# Chainsaw as a trencher



## ckr74 (Jul 8, 2009)

Have to run some underground wire for dog fence and am thinking about using my old Mac 3200. Wire has to be at least 3" under. Anyone ever tried it? I don't really care what it does to the saw or chain and should easier faster than digging. Length will be 300 to 500'.


----------



## KD57 (Jul 8, 2009)

I dunno...sounds like a good idea to me, assuming you don't hit any rock. Sure would make a nice thin trench for the wire.


----------



## rxe (Jul 8, 2009)

You need to make a "trenching chain" - something that didn't have enough of a projection on it to hang up up rocks, but enough lumpiness to cut through soil. 

Neat idea, I want to know how it goes (I may have to do something similar).


----------



## HimWill (Jul 8, 2009)

Where in Eastern Kansas,somewhere around the Flint hills?Shouldn't have any trouble finding a rock or two there.I wouldn't think the chain would last very long,not long enough to finish the job.
You have anyone around with a small tractor and turning plow?Run a furrow,lay the wire and roll the dirt back over the wire.


----------



## Work Saw Collector (Jul 8, 2009)

I know you said do care what it does to the saw but my question is. Will the dirt trash the clutch before you get done?


----------



## rxe (Jul 8, 2009)

supercabs78 said:


> I know you said do care what it does to the saw but my question is. Will the dirt trash the clutch before you get done?



I doubt it - the clutch has to deal with all sorts of dust and junk hitting it during woodcutting, and carries on just fine. He's only doing a 3" deep cut - with a reasonably long bar, most of the junk would have fallen off before hitting the sprocket. You could direct a water jet onto the chain to clean it I suppose?


----------



## ckr74 (Jul 8, 2009)

HimWill said:


> Where in Eastern Kansas,somewhere around the Flint hills?Shouldn't have any trouble finding a rock or two there.I wouldn't think the chain would last very long,not long enough to finish the job.
> You have anyone around with a small tractor and turning plow?Run a furrow,lay the wire and roll the dirt back over the wire.



I'm South of Olathe 10 miles. Shouldn't be any rocks to deal with except driveway and I'll have to dig that by hand to install conduit.


----------



## kevin j (Jul 8, 2009)

neighbor ran the wire for his fenceless dog boundary thing with an old saw. Seemed to work quite well.
I remember it as he asked to borrow a saw from me first. NWIH. 

kcj


----------



## SINGLE-JACK (Jul 8, 2009)

Suggestion: since you don't care about the saw - drill the bar and screw on a couple of cheap scrub brushes on each side to keep the dirt out of the clutch and off your shins.


----------



## SINGLE-JACK (Jul 8, 2009)

kevin j said:


> neighbor ran the wire for his fenceless dog boundary thing with an old saw. Seemed to work quite well.
> I remember it as he asked to borrow a saw from me first. NWIH.
> 
> kcj



LOL! You don't loan him stuff, right! :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## ckr74 (Jul 8, 2009)

I'm thinking about clamping on something to serve as a depth guage or skid so bar is limited to depth. Might run chain backwards for fun. Not much to lose if this doesn't work.


----------



## Roy M (Jul 8, 2009)

I remember seeing trenching chain but the idea did not seem to last very long. As was suggested, the clutch got badly clogged with dirt. Can you rent a small Ditch Witch?


----------



## bocefus78 (Jul 8, 2009)

*gas edger*

use an edger --stick or walk behind--works just fine and saves your back from bending over for that 500ft. Just saw the invisible fence company doing this last week in my neighborhood. In and out in 2 hours.


----------



## HimWill (Jul 8, 2009)

The 3200 isn't that bad if you take care of it a little bit.After saying that,I would suggest you find a hard tip bar for this job.The sprocket tip that came standard will probably not stand up too long in the dirt.
You're too close to the Missouri river to be in "rock country",move a little farther south toward Pittsburg and west towards Wichita to get into some rocks.


----------



## Texas Traveler (Jul 8, 2009)

bocefus78 said:


> use an edger --stick or walk behind--works just fine and saves your back from bending over for that 500ft. Just saw the invisible fence company doing this last week in my neighborhood. In and out in 2 hours.


 This the best idea, but I have used my saw to cut up baled oatstraw for mulch on seed beds. Works great


----------



## Veteran (Jul 8, 2009)

Texas Traveler said:


> This the best idea, but I have used my saw to cut up baled oatstraw for mulch on seed beds. Works great



Now when you get your saw wet it sprouts grass.


----------



## nmurph (Jul 8, 2009)

cha-cha-cha-chia!!!


----------



## FELLNORTH (Jul 8, 2009)

been there done that works great!!!!!


----------



## Shagbark (Jul 8, 2009)

We use a middle buster on a 3pt hitch with a piece of conduit bent in a "J" welded to the middle buster facing opposite the direction of the middle buster. Attach the spool of wire to the ROPS, feed it through the conduit, have a guy hold the end 3' sticking out of the trench and go. 500 ft in about 20 minutes.


----------



## teacherman (Jul 8, 2009)

ckr74 said:


> Have to run some underground wire for dog fence and am thinking about using my old Mac 3200. Wire has to be at least 3" under. Anyone ever tried it? I don't really care what it does to the saw or chain and should easier faster than digging. Length will be 300 to 500'.



My neighbor has experience with this. A while back he borrowed (without permission) my old Echo, which at the time was my only saw, to get roots out of the post holes he was digging. It worked, but rocked the crap out of the chain. He has since bought his own post-hole digger, a Stihl 039, I believe.

The problem is that the saw will cut the dirt, but the crud will likely fall in the hole, and keep you from placing the wire in there neatly. Maybe it would work OK, though. I don't know if a bit of moisture would help hold the dirt together so the little trench would keep its integrity. Let us know how it works!


----------



## teacherman (Jul 8, 2009)

Texas Traveler said:


> This the best idea, but I have used my saw to cut up baled oatstraw for mulch on seed beds. Works great



I used mine to cut a roll of roofing felt in half, because I needed a bunch of it at 18" wide. Worked quite well.


----------



## boostnut (Jul 8, 2009)

Not sure if you've got a Sunbelt rental store in the area, may want to give them a call. Its been a handful of years but I rented a machine built specific for this job. Think it was $25 for the day. Put the wire spool on the machine, fire up the little 3hp b&s and start walking. It cuts the "trench", burys the wire, and even throws the loose dirt back over the wire. Took the work out of that job.


----------



## little possum (Aug 16, 2009)

Bump to the top for a update


----------



## Gypo Logger (Aug 16, 2009)

Put the chain on backwards and let er' rip!
John


----------



## whitedogone (Aug 16, 2009)

Ideas here:

http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=75371

the fella down the road used my gas lawn edger to lay his in. WDO


----------



## KodiakKen (Aug 17, 2009)

*nice thought..*

I think for 500 foot..I would rather put a circular saw blade on a trimmer than mess up a chainsaw no matter how bad you want to throw it away. find a neighbor that has an edger or use a pointed hoe..it is 500 foot..you have to walk it anyway...do a little manual labor. either that or train your dog. my .02


----------



## splitpost (Aug 17, 2009)

can u do it at night and video record it then put it up for everone to see the sparks:jawdrop:


----------

