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why not plow?
there is no one in north west texas that plows in their pipe why would this be? freeze depth is 3-6 inches, the ground is sandy loam soil, is this a silly question? are there any precautios that need to be taken for freezing or is that not a problem. i have seen it get down to 15 degrees for 6 hours and hoover around 20-2 all day thank in advance
bryce
Warmer climes see the use of PVC pipe, instead of poly tubing, which is almost always plowed in. If the ground itself doesn't freeze solid, water can be drained from the above-ground plumbing, and winter temperatures won't break anything.
what im saying is why dont the do it for ease of installation? no dirt to backfill and minimal sod distruption? does it cost more to plow in line? what gives? thanks
Vibratory plows cost real money, and they have the ability to vibrate themselves to pieces. Many machinery rental yards will not carry vibratory plows. So, where a lot of installs are done on new construction, a trencher will be used much more often, especially when the system piping is all-PVC.
but to the homeowner looking at what is going to happen (damage) to his yard if he had the choice to choose between a plow and a trencher to me a plow would be more apealing. have you done any plow work? right now we are in the industrial trenching buisness, 25-175 hp trenchers, but have no plow experience. i can get a plow for what i think is cheap. i would have thought that trenchers would have more maintainance. does plowing in require a lot more work? what is more cost effective after te machine is paid for?
If no one in your area has a vibratory plow, then the homeowners don't have a choice. Simple. If you have the maintenance chops, then by all means get a plow and work with it. In sandy loam, you may not have any plowing problems to speak of. In tougher areas, you want the plow blade to be in near-new condition. Worn blades and tough ground are hard on plows.
would you recomend a model of plow?
Weight and power are desirable features in tough conditions. A Vermeer LM-42 or a Ditch-Witch 410sx are the heavyweights for lawn plows that can fit through a gate. The Case Maxi-Sneaker has their dealer network (for parts) behind it, even though it's a bit less heavy and powerful. Burkeen also makes a vibratory plow comparable in size and power to a Sneaker, but with no dealer network to speak of.