easy way to make a small trench?

cmx

cmx

Getting the hang of it
Nov 9, 2024
90
37
NJ
I have a install to do that is 250 feet underground in the past i have just used a flat shovel just enough to cut the grass and some dirt under and lifted up the grass and stuck a CAT6 cable under it that has held up fine for many years. Only issue being a sore foot in the end due to hitting rocks. :)

Since then i have a weed eater edger attachment, i'm thinking of trying it to dig a small trench with it. Sure you could rent a proper trencher but what is the fun in that.
 
buy the the piped pay a sprinkler man to trench it
 
Sounds like a good way to ruin a weedeater/edger but maybe it’s up to the task. What kind of traffic will run over the line? Riding mower, tractor, trucks? For 250 ft I’d rent a mini trencher made for irrigation lines at least if not something that would get you down to 12in or so if there will be heavy vehicles going over it
 
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97JeepXJ said:
Sounds like a good way to ruin a weedeater/edger but maybe it’s up to the task. What kind of traffic will run over the line? Riding mower, tractor, trucks? For 250 ft I’d rent a mini trencher made for irrigation lines at least if not something that would get you down to 12in or so if there will be heavy vehicles going over it
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That is what they are made for a small edge.
 
BobbyArcher said:
I used my gas powered edger. I took off the guard, removed the normal 8" blade and put on a 10" blade. I got the idea from this video ... Laying coaxial cable with an edger
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I'm sure you improved the technique and actually installed something and did a decent job.....that video is a waste of YT bandwidth: all I saw was some big dude's shadow, him scratching the ground a couple of feet maybe an inch deep with some hapless edger....not a single piece of cable went into the ground. What a joke.
 
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cmx said:
That is what they are made for a small edge.
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I suppose so, and after watching the short video with the inaccurate description I can see how somebody could make it work. It still doesn’t seem like it’s the right tool for the job nor would it be deep enough for me feel comfortable about it.
 
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97JeepXJ said:
I suppose so, and after watching the short video with the inaccurate description I can see how somebody could make it work. It still doesn’t seem like it’s the right tool for the job nor would it be deep enough for me feel comfortable about it.
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Agreed.
I dug quite a few trenches in my past career, by hand and with purpose-built tools and in all cases it wasn't much more work to do it right than to do it half-ass. That said, what may suffice HERE or for ME may not suffice THERE or for YOU. I also understand we may all have different opinions of what is and what is not "half-ass".

That said, if one wants to install cable in just a 3" inch deep trench and is confident no one will disturb it then that's certainly their right.... For me, I'd feel better about deeper and maybe even conduit or armored cable if gophers and other rodents could be an issue. Many factors can alter the technique and materials used. I would think a cable run to a camera watching a tool shed out back would deserve better protection and consideration than one run to a camera watching a bird house.

Like with any installation, there are many variables to consider like overall expense, time to implement, level of protection, and more...so no one solution or technique applies to all situations. :cool:
 
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I agree that the video is crap, but it is where I got the idea and it worked. I needed to run a 60' cable (actually 2 cables) from my house to my work shop and I ran across that video, after looking at my edger I found a that I could remove the guard and for $10 I got an over sized blade and cut a trench 5" deep. It took about 30 minutes ... worked for me.
 
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TonyR said:
That said, if one wants to install cable in just a 3" inch deep trench and is confident no one will disturb it then that's certainly their right....
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Am I misreading the NEC that says for wires carrying over 30 volts (which would include POE), the minimum cover depth is generally 18" if in conduit and 24" direct burial? I know there are some special exceptions, like for under concrete, and not all jurisdictions are covered by NEC. But for cases like in the videos, running a wire across the lawn, doesn't the 18"/24" rule apply? My own property has a 100 amp 240 volt line about 6" deep that was approved by the building inspector. That one I really don't understand.
 
tigerwillow1 said:
Am I misreading the NEC that says for wires carrying over 30 volts (which would include POE), the minimum cover depth is generally 18" if in conduit and 24" direct burial? I know there are some special exceptions, like for under concrete, and not all jurisdictions are covered by NEC. But for cases like in the videos, running a wire across the lawn, doesn't the 18"/24" rule apply? My own property has a 100 amp 240 volt line about 6" deep that was approved by the building inspector. That one I really don't understand.
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No, your'e not misreading it but IMO, running a current-limited, 57VDC maximum POE/data CAT-6 cable with less than the recommended/required cover is no big deal if there is limited or controlled access.

The NEC's head would spin if they had a true count of the number of 100 foot, overloaded, un-covered, non-weatherproof, orange extension cords with line voltage running on top of the ground FOR YEARS between houses, sheds and barns just in Alabama alone. That don't make it right, it's just reality.
 
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TonyR said:
No, your'e not misreading it but IMO, running a current-limited, 52VDC maximum POE/data CAT-6 cable with less than the recommended/required cover is no big deal if there is limited or controlled access.
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I totally agree. I'm just being cautious about advice being posted that readers will interpret as "official" or "legal". I have however just discovered that there is a lot more specific info in the 2023 NEC than when I last paid attention. These are all my non-expert interpretations, i.e. use at your own risk. I believe that cables to cameras would be covered by Section 840, Premises Powered Broadband Communications Systems. There's a requirement that the power is supplied by a device meeting a separate set of requirements, which I would hope a UL listed device that provides the power meets.

Section 840.47 pretty plainly states that direct burial network cables have a minimum cover depth of 6 inches. This applies to twisted pair network cable, coax, and fiber.

A great revelation for me, all of my 14" deep PVC runs just became legal!
 
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Honestly I find that most of my unsolicited electrical advice consists of telling my friends here in the U.S. to not buy and use devices that are not UL-listed (or certified/tested by comparable and similar certification authorities outside the U.S.).....I make sure even the LED lamps I buy and install are UL-approved.

The cheap, non-approved phone chargers and wall warts worry me the most.
 
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