Update: Ditching the old school cutters for a new jet system was my best move
Those rotary cutters just tear up the bottom and make a mess. The high-pressure jet leaves a clean trench and way less backfill. My last job finished three days early because of it.
My buddy in trenching work dealt with those same rotary cutters for years. He complained about how they mangled the ground and created extra mess. Switching to a jet system changed everything for his crew. The trenches came out clean, which meant way less time spent on backfill. They actually got a repeat client because the site was left so tidy. Your update totally matches what he saw on his jobs.
But what about the huge water bill and runoff issues with jet systems? Sure they leave a clean trench, but all that water has to go somewhere and can make a bigger mess in the end. Rotary cutters might chew up the ground, but they work in all sorts of soil without needing a water source. Jet systems have way more parts that can break, like pumps and nozzles, which means more downtime. Sometimes getting the job done fast matters more than leaving a perfect site, especially if the client is on a tight budget. Your buddy's repeat client might be lucky, but not every job calls for that extra hassle.