Sink Your Teeth into Trencher Maintenance

Proper maintenance is essential to keep compact ride-on trencher units operating efficiently. Performing routine maintenance and repairing minor problems as soon as they are identified can reduce the chance of breakdowns in the field, and an effective maintenance program extends equipment life and protects the value of equipment.

If you’re determined to keep your ride-on trencher running properly for a long time, the first thing you need to accept, without any debate, is that your operator’s manual is your guide to proper maintenance. Manufacturers assume that anyone who owns a trencher wants to get as many years out of it as possible. No one is nonchalant about paying huge repair bills for breakdowns on a machine that costs tens of thousands of dollars — repairs that could have easily been prevented by routine maintenance.

But sometimes crews get too sidetracked with other matters and checking fluid levels and inspecting track
tension or tire pressure move down the list of priorities. Before you know it, mechanics are replacing a transmission. It happens to even the most conscientious crews. Luckily, it’s not that hard to develop good maintenance habits. Once you do, it just becomes a way of life.

No Two Machines Wear the Same

There are some universal preventive maintenance requirements for ride-on trenchers, but how and how often you maintain your machine depends quite a bit on the type of machine it is and the type of work you plan to do with it. The ground conditions you’ll be working in, the type of material you’ll be installing, how far and how deep you’re going to be trenching — all of these elements figure in to how much wear and tear your machine will be subject to.

There are three general categories of ride-on trenchers: 18- to 50-hp units, 50- to 80-hp models and 80- to 130-hp units. Nearly all of these machines are driven by diesel-powered engines. The 18- to 50-hp group primarily consists of dedicated trenchers with digging depths of 3 to 5 ft. The 50- to 80-hp group generally offers a variety of options and attachments: a vibratory plow, trencher, saw or combination plow and trencher all fit on the rear of the machine (some feature a utility backhoe or a reel carrier on the front). These machines usually trench to depths of 4 to 6 ft. Finally, there’s the 80- to 130-hp group, which also offers a variety of attachments and digs between 4 and 8 ft deep.

No matter what category of trencher you own or operate, here is some solid advice that will get owners, operators and mechanics serious about maintenance.

Digging Systems

Digging teeth, digging chain and sprockets are the primary wear parts on chain-type trenchers. They are the core of the trencher. Inspect your digging teeth and chain daily or after each job. The process of digging a trench causes wear to these components — the more difficult the soil conditions, the more often they must be replaced. Operating a trencher with worn or damaged teeth, chain or sprockets reduces digging efficiency and places extra stress on the machine, causing unnecessary wear and possible damage to other components. Let’s look at how each worn digging system component can affect the overall performance of your trencher.

1. Digging Chain: A worn digging chain does not run smoothly and can generate shock loads that may damage other parts of the machine, including the engine and transmission. Operating equipment with worn chain links will cause sprocket teeth to completely wear through the roller sleeves, damaging the pins that connect chain links. An improperly tensioned chain may slip off the sprockets, reducing trencher performance.

What to do: Inspect digging chain, including roller links, for wear and correct tension. Refer to the operator’s manual for proper chain tension and procedures for making adjustments.

2. Teeth: Worn digging teeth cause unnecessary stress on the digging chain, which in turn taxes the engine and, ultimately, the trencher operator. Teeth can wear prematurely or unevenly.

What to do: As soon as a tooth becomes dull, it should be replaced (replacement teeth and bits should
conform to the pattern on the digging chain).

3. Sprockets: Worn teeth indicate that it is time to inspect sprockets and replace them if necessary.

What to do: When you install new sprockets, you should also replace the digging chain. Operating an old, worn chain on new sprockets causes premature sprocket wear; running a new chain on worn sprockets causes excessive chain wear and can result in chain failure.

Machine Maintenance Tips

What happens when your trencher doesn’t have enough or the right kind of fuel, it operates long hours without stopping and you keep pushing it even though it’s acting a little sluggish? What happens is called
involuntary downtime.

You can argue that machines are made of tougher stuff, and they are, but they are not impervious to the elements. An easy thing you can do yourself is to check your trencher’s engine oil and coolant levels on a regular basis, adding the correct fluids as necessary. You can also change fluids and filters at prescribed intervals (more frequently when operating in adverse or dusty conditions), lubricate all service points and keep your hydraulic fluid topped off. Inspecting and adjusting chains or belt drives is a
fairly simple task you can do yourself, as is replacing all guards and shields when necessary.

You may have noticed that, in recent years, many trencher manufacturers have been building equipment that is easier for the operator to maintain. Easy access to service points, components that do not require lubrication and extended periods between service intervals are some of the strategies that help users take better care of their equipment.

The immediate benefits of equipment maintenance are dependable performance and less risk of a breakdown on the job. In addition, well-maintained equipment retains more of its value than neglected or indifferently serviced machines.

Brent Bolay is a senior product manager for trenchers at Ditch Witch, Perry, Okla.