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Mini Ditch Witch?


MNiece

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I've seen some people say they dig lines for their ... well, lines. My first thought was using a large spade or something to slit the grass then slip the cords into it. But that would bulge the grass. So what are some of your tricks for that? I'm hoping this year will be my very first LOR setup!

-Michael

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MNiece wrote:

I've seen some people say they dig lines for their ... well, lines. My first thought was using a large spade or something to slit the grass then slip the cords into it. But that would bulge the grass. So what are some of your tricks for that? I'm hoping this year will be my very first LOR setup!

-Michael


Perhaps you were referring to some posts where an underground electrical supply to various points in the yard were being installed.

Typically, a trench is dug to the depth required by local codes, conduit is installed, and the local inspector signs off before the trench is backfilled. This is a permanent installation.

I'm not aware of anyone doing a temporary shallow bury of electical wiring. This would possibly be in violation of the electrical codes in most areas.
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Ok, I will fess up. I have an area in front of the castle where I have to run a few wires. I have a root pruning shovel and I just slam in a slit in the ground, place the wire in the slit and then step on it. The total distance is about 15 feet. I am sure this is not up to code as it is not underground wire. However, the reason for underground wire is that it will break down over a period of years, not days.

The shovel has a perfectly straight blade and like all tools it really helps to keep them sharp. For that use a file.

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We put in a couple circuits on a post near our pond, about 80' from the house a few years back. The primary purpose was to run our pond fountain and lights, but I really only needed one circuit for that -- I figured I'd run a second so I'd have more power for Christmas lights as well. It's been very handy. I found out that if you have the wire behind a GFCI outlet or breaker, it doesn't need to be as deep as if it's not GFCI protected. So I did that and we just dug a trench by hand. I didn't think it was worth renting a trencher and tearing up the lawn (by hand digging, we could essentially just put the grass back where it was).

I have to confess as well that we have a few circuits that use shallowly-buried extension cords. One of them came with the house and was done by the previous owner, to get power to the middle of our garden where there's a small fountain. The other was done by me to get power to our flag's spotlight. Both are GFCI protected so I'm not too worried about them.

-Tim

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If time isin't on your side then a pipe puller is the way to go as long as you know what's under ground, (sprinklers, utilities, ect).

One trick to using a puller is speed. Go slow and take your time, you're already saving a bunch of time by not trenching or hand digging. Make sure the puller has a sod wheel in front of the plow and it's in working order. If there is no sod wheel on any puller in your area than make a slit with your shovel from point "A" to "B". Glue your (SCH 80) PVC above ground and if you have the room pull the pipe beyond the point you want to finish at. Some people make the mistake of bringing the pipe out of the ground at the finish point. You end up having a pipe that has to be dug back a few feet to get it to the depth of the rest of the pipe before you put a sweep on the end of it. If you pull through the spot then pull up, you only need a hole big enough for the sweep. Just make one cut, pull the pipe that's sticking out of the ground with your hand and you end up with only the pipe that you pulled left in the hole.

Then finish by running the wheel of the puller over the line you pulled to flatten out the 'mo-hawk' you may have in your lawn.

It really is easy if you plan it out well.

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Burying live mains cables in a spade cut is very silly and dangerous in my opinion. If it's permanent it should be done to the codes or regulations in UK and if it's temporary then why bury it at all.

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I have used an axe to cut a hole in the ground. By wiggling the blade in the dirt, you will create a small opening for a cord. Simply tamp the cord into the bottom of the wedge and step on the grass to close it up.

If you are looking for something more permanent, then you may consider conduit.

The above method is how the cable, phone, and DSL companies installed their lines where they could not get a ditch witch in the yard.

If you forget about your cable and do digging there later, you will likely cut your cords.

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My favorite little trick is to bag my grass when mowing the front yard instead of using the mulch blade, for the last 2-3 mowing of the year. I store the clippings in the back yard, and when putting out extension cords, etc, I cover them (after setup) with the grass clippings. It blends into the yard so you can't tell that there are either cords or clippings. It works like a charm!

MTM

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