Quick trenching attachment

This shallow trenching tool buries water lines and water quickly.

Duane Benfer of Winslow, Illinois, needed a quick and easy way to bury shallow water lines. “I could not see wasting all the time needed by running a trencher, laying the pipe, and then filling the trench back in with dirt,” Benfer says. Because he was not concerned about the lines freezing, he simply wanted to bury the piping 6 to 8 inches below the surface.

His solution was to build a trenching knife attachment that he could mount onto his skid-steer loader. The attachment cuts a thin trench and feeds the water line through at the same time, burying it in the process. The device works equally well for laying wire.

Benfer points out that his ground is loamy soil. “Depending on where the reader intends on using this attachment, they may want to make sure the soil is damp or they may want to add a disk opener in front if needed,” he says.

Detailed construction information to build this Idea of the Month can be found HERE.

Winslow, Illinois

Farming Operation: Formerly a 100-cow dairy operation, the farm currently consists of raising corn, alfalfa, and soybeans.

Hobbies: His main hobby is developing ideas, much like the one featured in this article. He also enjoys traveling and tractor pulls.

Family: He is married to his wife, Linda, of 56 years. They have a strong faith in God and have been blessed with three children, three grandchildren, and are expecting their first great-grandchild.

Email: [email protected]