Do you have standing water or poor drainage in your garden? Adding drainage can help channel excess water away, but installing it often involves digging long trenches for drainage pipes.
So, can you use a trencher for garden drainage? In most cases, yes. A trencher can create narrow, consistent channels much faster than digging by hand. The important thing is choosing the right machine for your project.
Why Use a Trencher for Garden Drainage?
Most garden drainage systems require a channel to be dug before drainage pipes or other materials can be installed. Digging these channels by hand can be hard work, especially across a large garden.
A trencher is specifically designed to dig narrow channels over longer distances. This makes them ideal for drainage, irrigation pipes and other landscaping projects, while reducing the amount of manual digging required.
What Can a Garden Trencher Be Used For?
Trenchers can be used to create channels for drainage pipes, direct water away from problem areas or install irrigation and underground water pipes.
Before starting, plan where your trench needs to run and establish the required width and depth. This will help you choose the right trencher for the job.
Can You Get a Trencher Through a Garden Gate?
Access can be a problem when using machinery in a back garden, but you don’t necessarily need a large construction vehicle.
KSS Trencher Hire’s small walk-behind trencher is just 69cm wide and has been designed to fit through most garden gates. Its compact size makes it ideal for domestic gardens and projects with restricted access.
How Deep Can a Garden Trencher Dig?
You should know approximately how deep your trench needs to be before hiring a machine. The required depth will depend on the drainage system you’re installing.
KSS’s small walk-behind trencher offers working depths of approximately 15cm, 25cm and 40cm, with a working width of around 10cm. Larger trenchers are also available for projects that require greater digging depths.
Is a Trencher Better Than Digging by Hand?
For a very short drainage channel, digging by hand may be manageable. However, the longer the trench, the more time and physical effort it will require.
Using a trencher can make larger projects considerably easier. The machine does much of the difficult digging while helping you create a more consistent trench for your drainage system.
What Ground Conditions Can a Trencher Handle?
Always consider the ground conditions before choosing your trencher. Soil type, obstacles and the overall condition of the ground can affect which machine is most suitable.
Not every trencher is suitable for every project. If you’re unsure, explain the ground conditions and your planned trench dimensions to the hire company before choosing a machine.
Check for Underground Services Before Digging
Always check for underground services before you start trenching. Electricity cables, water pipes, gas lines and other utilities could potentially run beneath your garden.
Never assume an area is safe to dig simply because there are no visible cables or pipes. Your planned route should be assessed and appropriate detection equipment used where necessary.
What Size Trencher Should I Hire?
A compact walk-behind trencher is suitable for many domestic garden drainage projects. They’re relatively easy to manoeuvre and can access areas that larger machines cannot.
For larger agricultural, landscaping or commercial projects, a tracked or sit-on machine may be more appropriate. KSS offers walk-behind, tracked walk-behind and sit-on trenchers for different types of work.
Hire a Trencher for Your Garden Drainage Project
Hiring a trencher for garden drainage can save considerable time and effort compared with manually digging a long channel.
KSS Trencher Hire provides trenchers for both trade and domestic customers, including compact machines suitable for gardens with restricted access. Speak to the KSS team about your required trench size, ground conditions and access, and they can help you choose the right machine for your project.
For all other hire equipment, check out KSS Hire
