Since your cable is direct buried, I would suggest running the cable through a pvc conduit riser or sleeve up to your box. This way string trimmers won't damage the cable when doing you yardwork.
Alternatively you can run a sheathed cable, Teck cable that doesn't required conduit. Don't bury any cord or cable not rated for direct burial. 15 year+ electrician here
U just saved my back...I am a63 year old disabled female, with spinal injury, so every time I have to dig a trench on my fixer upper property, I want to cry...but I do it....I'm gonna get one of those things...thanks for the tip...From South Central Oregon
The first time I got cable, three young, strong, men brought a gas-powered trencher and struggled for an hour to put the cable in, which they broke and just shoved the broken ends back together. They went directly across my lawn. After I called for a repair, an old man showed up with one of these tools. He said that the cable should have gone the long way along the fence. I scoffed at him for thinking he could do what the three men with a trencher failed at. He did it right in about 20 minutes.
@@fvrrljr , Yes. One lesson I learned is to never get cable when they offer a great price in a neighborhood. It means that they plan to hire a bunch of untrained people to do a massive number of installations. The cable installers don't know what they are doing.
@@factChecker01 Thanx for the tip. but with wi-fi i don't get cable not other services that free wi-f- out there. made a cantenna that picks up open signals. don't watch much tv but i do love the free HD channels using the old and true antenna on the roof
I am an ATT retiree. We were trained that low voltage buried cable such as ATT cable and cable TV are required to be buried 12" down within a conduit (a pipe) and 18" direct buried (no pipe). Just FYI. Loved the tool.
If I may add ~ always saturate the ground if you are going to use this tool or any other, it's always easier when the ground is slightly damp/moist. Also works for me when pulling up fence posts. And another thing: A chainsaw with an old chain can get most of this trench done in a heartbeat, just be careful with rocks in the ground ...Thank you!
@@REVNUMANEWBERN WOuld one of these work on hard clay that is dry and hard packed? I am having trouble with all hand tools and cant get in there with anything large or heavy due to terrain
They used one of those when they put my cable line in when I lived south of Houston. It was fine until the summer when the soil dried out an it opened up to form a 2" wide crack.
☆ATTENTION OAKLEY'S☆ I'm a profound and proud "DIYer!" & I just wanted to send a sincere compliment on this video. You produced an easy to follow and understand diy video. Secondly, you possess a wonderful personality and seem to have an enate gift for teaching/instructing. Thanks for your time and advice. Continue with diy videos! Sean Whitman, a wood worker from Welcome, NC.
I would have used 3/4"PVC.that way in case you had to replace or add another cable line .I know that would be an extra expense, but it will be easier for the next time. Great tool .
I agree In running the wire through a PVC instead of direct bury. Add a tagline to the wire will make any replacement or running another wire a piece of cake.
Jesus Christ guys it’s a gd coax cable, who cares. You’d have to open that trench up wider for a pvc pipe morons, he wasn’t going to rent a trencher and spend all day putting a conduit pipe in the ground.
I bought the 6 inch one last year to install my sprinkler lines it works great as long as the ground is moist. It took no time for me to complete my trenching.
Nice tool. I'm going in another direction. my pressure washer and an old shop vac I use for wet. I have a few post holes to dig to replace sections of fence that blew down and for Gazebo posts. I won't have to worry about through cutting lines because the pressure washer won't cut.
My trick is: Wait for the ground to be soaked after a heavy rain storm and then use a pick to make a trench. Soft ground is easier trenching and easier digging.
As others have mentioned, this would have been a great opportunity to utilize flexible conduit to truly protect your cables. I did it with AC and speaker wire last year. The flex conduit ensures there are no connectors underground, so there are no leak points.
As a former utility marker, I can assure you that the machines they use for marking work pretty good. The marker should have started from the pedestal (BOX) and worked his way back to your house. Even though the cable company did not charge you since it was mismarked, The marking company paid for the damage. When I was marking in the state of Kentucky, the cost to replace a cable line was $1000. That was 25 years ago. Its probably more now. I like the tool. It used to be against the law to open the ped, unless you are a locater or a technician. Good video.
No they started at the cable box and when to the source. Didn't realize they charge back the company. I am sure they didn't credit them for me putting the cable in the ground. Thanks for watching.
I called 811 because AT&T buried my phone line when I was away on vacation. They came out to the place, planted 1 single flag and notified the 811 people that they didn't have anything at this address... sigh - at least they're consistent. Also - next time - get some bright yellow or orange or some kind of fluorescent colored plastic tape to bury a few inches above your line. When somebody that doesn't know better starts digging across your line, they'll see the tape and know to stop - unless they're using a ditch witch...
Yeah I don't know if it made a difference that I was there and watched him? Well if you dig through it hopefully they will no charge you to replace it again. Thanks for watching.
Got me one of those Wilton Trenching tools and I did not have to do any trenching or digging OR any work at all to get my 130 feet of cable buried! Nope, I had to get my brother to do all the work. You see, my brother weighs about 275 lbs and I'm only a "buck fifty". As hard as I tried, my scrawny butt would only barely penetrate the surface. So, while my brother came over and got the cable buried in just over an hour..... I sat back with a beer and just watched! GREAT TOOL!
Nice video for people that have nice soil with very few rocks. Not so in many instances. It does make a cleaner job of things when you can. Won't quite work in a gravel situation like I have coming up. Good thing I have a willing friend with a backhoe to get the job done. Very nice video. BTW you can get a flat nosed garden shovel similar to your rounded one you did your curve with to do the trenching as well. I have both the curved and a flat nosed one.
Never saw any of your videos before but this is the perfect balance of grumpy while still being upbeat. 😂❤ ..."but they marked over there!". "I had somebody out here that knew what they were doing...NOT"😅 I bet you are fun to talk to. I loved this video and thank you for the tool suggestion. I need to run wire to a detached shed. This seems doable. You defi itely earned thia like and a comment for the algorithm. Take care!
Um... no! Not true. There's nowhere this tool won't work (if you're smart). I live in UT. The clay soil here is like concrete when it dries out... The key here is: "when it dries out". The simple fix is to lay a soaker hose along the path you need to trench, and leave it on overnight. Shut it off in the morning, and start your trenching in the afternoon. Simple as that.
Try your luck doing that across what used to be a shelled road 100 years ago that is now grass. Or any other type of non-soil substrate. Or in mountainous terrain that's all gravel.
Nice. Guess I'll have to buy one of those. I have a lot of projects that I cant to do and even if I need to dig a trench - this tool is an excellent way to start as I can come in along the sides at an angle with either a shovel of that same tool to widen the trench to meet whatever width I want.
Nice video. It should be noted that, while 811 locates "utilities", it does not locate "your" buried lines. So, if you have a shop/shed (or some other electric device like a light pole) buried, they do not locate those lines. If 811 located your irrigation line instead of your utilities, the tech did not know what he was doing. Locating can be tricky, but you are locating a signal sent down the wire - so how did he get the signal on your irrigation wire? I never got them wrong, and I have located many different types of lines.
I give you one easier and maybe cheaper! Use a power washer, and cut a single cable trench - 6 to 8 inches wide single pass. For drain pipe cut 2 width of trench shovel, remove sod w T shovel , place pipe , cover, done and water encourages grass growth. No cost if u use your pressure washer, or borrow so sons. Maybe motivate u to buy one for other uses !
I worked 21 years for an electric company as a lineman. its simple to get on the wrong line. if you are marking cable tv and end up at the electric meter, you messed up.
God! An American who's aware that there are people who live in other countries: wow! Thanks, that's a great tool, I enjoyed the video: very informative. Also, loved the dog. Thanks again, from Australia.
I did this method with a regular flat shovel for all my sprinkler lines (25mm). You want to push back together to make sure it gets flat afterwards (instead of slightly raised from the compaction+raise this method causes). I partly used my tractor mower to drive along the edges afterwards to push back.
That looks like a good tool - if you have the proper ground. Where I live you'd end up digging out enough rocks to get it deep enough into the ground that it might just be worth your while to dig a trench anyway.
Great video. Before buying a trenching spade ($85!?) I'd try using my broad fork or even a spading fork (both gardening tools I already have) to greatly loosen the soil along that trench line. After that a flat-bladed spade could probably do the job. If I try this (which won't be soon) I'll post the result.
My gosh! Are we related!!!?? Lol! I feel the same way about doing stuff, there is nothing like doing it yourself to know the job was done right! It is such a shame people these days take such little pride in doing a job well so we have to rely on ourselves to do it. I found if you wet the ground along the path the night BEFORE using that trenching tool, it is easier to work into the ground. For me its a no-brainer because where I live the clay under the grass is close to rock hard so wetting it first pretty much goes without saying.
It is illegal to open and tamper with the communications pedestal. Please consider calling the communications company to make the connection on that end in the future. You could be knocking out 911 service to your neighbors (or more depending on where in the system you are)
Another vid same tool popped up yesterday ODIYHR. Somehow I believe this geewhiz has limited usage. I mean, were I in the plumbing biz...etc, I'd have one. Looks like it's the cat's meow if your sod is the consistency of out of date froot cake. But suppose you have a real yard with rocks and roots? Still...having dug several long lines in my yard using a blasted spine whacking mattick... yes indeedy..there are easier ways. The lady who used a pressure washer.... Hmmm.... Thanks for the vid...Many good ideas here.
The thing about cable is that it goes bad a lot when buried. Any water or heavy moisture that enters the cable from either end will kill your high freq signals (internet and high tv channels). It can last a long time, but its just a matter of time. As a cable tech about 10 years ago I would run a new drop almost always on a hookup or even trouble calls.
Man I live in an area where rock keliche and all the hardest elements are at the top of the soil down as far as you'll dig this dirt won't budge for jumping on the most solid shovels some area of course will but man I dig a nearly 200 feet over the last week and I had to use the pick axe anyhow this does look like a good technique for the narrow trench and energy saved
great tool used it to bury a dish cable because when I ordered Dish the guy would not bury it and wanted to hang it over from garage to my house said they do not dig... worked great!
Line to home dont have a NEC for dept its at the digression of the supplier but average is 3-5" if done by hand if your lucky it was done by a trencher the main lines that are along the roads etc they will be much deper
I ran a cable drop bury crew for a couple of years when I was 18 for a contracted install and underground company, total circus. We were given shovels, reels of conduit and cable. The closest option we had to your tool were made by the secretary's husband, instead of describing him let's just call him "Brutus". The 16" wide X 12" deep blades were made from 3/4" Plate steel and the the handle was a solid steel 1-1/4" rod welded to the plate. Now if you're 6'-4" tall, 300 lbs, have a 36" waste and eat railroad spikes for breakfast, it's safe to say you can easily make a slot trench to bury that cable. Even considering the fact it was code in my area at the time that it had to be in conduit, hence the 3/4" plate for a blade. But he worked in excavation somewhere else and the rest of us couldn't even pick the tool up much less slam it into the ground pull it out and repeat every 16" as he showed us how. So we were stuck with shovels and a technique that required kicking the shovel through the grass at a 45 deg. angle, one direction only, from the house to the ped (or pole). We would take the most direct route possible, one or two of would grab the grass and pull up while one would push in the sod, it was a really quick process and nearly undetectable as long as the lawn was healthy the soil was medium damp and it wasn't newly rolled sod. That was the case about once every two months. We had 3-4 50'-200' jobs to get done everyday and even $6 an hour wasn't that great of a wage in 1999-2000. We took every short cut we could to get the conduit at a min. of 6" deep and with the least amount of ground disturbance possible. Landscaping with cloth under rock or bark was a gift from above to route through and cover, paving block was a nightmare. But the most common type to bury in was hard pan dirt with a few sprigs of abandoned grass with tennis ball sized stones. And of course the people that occupied those somehow expected that burying a cable would suddenly transform a wasteland into a lush green lawn. Once the conduit was down we still had to tie off and pull the cable through and reconnect it at the house. It was best job in the world!
This looks like a great tool for running low voltage wire. I'll probably have to go slow so I don't cut through irrigation pipes. But if they were installed correctly (they weren't), they'd be lower than I need to go for low voltage wire. Thanks for the video.
Hello great video. I live in the California desert and The ground her gets like concrete hard as a rock. But that is a great idea to try if you live in the south . merry Christmas 2023.
$186.62 for the 12" Wilton trenching handle, well compare that to renting a trenching machine, maybe the time & back work saved by using a machine may be worth renting a machine, I see where the tool can aid in commercial daily uses in time saved and loading & unloading equipment & it's upkeep
I Wonder if this would be useful in burying 12 inches of hardware cloth along my property line to keep moles from burrowing in from my neighbors yard. They always seem to come from that direction and close enough to the surface that their tunnels raise the grass up.
I believe moles are eating the grubs in the dirt, try putting something on the lawn that kills the grubs, I know it isn't your yard but if it gets rid of the moles might be worth the few bucks. Thanks for watching.
Phone company did this once, when I moved about 30 yrs ago. He said they were going to put all phone cables underground. It never happened. The ONLY place I do not see them, on poles, is when a new house is built. And then all service lines are underground. They have been installing new fiber optic cables all around town, recently, but I don't believe they are operational yet.
HOLY COW what a great tool- kinda pricy BUT for the way it worked and not having to trench- it seems like a no brainer- and I was just ahout to start trenching for a sprinkler line- do you think this tool will be ok for that?
If you can make the opening big enough for the pipe to fit into. Make sure the ground around it closes up well afterwards. Thanks for watching and glad you liked it.
Hey -- would love some advice. We have a 400 foot property line with an adjacent parcel (both are about 3 to 5 acres). We discovered two buried 4 inch plastic flexispout pipes coming from the adjacent lot house that were installed when it was built and so I had pop up emitters installed on their lot at no charge to them (to end their potential claim of adverse possession of our land). Now we are looking at the neighbors' behavior and sense they might have more pipes buried on our (now fenced) lot -- to again, make a claim against our property. So they wont tell us if they do or don't and if so where they are and wont allow us access to their downspouts to run a camera or a copper wire. Our land in this area is native vegetation, scrub woods, rocky, clay and runs to a stream. A GPR company declined the job due to the presence of many roots, rocks and vines and the nearby intermittent stream would screw up their readings. I have consulted aerial photos from the past and dug a few 6 inch trenches here and there where it looked like there might be something base don lines in vegetation and grass but have found no more pipes than the first two maybe because I didnt dig deep enough or just missed it by a few feet. I've also tried water witching which is weird because it gives me very strong readings in some locations but maybe its just natural drainage that is causing that because again nothing found. Any ideas on how I might want to go about this? Oh - and this section of my property is landlocked by a small stream so I can't get vehicles or heavy equipment in there. Is there a tool that will trench better than a trench shovel or a d handle shovel or a ground probe or a pick? Because i have used them all.
Can try renting a small trencher from your local tool rental company, they are not that heavy and the small ones can go at least 12in deep. Or they make small excavators that also not very heavy and can dig at least 12in. Hope this helps
@@OakleysDIYHomeRenovation101 Yes it does. Any suggestions on reasons why I might be trenching along my fence line? In case they ask... like cutting vines? They will come out and ask. JUst looking for some good reasons under the sun........ thanks!
This seems like a good tool for shallow installations. If you're placing " voltage" cable ( i.e. 120v or higher) direct buried is 24" deep, with a warning tape placed no less then 12" from the top of the cable. Or within a conduit 18" deep. Another concern for depth is to consider this. If you aireate your lawn, you want to be sure you're deeper then 6". Most of the machines will plug your lawns close to that. Just a fyi...... Low voltage is supposed to be 18" though I've never seen it that deep. They just dont place it that deep.
Watched a recent vid of contractor digging out a retaining wall from house back to rear fence. Bout 12" from back fence he hit a large fiber line for whole neighborhood. Took out whole internet and phone for neighborhood...oops he hadn't called digger hotline. Luckily he got the phone Co out that afternoon and fixed. He had a hefty bill though
Very nice. I was wondering about burying solar cable using UF cable. I think that you need to bury the cable 2 feet. I wonder if you could still use your tool for that or if there is something else. Is it okay just to bury the UF cable 1 foot? Thanks for a great video.
this tool won't get 2 foot you will need to rent a trencher or hand dig it 2ft. Will need to check your local code to see how deep it needs to be. Thanks for watching.
Yep the blank blank blank cable company charged me $75 dollars 30 years ago and yes, they placed it 2 inches below the surface. Now I have fiber optic and it cost me nothing to install. I watched and thIs tool is what they used.
I was thinking of calling 811 now I don't know if I should seems they don't know what they are doing. Any kind of cable, pipe or plumbing finder that is recommended?
Those depth would be 100% illegal in my county !! 18 to 36 inches is how deep all mine are. I know because my NG line was repaired a few times and it is 3 feet deep.
This is called hand slicing, and you do not have to wiggle it back and forth like he did . Just push away and have someone stuff the wire . Then you just go over it lightly with a hand tamp . ( used to do this for a living) here in Ct it is not allowed anymore since cable has to 18 inches deep. They also make a plow for a trencher that will do this and tamp it all at the same time . Also not allowed in CT anymore .
ATT vs code maybe different. I was once licensed as a cable installer. Basically it was below sod was code from what I recall 20 yrs ago. As if everyone does things by code. Electrical and any piping, I always do to NEC code as a dyi guy or any times I help others. I force it. But cable. Idk. That means nope.
I need to get MC4 cables that is hooked up to my portable solar generator under ground. I am having a hard time mowing the lawn with all the MC4 cables everywhere, and having to stop to move the cables so I can mow and then move them back to where they were. How hard was it for you when you used the spade? I am an older women, and not sure if I have enough strength to use the spade. I could do a little bit daily, and not all in one day. I am not sure, but I would think that 4 inches would be deep enough for the cables.
Any type of electrical wiring in the US usually falls under the electric building codes found in the NEC. There are very detailed specifics about the depths of burial as well as types of wire that can be buried. National Electrical Code is a part of the building code that generally dictate how electric wiring can be installed safely. Generally speaking, electric power is not something you may want to accidentally hit when digging around the yard in the future. The electric shock may kill you before you realize you hit the line! Do a web search on the NEC or BOCA, then ask some questions of your local building inspector if you still are unsure. Don't risk your life or the life of a future resident of your home should the energized generator line get hit with a digging tool in the future.
*If you were alone in a room with Grace and started talking she would think you were talking to her and come up to you in response to be present with you. or to interact with you.. The same is true if you are outside. All Grace knows is you and her are together and you are talking.. She has no concept of cameras or UA-cam.. I see so many pet owners get frustrated that their dogs are in the way.. they are really not.. they are coming up close bc you are talking 'to them' in there minds and they are responding to that. it makes me chuckle everytime as the dog & the owner are trying to figure out what the heck the other on is doing.. :)) Good Girl Grace..
The same thing happened to me. When the Spectrum cable crew showed up at our place they found the lines were mismarked. They said, 'About 50% of the time, 811 is wrong.' !
The people that do line locates are given maps that were collected from the various utilities without any verification of the data being right. That’s how it is in Oklahoma, anyway
The locator hooked his induction clamp on the power and likely left the CTV and AT&T bonded to the power ground and missed the utilities because they came across at a 90 and the locator did not do a complete sweep.
For other outdoor project videos: ua-cam.com/play/PLw2NXu0gR84Mto0tzL1H-UBdzhWuvhH59.html
"DIY Handyman" Shirt: thediyapparelco.etsy.com
Since your cable is direct buried, I would suggest running the cable through a pvc conduit riser or sleeve up to your box. This way string trimmers won't damage the cable when doing you yardwork.
Alternatively you can run a sheathed cable, Teck cable that doesn't required conduit.
Don't bury any cord or cable not rated for direct burial. 15 year+ electrician here
Jesus...
Always do what "local code" is, people, please! I'm not anywhere near an electrician, but I learned "common sense" in elementary school!
I’m 69 yr old woman and I dug a water line using a pressure washer.
I need to run a water line so, could you elaborate on this? Thanks.
Excellent idea!
Gangster
Bet that was messy
Chalk line....nice, but I like the Sawzall technique better.
I love that the chapter labeled "zero digging" shows you digging.... lol
Love that he says "no tools needed" and then uses a tool the entire video.
Exactly. What a scam
Still impressive when you see that the job can actually be done without heavy machinery or painstaking shovel work.
U just saved my back...I am a63 year old disabled female, with spinal injury, so every time I have to dig a trench on my fixer upper property, I want to cry...but I do it....I'm gonna get one of those things...thanks for the tip...From South Central Oregon
Your welcome glad it helped. Good luck to ya. Thanks for watching.
The first time I got cable, three young, strong, men brought a gas-powered trencher and struggled for an hour to put the cable in, which they broke and just shoved the broken ends back together. They went directly across my lawn. After I called for a repair, an old man showed up with one of these tools. He said that the cable should have gone the long way along the fence. I scoffed at him for thinking he could do what the three men with a trencher failed at. He did it right in about 20 minutes.
*HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA*
it's called experience, know-how, gumption
@@fvrrljr , Yes. One lesson I learned is to never get cable when they offer a great price in a neighborhood. It means that they plan to hire a bunch of untrained people to do a massive number of installations. The cable installers don't know what they are doing.
@@factChecker01 Thanx for the tip. but with wi-fi i don't get cable not other services that free wi-f- out there. made a cantenna that picks up open signals. don't watch much tv but i do love the free HD channels using the old and true antenna on the roof
The logic is that they would have removed any large obstacles to be able to insert the posts for the fence.
Knowledge is power
I am an ATT retiree. We were trained that low voltage buried cable such as ATT cable and cable TV are required to be buried 12" down within a conduit (a pipe) and 18" direct buried (no pipe). Just FYI. Loved the tool.
Interesting. NONE of them are in any conduit here and clearly they didn't put them 12" deep. Thanks for watching
I too am retired from AT&T and I NEVER found one at 18”, seldom at 12”, usually 2-4”. Contractors don’t like digging in deep due to hitting things
I do irrigation, and every single cable line is direct buried at 2-3 inches.
You mean direct buried 2-3 inches?
Yeah I’ve been in the telecom game for about 10 years and we have always on done about 2-3 inches
Certainly interesting with a good touch of humor.
If I may add ~ always saturate the ground if you are going to use this tool or any other, it's always easier when the ground is slightly damp/moist. Also works for me when pulling up fence posts. And another thing: A chainsaw with an old chain can get most of this trench done in a heartbeat, just be careful with rocks in the ground ...Thank you!
GREAT idea, I've used a Roybi battery operated saw ( $100 on sale ) to do similar
I guess that's great if you're at least 100% sure there's no buried power, water or gas along your pathway
@@REVNUMANEWBERN WOuld one of these work on hard clay that is dry and hard packed? I am having trouble with all hand tools and cant get in there with anything large or heavy due to terrain
🎉🎉g😅😢Hyty😮😮ii😮❤@@traceystock7352
They used one of those when they put my cable line in when I lived south of Houston. It was fine until the summer when the soil dried out an it opened up to form a 2" wide crack.
Thank you for sharing your adventure with us all on UA-cam. Now I know how to place down underground wire quickly and easily.
For those of you that don't have time to watch a bunch of irrelevant stuff, he actually shows the tool 7 minutes into the video. You're welcome.
Thank you!
Most helpful comment!!❤❤❤
I found the entire video helpful as it was more than just about the actual tool.
☆ATTENTION OAKLEY'S☆
I'm a profound and proud "DIYer!" & I just wanted to send a sincere compliment on this video. You produced an easy to follow and understand diy video. Secondly, you possess a wonderful personality and seem to have an enate gift for teaching/instructing. Thanks for your time and advice.
Continue with diy videos!
Sean Whitman, a wood worker from Welcome, NC.
thank you so much Sean, I am so glad you liked the video. Thank you for watching.
I would have used 3/4"PVC.that way in case you had to replace or add another cable line .I know that would be an extra expense, but it will be easier for the next time. Great tool .
I agree In running the wire through a PVC instead of direct bury. Add a tagline to the wire will make any replacement or running another wire a piece of cake.
I always run lines in conduit, PVC or otherwise.
I like to add some Caution Buried Line Below tape a few inches from the surface too.
Jesus Christ guys it’s a gd coax cable, who cares. You’d have to open that trench up wider for a pvc pipe morons, he wasn’t going to rent a trencher and spend all day putting a conduit pipe in the ground.
@@ryan74701 so no pvc then?? Ok
I bought the 6 inch one last year to install my sprinkler lines it works great as long as the ground is moist. It took no time for me to complete my trenching.
Happy to hear it worked, I wondered if it would truly work for something like that. Thanks for watching
Thank you! Needed to know if it works with sprinkler pipe!
I'm a sworn believer in using pressure washer with turbo nozzle. wayyyy faster and less tiring.
Nice tool. I'm going in another direction. my pressure washer and an old shop vac I use for wet. I have a few post holes to dig to replace sections of fence that blew down and for Gazebo posts. I won't have to worry about through cutting lines because the pressure washer won't cut.
You're my new hero! That tool is just what I need to do several feet of low voltage wires in my mulch bed.
Glad you liked the video. Hope your project goes well. Thanks for watching.
My trick is: Wait for the ground to be soaked after a heavy rain storm and then use a pick to make a trench. Soft ground is easier trenching and easier digging.
As others have mentioned, this would have been a great opportunity to utilize flexible conduit to truly protect your cables. I did it with AC and speaker wire last year. The flex conduit ensures there are no connectors underground, so there are no leak points.
As a former utility marker, I can assure you that the machines they use for marking work pretty good. The marker should have started from the pedestal (BOX) and worked his way back to your house. Even though the cable company did not charge you since it was mismarked, The marking company paid for the damage. When I was marking in the state of Kentucky, the cost to replace a cable line was $1000. That was 25 years ago. Its probably more now. I like the tool. It used to be against the law to open the ped, unless you are a locater or a technician. Good video.
No they started at the cable box and when to the source. Didn't realize they charge back the company. I am sure they didn't credit them for me putting the cable in the ground. Thanks for watching.
It is Still Illegal to "tamper" with the box.
I called 811 because AT&T buried my phone line when I was away on vacation. They came out to the place, planted 1 single flag and notified the 811 people that they didn't have anything at this address... sigh - at least they're consistent.
Also - next time - get some bright yellow or orange or some kind of fluorescent colored plastic tape to bury a few inches above your line. When somebody that doesn't know better starts digging across your line, they'll see the tape and know to stop - unless they're using a ditch witch...
Yeah I don't know if it made a difference that I was there and watched him? Well if you dig through it hopefully they will no charge you to replace it again. Thanks for watching.
Good on you, brother, but in New England that thing will be used to prop the barn door open. NH = "The granite state."
I have too many rocks for any granite.
Got me one of those Wilton Trenching tools and I did not have to do any trenching or digging OR any work at all to get my 130 feet of cable buried! Nope, I had to get my brother to do all the work. You see, my brother weighs about 275 lbs and I'm only a "buck fifty". As hard as I tried, my scrawny butt would only barely penetrate the surface. So, while my brother came over and got the cable buried in just over an hour..... I sat back with a beer and just watched! GREAT TOOL!
Nice video for people that have nice soil with very few rocks. Not so in many instances. It does make a cleaner job of things when you can. Won't quite work in a gravel situation like I have coming up. Good thing I have a willing friend with a backhoe to get the job done. Very nice video. BTW you can get a flat nosed garden shovel similar to your rounded one you did your curve with to do the trenching as well. I have both the curved and a flat nosed one.
Yea that technique only works in dream soil, not the rocky soil I have
Never saw any of your videos before but this is the perfect balance of grumpy while still being upbeat. 😂❤
..."but they marked over there!".
"I had somebody out here that knew what they were doing...NOT"😅
I bet you are fun to talk to. I loved this video and thank you for the tool suggestion. I need to run wire to a detached shed. This seems doable. You defi itely earned thia like and a comment for the algorithm. Take care!
LOL thank you and glad you enjoyed the video and learned something. Thanks for watching.
There are SOOOO many places in the U.S. where the hard packed soil will make this tool impossible to use. But with decent soil, yeah, way to go!
Um... no! Not true. There's nowhere this tool won't work (if you're smart). I live in UT. The clay soil here is like concrete when it dries out... The key here is: "when it dries out". The simple fix is to lay a soaker hose along the path you need to trench, and leave it on overnight. Shut it off in the morning, and start your trenching in the afternoon. Simple as that.
@@username-mc7jw Clay is easy. Try living somewhere with glacial till. 50% soil 50% basketball sized rocks.
Won't work in SE TX in the dry summer either. Our soil is like concrete. You can flood it for a day the day before tho.
Try your luck doing that across what used to be a shelled road 100 years ago that is now grass. Or any other type of non-soil substrate. Or in mountainous terrain that's all gravel.
"Username" accounts are typically bots that only serve to stir up shite!
Just ordered one and then found your video. Looking forward to getting it and not having the mess of my backhoe.
cool. The 12in was a little more work than the 6 in one would be. Hope your project goes well. Thanks for watching.
Nice. Guess I'll have to buy one of those. I have a lot of projects that I cant to do and even if I need to dig a trench - this tool is an excellent way to start as I can come in along the sides at an angle with either a shovel of that same tool to widen the trench to meet whatever width I want.
Nice video. It should be noted that, while 811 locates "utilities", it does not locate "your" buried lines. So, if you have a shop/shed (or some other electric device like a light pole) buried, they do not locate those lines.
If 811 located your irrigation line instead of your utilities, the tech did not know what he was doing. Locating can be tricky, but you are locating a signal sent down the wire - so how did he get the signal on your irrigation wire? I never got them wrong, and I have located many different types of lines.
That's right. What a dumbass. Let's beat him up
I give you one easier and maybe cheaper! Use a power washer, and cut a single cable trench - 6 to 8 inches wide single pass. For drain pipe cut 2 width of trench shovel, remove sod w T shovel , place pipe , cover, done and water encourages grass growth. No cost if u use your pressure washer, or borrow so sons. Maybe motivate u to buy one for other uses !
6:25 Wilton Thin Line Trenching Spade. Nifty idea.
I worked 21 years for an electric company as a lineman. its simple to get on the wrong line. if you are marking cable tv and end up at the electric meter, you messed up.
Yeah, same if you are marking NG and end up at the water meter.
God! An American who's aware that there are people who live in other countries: wow!
Thanks, that's a great tool, I enjoyed the video: very informative. Also, loved the dog.
Thanks again, from Australia.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it and was helpful. Thanks for watching.
Do you think I would run into any issues using this method to run 3/4inch poly water line and filling in on top instead of pushing back together?
I did this method with a regular flat shovel for all my sprinkler lines (25mm). You want to push back together to make sure it gets flat afterwards (instead of slightly raised from the compaction+raise this method causes). I partly used my tractor mower to drive along the edges afterwards to push back.
@@MrVidarak I would get about 2-7 inches before I hit a rock. Shovels are useless in my yard. Only a pick can do anything.
3/4 would be too big, I’ve buried 1/2 drip irrigation lines with this style of trench spade
That looks like a good tool - if you have the proper ground. Where I live you'd end up digging out enough rocks to get it deep enough into the ground that it might just be worth your while to dig a trench anyway.
True rocky ground will suck with any tool. Thanks for watching
I only wanted to see the tool. Even though it took forever to get tot the tool I liked this guy within the first minute. SUBSCRIBED!
Thank you for your subscription. Thank you for watching
Great video.
Before buying a trenching spade ($85!?) I'd try using my broad fork or even a spading fork (both gardening tools I already have) to greatly loosen the soil along that trench line. After that a flat-bladed spade could probably do the job. If I try this (which won't be soon) I'll post the result.
My gosh! Are we related!!!?? Lol! I feel the same way about doing stuff, there is nothing like doing it yourself to know the job was done right! It is such a shame people these days take such little pride in doing a job well so we have to rely on ourselves to do it.
I found if you wet the ground along the path the night BEFORE using that trenching tool, it is easier to work into the ground. For me its a no-brainer because where I live the clay under the grass is close to rock hard so wetting it first pretty much goes without saying.
Water the yard good a day ahead of time. Heckuva lot easier with damp earth.
It is illegal to open and tamper with the communications pedestal. Please consider calling the communications company to make the connection on that end in the future. You could be knocking out 911 service to your neighbors (or more depending on where in the system you are)
18" is like the minimum shovel depth for trenching
Another vid same tool popped up yesterday ODIYHR. Somehow I believe this geewhiz has limited usage. I mean, were I in the plumbing biz...etc, I'd have one. Looks like it's the cat's meow if your sod is the consistency of out of date froot cake. But suppose you have a real yard with rocks and roots? Still...having dug several long lines in my yard using a blasted spine whacking mattick... yes indeedy..there are easier ways. The lady who used a pressure washer.... Hmmm.... Thanks for the vid...Many good ideas here.
I may be wrong, but that sure looks like "digging" to me.
yes in deed
I'v put in all my sprinkler lines with that tool. It works great. Hundreds of feet....
Great. Thanks for watchign.
I have hand planted 30,000 trees using a dibble bar. Your trenching tool looks like a dibble bar but 4x as wide. Your tool is $189. Dibble bar is $49
The thing about cable is that it goes bad a lot when buried. Any water or heavy moisture that enters the cable from either end will kill your high freq signals (internet and high tv channels). It can last a long time, but its just a matter of time. As a cable tech about 10 years ago I would run a new drop almost always on a hookup or even trouble calls.
Man I live in an area where rock keliche and all the hardest elements are at the top of the soil down as far as you'll dig this dirt won't budge for jumping on the most solid shovels some area of course will but man I dig a nearly 200 feet over the last week and I had to use the pick axe anyhow this does look like a good technique for the narrow trench and energy saved
great tool used it to bury a dish cable because when I ordered Dish the guy would not bury it and wanted to hang it over from garage to my house said they do not dig... worked great!
LOL so they were just gonna let it lay on the ground to get damaged again. Glad the tool worked well for you. Thanks for watching.
Line to home dont have a NEC for dept its at the digression of the supplier but average is 3-5" if done by hand if your lucky it was done by a trencher the main lines that are along the roads etc they will be much deper
I ran a cable drop bury crew for a couple of years when I was 18 for a contracted install and underground company, total circus. We were given shovels, reels of conduit and cable. The closest option we had to your tool were made by the secretary's husband, instead of describing him let's just call him "Brutus". The 16" wide X 12" deep blades were made from 3/4" Plate steel and the the handle was a solid steel 1-1/4" rod welded to the plate. Now if you're 6'-4" tall, 300 lbs, have a 36" waste and eat railroad spikes for breakfast, it's safe to say you can easily make a slot trench to bury that cable. Even considering the fact it was code in my area at the time that it had to be in conduit, hence the 3/4" plate for a blade. But he worked in excavation somewhere else and the rest of us couldn't even pick the tool up much less slam it into the ground pull it out and repeat every 16" as he showed us how. So we were stuck with shovels and a technique that required kicking the shovel through the grass at a 45 deg. angle, one direction only, from the house to the ped (or pole). We would take the most direct route possible, one or two of would grab the grass and pull up while one would push in the sod, it was a really quick process and nearly undetectable as long as the lawn was healthy the soil was medium damp and it wasn't newly rolled sod. That was the case about once every two months. We had 3-4 50'-200' jobs to get done everyday and even $6 an hour wasn't that great of a wage in 1999-2000. We took every short cut we could to get the conduit at a min. of 6" deep and with the least amount of ground disturbance possible. Landscaping with cloth under rock or bark was a gift from above to route through and cover, paving block was a nightmare. But the most common type to bury in was hard pan dirt with a few sprigs of abandoned grass with tennis ball sized stones. And of course the people that occupied those somehow expected that burying a cable would suddenly transform a wasteland into a lush green lawn. Once the conduit was down we still had to tie off and pull the cable through and reconnect it at the house. It was best job in the world!
This is awesome I didn’t know that tool existed I may have to get one I want to install a small water line to water my garden
I didn't either until I saw it in the truck of the cable guy. Thanks for watching, glad you liked it.
This looks like a great tool for running low voltage wire. I'll probably have to go slow so I don't cut through irrigation pipes. But if they were installed correctly (they weren't), they'd be lower than I need to go for low voltage wire. Thanks for the video.
True, thanks for wathcing.
So the question I have is, do you think it could be used for laying sprinkler piping? No extended automation just lines, no cable or wires.
Yes
I would build a jig with 1x4 wood and attach to bottom of flex tool to push the cable into place. Would really need that for conduit.
Hello great video. I live in the California desert and The ground her gets like concrete hard as a rock. But that is a great idea to try if you live in the south . merry Christmas 2023.
Glad you liked it. It worked well in my sticky clay ground I have. Let me know how it works for you. Thanks for watching.
$186.62 for the 12" Wilton trenching handle, well compare that to renting a trenching machine, maybe the time & back work saved by using a machine may be worth renting a machine, I see where the tool can aid in commercial daily uses in time saved and loading & unloading equipment & it's upkeep
Great work, dude! Love your channel! 💪☮️👍
Thank you and glad you enjoyed the video.
If you have good soil they work good, if not and your ground is dry, rocky or had clay they are pretty much useless
Half my ground is rocks, literally. I have made piles of each. Both are about the same size.
I used one of those to lay by cable for the landscape lighting. Best way to do it.
What a wait for an obvious tool it’s still digging in my book
I Wonder if this would be useful in burying 12 inches of hardware cloth along my property line to keep moles from burrowing in from my neighbors yard. They always seem to come from that direction and close enough to the surface that their tunnels raise the grass up.
I believe moles are eating the grubs in the dirt, try putting something on the lawn that kills the grubs, I know it isn't your yard but if it gets rid of the moles might be worth the few bucks. Thanks for watching.
Does the trench close up on its own afterwards?
I saw this tool a decade ago. Good to see he is still making them. It looks very indestructible.
It is, and quite heavy also. Thanks for watching.
Phone company did this once, when I moved about 30 yrs ago. He said they were going to put all phone cables underground. It never happened. The ONLY place I do not see them, on poles, is when a new house is built. And then all service lines are underground. They have been installing new fiber optic cables all around town, recently, but I don't believe they are operational yet.
You Rock! Thanks for sharing this DIY project. I’ll be running power lines for solar and you just solved my question.
Glad it helped. Thanks for watching.
UA-cam recommended this video 👍
HOLY COW what a great tool- kinda pricy BUT for the way it worked and not having to trench- it seems like a no brainer- and I was just ahout to start trenching for a sprinkler line- do you think this tool will be ok for that?
If you can make the opening big enough for the pipe to fit into. Make sure the ground around it closes up well afterwards. Thanks for watching and glad you liked it.
Hey -- would love some advice. We have a 400 foot property line with an adjacent parcel (both are about 3 to 5 acres). We discovered two buried 4 inch plastic flexispout pipes coming from the adjacent lot house that were installed when it was built and so I had pop up emitters installed on their lot at no charge to them (to end their potential claim of adverse possession of our land). Now we are looking at the neighbors' behavior and sense they might have more pipes buried on our (now fenced) lot -- to again, make a claim against our property. So they wont tell us if they do or don't and if so where they are and wont allow us access to their downspouts to run a camera or a copper wire. Our land in this area is native vegetation, scrub woods, rocky, clay and runs to a stream. A GPR company declined the job due to the presence of many roots, rocks and vines and the nearby intermittent stream would screw up their readings. I have consulted aerial photos from the past and dug a few 6 inch trenches here and there where it looked like there might be something base don lines in vegetation and grass but have found no more pipes than the first two maybe because I didnt dig deep enough or just missed it by a few feet. I've also tried water witching which is weird because it gives me very strong readings in some locations but maybe its just natural drainage that is causing that because again nothing found. Any ideas on how I might want to go about this? Oh - and this section of my property is landlocked by a small stream so I can't get vehicles or heavy equipment in there. Is there a tool that will trench better than a trench shovel or a d handle shovel or a ground probe or a pick? Because i have used them all.
Can try renting a small trencher from your local tool rental company, they are not that heavy and the small ones can go at least 12in deep. Or they make small excavators that also not very heavy and can dig at least 12in. Hope this helps
@@OakleysDIYHomeRenovation101 Yes it does. Any suggestions on reasons why I might be trenching along my fence line? In case they ask... like cutting vines? They will come out and ask. JUst looking for some good reasons under the sun........ thanks!
If I can press the shovel dip, this might work for my lawn sprinkler system.
Great job. Thank you for posting.
Great video ! This will save me a ton of time !
Glad you enjoyed it and good luck on your project.
This seems like a good tool for shallow installations.
If you're placing " voltage" cable ( i.e. 120v or higher) direct buried is 24" deep, with a warning tape placed no less then 12" from the top of the cable.
Or within a conduit 18" deep.
Another concern for depth is to consider this.
If you aireate your lawn, you want to be sure you're deeper then 6". Most of the machines will plug your lawns close to that. Just a fyi......
Low voltage is supposed to be 18" though I've never seen it that deep. They just dont place it that deep.
Watched a recent vid of contractor digging out a retaining wall from house back to rear fence. Bout 12" from back fence he hit a large fiber line for whole neighborhood. Took out whole internet and phone for neighborhood...oops he hadn't called digger hotline. Luckily he got the phone Co out that afternoon and fixed. He had a hefty bill though
Second video of yours that I've used. Liked & Sub earned!! Thank you!!
That is awesome, thanks for the sub and glad you liked them. Thanks for watching.
If you have a chainsaw, you can get a sacrificial chain, bar and clutch for it and do the trench that way!
Very nice. I was wondering about burying solar cable using UF cable. I think that you need to bury the cable 2 feet. I wonder if you could still use your tool for that or if there is something else. Is it okay just to bury the UF cable 1 foot? Thanks for a great video.
this tool won't get 2 foot you will need to rent a trencher or hand dig it 2ft. Will need to check your local code to see how deep it needs to be. Thanks for watching.
A boat paddle works great for pushing the cable to the bottom of the trench
Yep the blank blank blank cable company charged me $75 dollars 30 years ago and yes, they placed it 2 inches below the surface. Now I have fiber optic and it cost me nothing to install. I watched and thIs tool is what they used.
That would be 100% illegal where I live. In fact most lines are over 2 feet deep except water.
Ha my fiber install was them running some 1200ft and cost $50 + 1st mo of service...I said sold haha
I was thinking of calling 811 now I don't know if I should seems they don't know what they are doing. Any kind of cable, pipe or plumbing finder that is recommended?
I call them anyway for insurance so if I hit something I can say they didn't tell me. Thanks for watching.
I like when they get to the point.
Those depth would be 100% illegal in my county !! 18 to 36 inches is how deep all mine are. I know because my NG line was repaired a few times and it is 3 feet deep.
This is called hand slicing, and you do not have to wiggle it back and forth like he did . Just push away and have someone stuff the wire . Then you just go over it lightly with a hand tamp . ( used to do this for a living) here in Ct it is not allowed anymore since cable has to 18 inches deep. They also make a plow for a trencher that will do this and tamp it all at the same time . Also not allowed in CT anymore .
Will that tool dig 24” deep trench?
i use a small hand ax to do my trenching
That's a cool technique & tool, if you don't have rocky or hardpan soil - and possess heavier than average body weight.
Great alternative. Thanks for the tip.
Excellent Video!
Thank you and glad you liked it. Thanks for watching
ATT vs code maybe different. I was once licensed as a cable installer. Basically it was below sod was code from what I recall 20 yrs ago. As if everyone does things by code. Electrical and any piping, I always do to NEC code as a dyi guy or any times I help others. I force it. But cable. Idk. That means nope.
where is the link for tool
I need to get MC4 cables that is hooked up to my portable solar generator under ground. I am having a hard time mowing the lawn with all the MC4 cables everywhere, and having to stop to move the cables so I can mow and then move them back to where they were. How hard was it for you when you used the spade? I am an older women, and not sure if I have enough strength to use the spade. I could do a little bit daily, and not all in one day. I am not sure, but I would think that 4 inches would be deep enough for the cables.
I just know my county requires 18" so this is useless to me.
Any type of electrical wiring in the US usually falls under the electric building codes found in the NEC. There are very detailed specifics about the depths of burial as well as types of wire that can be buried. National Electrical Code is a part of the building code that generally dictate how electric wiring can be installed safely. Generally speaking, electric power is not something you may want to accidentally hit when digging around the yard in the future. The electric shock may kill you before you realize you hit the line! Do a web search on the NEC or BOCA, then ask some questions of your local building inspector if you still are unsure. Don't risk your life or the life of a future resident of your home should the energized generator line get hit with a digging tool in the future.
Where is the link to that special shovel?
Wilton Thin Line Trenching Spade: www.wiltonthinlinetrenchingspades.com/ thanks for watching
The gentle curve is good for rf cable. A sharp curve can interrupt the signal. Source: former cable guy.
*If you were alone in a room with Grace and started talking she would think you were talking to her and come up to you in response to be present with you. or to interact with you.. The same is true if you are outside. All Grace knows is you and her are together and you are talking.. She has no concept of cameras or UA-cam.. I see so many pet owners get frustrated that their dogs are in the way.. they are really not.. they are coming up close bc you are talking 'to them' in there minds and they are responding to that. it makes me chuckle everytime as the dog & the owner are trying to figure out what the heck the other on is doing.. :)) Good Girl Grace..
Where can I get this tool? I’ve gone to Home Depot, Ace, and Harbor Freight with no luck.
should be a link in the description.
So how did you close the trench?
The same thing happened to me. When the Spectrum cable crew showed up at our place
they found the lines were mismarked. They said, 'About 50% of the time, 811 is wrong.'
!
nice, like the weatherman and keep the job. Thanks for watching.
This looks like a great idea.
It worked well for me. thank you for watching.
The people that do line locates are given maps that were collected from the various utilities without any verification of the data being right. That’s how it is in Oklahoma, anyway
The locator hooked his induction clamp on the power and likely left the CTV and AT&T bonded to the power ground and missed the utilities because they came across at a 90 and the locator did not do a complete sweep.
Correct! I worked as a locator for 23 years. I don't know how this guy got into the cable ped unless it was left unlocked.
Nice idea for cable but not to code depth for electrical wire.