the_sage•1mo agoProlific Poster

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.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_julia1mo ago

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.

faith_carter1mo agoMost Upvoted

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.

luna_shah1mo ago

Yeah, a silt fence handles runoff, like @the_julia's buddy found.