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5
/ 5
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Excellent Trencher,
June 10, 2008
By Jackhammer
from Naples, FL
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"Okay , here’s my take on this trencher. I retired to Southern Florida about 5 years ago and have 6 rental homes with good-sized lots to maintain. The lawns are st. augustine grass, which is the toughest grass made and has vines that are thick and tough. All homes down here have underground sprinkler systems. When the sprinkler systems were installed at my homes, obviously the drought conditions that we now have were not anticipated, and many more sprinkler heads are now required, especially with the water restriction of 1-2 days per week. I had several estimates to install additional sprinklers and was floored at the cost. My neighbors hired landscape companies to add to their sprinklers, which consisted of teams of men with broad shovels to dig the necessary trenches. It reminded me of the railroad section gang I worked on as a boy. When they were done it looked like a completed sewer project. I figured I’d go to a rental outlet and rent a trencher. Huge machines, big bucks to rent. Then I saw this trencher online and read the one and only review. The guy seemed to know what he was talking about so I ordered one. It came, I put it together...very easy. Only one thing wrong with the assembly instructions…the nut that secures the blade requires a 1-1/2” wrench, not 1-1/4”. It’s tight quarters under there, so I bought a 1-1/2” socket and a ¾”adapter for my ½” socket wrench, as the big socket is a ¾” drive. You know, it’s hotter than the dickens down here and I’ve dug trenches before, and between the tougher than tripe grass and the heat, it’s just not human to go out there by myself and start digging by hand. Anyway, I have dug several hundred feet so far with this trencher and it is a godsend. The machine is along the lines of something the top tiller manufacturer would make, as it is sturdy. The blade is something to behold. I took it out and inspected it and it is something I would defy you to break or bend. I’m a farm boy and appreciate good equipment. This is good equipment and has already paid for itself. What else can I say? For a single homeowner maybe it would be too much, but for me it’s as essential as a good mower. It’s pretty heavy and pushing or pulling it any distance in thick grass will wear you out. Any distance and I easily load it into my tilt yard cart and pull it to the next job with my lawn tractor. Hey, I play the game."
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What is your level of technical expertise?:
Home Handyman
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| Overall Rating: |
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5
/ 5
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Looks Like My Money's Worth,
May 10, 2008
By HappySoFar
from Ben Lomond, CA
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"I was worried about making this purchase. I couldn't find any reviews online and it's a lot of money. I've used many styles of trenchers in the past; from tractor mounted to ditch witches to irrigation / wiring trenchers like this one. North Star was the best price by far but I'd never used the brand before.
First impression is great. Very well packaged (bolted down to a wooden crate with solid cardboard box around it). Excellent paint job (I was pained to even get it dirty) and easy to assemble. I think the wheels should be of a little higher quality for the price but trenchers move slow so it shouldn't be a problem. They look plenty sturdy, just not precision-aligned through the center / bearings. The welds and very clean and the tubular steel is thick. And you can't beat a Honda engine.
The trencher is about 25% bigger than I thought it was going to be; that's a good thing. And I love the basic design: wheeled steel tray, engine, rotary digging blade; easy to run, easy to maintain and repair. My experience is that the rotary blade style works in a greater variety of soil conditions that does the much more expensive digging disk style (i.e. Groundsaw). I also believe this simple design is sturdier than the top-heavy Trenchmaster style. The drive belts are also more safely / completely enclosed than on the Trenchmaster.
I added engine oil / gas and the Honda engine started up instantly. I have several hundred yards of irrigation and underground wiring to install this summer. Looks good so far. I will post again once I've trenched a while."
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What is your level of technical expertise?:
Professional
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