Trenching is often done in homogeneous soils, but for customers who contend with rocks, roots and other obstructions mixed in with soil, OEMs of ride-on trenchers of up to 75 horsepower are finding ways to improve the performance of their machines in these demanding conditions.
Toro’s answer on the RT600 is the HD PowerTrench drive. This system stores power from a flywheel and then transfers that power to a torque-amplifying planetary system. The inertia from the flywheel helps maintain digging power when the chain hits an obstruction. In addition to reducing chain stalling, HD PowerTrench minimizes hydraulic spikes and driveline shocks. The result is more consistent trenching in varied conditions with reduced wear on the machine. Toro also offers a new hydrostatic direct drive trencher, a cost-effective design suitable for less-demanding conditions.
Standard on the Vermeer RTX550 and RTX750 is TrenchSense. If the chain gets hung up, TrenchSense reverses the chain and the ground drive and then returns to trenching. It will do this up to five times. If the obstacle is still stalling the chain, TrenchSense neutralizes the chain and the ground drive so the operator can reposition the machine beyond the problem spot.
Even typical soils free of major obstacles will vary in density, so the cruise control on the Ditch Witch RT80 senses engine load and adjusts ground speed accordingly.
Maneuverability in tight urban work zones is improved with 4-wheel steering, such as on the Ditch Witch RT80. The operator has independent control of the front and rear axles so steering can be front, rear, crab or coordinated.
Features once reserved for larger trenchers, such as cabs and quad tracks, are finding their way into smaller machines. Market conditions have created a shift in standard features as well as a shift in where machines of a given size are used, according to Steve Seabolt of Ditch Witch. He says their RT80 used to be at the low end of the contractor market and their RT45 at the high end of the rental market. But both types of customers are buying RT45 trenchers now because their utilization rate is up with the strong demand for utility trenching, especially for fiber installation. The RT45 is something of a “gateway” trencher, though, as many RT45 owners move up to the RT80 to get increased stability, tractive effort and power.
