather than romex, it's easier to pull the wire and less expensive. And use 12 gauge rather than 14, even if you only have 15 amp breakers

I'll second the conduit as my first choice. Also, when you pull the wire include a messenger string so that it's easier to back pull or pull another wire if you need to later.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Romex is approved for only indoor wiring that is not subject to moisture or punctures. If one is laying electrical wire in a "non-piercing" underground environment, the one should use the very hard covering used in UF cable. Otherwise, I would always install electrical wire in UL Listed Gray PVC conduit to further protect it from gophers, piercings, etc. Whatever method one used to lay wire in-ground, use only that wire that is designed and "approved" for direct burial.