stopimg src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/DuraTrak-260x195.png" alt="duratrak1" title="duratrak1" stopimg2PERRY, Okla. — The Charles Machine Works (CMW), Inc., manufacturer of Ditch Witch^® underground construction equipment, has introduced a new line of compact and powerful walk-behind trenchers, each of which is designed and manufactured to provide an exceptional return on investment for small business owners, particularly equipment rental companies.

An illustration of the outstanding value of these trenchers—the RT12, RT16, RT20, and RT24—can be found in results recently published by the auction organizations Machinery Trader and Top Bid. Surveys conducted by these organizations found that among trenchers of 50 or less horsepower, winning bids for Ditch Witch trenchers averaged more than 30 percent higher than any other equipment brand.  

Numerous design features give reason for Ditch Witch trenchers’ durability and reputation for maximum performance with minimal downtime. Among them: 

stopimg src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/Family-Shot-of-RTs-260x195.jpg" alt="RTfamilyshot1" title="RTfamilyshot1" stopimg3• Hydraulic system, as opposed to belt-driven. Decades ago, the Ditch Witch organization made the decision to transition to longer-lasting, easier-to-use hydraulic systems on its trenchers. The entire line of Ditch Witch walk-behind trenchers incorporates a stacked, in-line hydraulic pump configuration that effectively eliminates vertical shafts and the use of belts and/or flywheel reduction systems, and ultimately reduces downtime.  

• Ease of operation. All Ditch Witch walk-behind trenchers have fully hydrostatic ground drives, with simple-to-use, hydraulic, skid-steer-style steering. Even novice operators can quickly understand the hand controls—one hand to mobile, two hands to trench—so there’s less operator training necessary, and less operator fatigue.  

Ditch Witch walk-behinds feature a solid, adjustable trail wheel that helps keep the unit stable and reduces breakover when loading, unloading, and traveling over curbs and other uneven terrain. Also, to keep the trencher boom in the ground during operation and/or maintain down pressure when placing the boom in the ground, the trail wheel gives the machine another point of leverage besides the track undercarriage. The trail wheel is one of several unique features that distinguish the performance of Ditch Witch walk-behind trenchers.  

stopimg src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/honda-engine-260x195.jpg" alt="hondaengine1" title="hondaengine1" stopimg2• High-quality OEM products. From the digging teeth to the heavy-duty steel frame, the Ditch Witch organization designs and manufactures virtually every component of its trenchers and other equipment lines at its 30,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Perry, Okla. What components the company must outsource are selected for their reputation for long-lasting performance, such as the 12-, 20-, and 24-horsepower Honda^® engines that power the Ditch Witch  RT12, RT20, and RT24, respectively. The RT16 is equipped with a Vanguard^® Briggs & Stratton^™ engine that performs as well as, or better than, other engines in the 16-horsepower class.  

To keep the engine operating at maximum capacity even in the hottest conditions, Ditch Witch walk-behind trenchers come standard with a cooling system that is superior to that of any competitor.  

• Options that enhance value. With every new walk-behind trencher, the Ditch Witch organization offers a choice of high-flotation tires or a heavy-duty DuraTrak^™ track system, which provides exceptional traction and stability over rough and uneven terrain. 

stopimg src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/OperatorsStation-260x195.jpg" alt="operatorsstation1" title="operatorsstation1" stopimg3The Ditch Witch organization designs and manufactures every single component of its exceptionally long-lasting digging systems, and offers a wide variety of digging chains for optimal performance in all soil conditions. Recently the company began offering the choice of the DuraTooth^™ for its walk-behind trenchers. The Ditch Witch DuraTooth is manufactured with up to 35 percent more tungsten carbide than any competitor’s digging tooth. It is strategically applied to the surface, in the base metal, and in the weld to make the DuraTooth the longest-lasting tooth in the industry—next to the DuraTooth C2X^™,  that is, which is designed for larger-horsepower trenchers.  

Long-lasting tracks and digging systems are among the many options that ultimately translate into less downtime and less expense on wear parts, increasing the overall value of Ditch Witch walk-behind trenchers.  

stopimg src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/R12_Trenching-260x195.jpg" alt="RT121" title="RT121" stopimg2• Standard features and support. Outboard bearing supports protect the hardest-working portion of a trencher. These supports come standard with Ditch Witch walk-behind trenchers, while other trencher manufacturers offer them as optional equipment.  

Also standard with every Ditch Witch machine is a one-of-a-kind Ditch Witch dealership network. There are more than 115 Ditch Witch dealerships across the United States and Canada dedicated exclusively to sales, support, and service of Ditch Witch equipment.  

For more information about Ditch Witch walk-behind trenchers, please call 800-654-6481 or visit ditchwitch.com. 

stopimg title="keepCool_img1" style="padding-right: 20px;" align="left" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 0px solid; WIDTH: 260px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; HEIGHT: 195px; BORDER-TOP: 0px solid; align: left" alt="keepCool_img1" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/1_KeepCool_260x195(1).jpg" border="0" />Catastrophic tornadoes and floods have grabbed recent headlines, but each year one weather phenomenon kills more people than tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, and lightning combined: heat.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an average of more than 1,500 people in the U.S. die each year from excessive heat—yet it is the most preventable of weather-related deaths.

If you work in construction, summer is one of your busiest times of the year because it’s typically the driest season and offers the most hours of daylight. But the sun providing all that productive daylight can be the biggest jobsite hazard you face all year. No matter how tough you are or how used to the heat you think you are, excessive heat can bring down anyone who doesn’t take the necessary precautions.

The following information applies to anyone who is employed in an outdoor profession—construction workers in particular—but also applies to those who work in hot factories and anyone who spends time outdoors exercising, gardening, or laboring in any capacity during the summer months. (This is general information. More specific information can be found in the sources cited below.)

Know Your Chemistry

Our bodies dissipate heat by varying the rate and depth of blood circulation, and by expelling water through the skin and sweat glands. When we reach the danger zone, when our blood is heated above 98.6 degrees, we begin to pant—we’re literally “working like a dog.”

Sweating alone does little to cool the body, unless the sweat is removed by evaporation. But high relative humidity inhibits evaporation. When you’re checking the forecast for tomorrow, pay close attention to the heat index: the combination of relative humidity and air temperature. For example, if the air temperature is 96° F and the relative humidity is 65 percent, the heat index is 121° F. This is the heat your body really feels.

Heat disorders involve a reduction or collapse of our bodies’ ability to shed heat by circulatory changes and sweating, or a chemical (salt) imbalance caused by too much sweating. When heat gain exceeds the level the body can remove, or when the body cannot compensate for fluids and salt lost through perspiration, the temperature of the body's inner core begins to rise, bringing on various degrees of heat-related illnesses.

stopimg title="keepCool_img2" style="padding-left: 20px;" align="right" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 0px solid; WIDTH: 260px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; HEIGHT: 195px; BORDER-TOP: 0px solid; align: right" alt="keepCool_img2" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/2_KeepCool_260x195.jpg" border="0" />Ranking Heat Disorders

The severity of heat disorders is relative to a person’s age, weight, fitness, medical condition, and degree of acclimatization to the heat. For example, heat cramps in a 17-year-old may translate as heat exhaustion in someone who is 40, and heat stroke in a person over 60. Common heat disorders include:

• Sunburn. Along with being painful and irritating, sunburn can significantly retard the skin’s ability to shed excess heat. The best solution for sunburn is prevention, by applying sunscreen throughout the day.
• Heat cramps. Symptoms are painful spasms, usually in the muscles of the legs and abdomen, often preceded by profuse sweating.
• Heat rash. Also known as prickly heat, heat rash can occur in hot, humid environments where sweat is not easily removed from the surface of the skin by evaporation. Serious heat rash can be so uncomfortable that it inhibits sleep and impedes a worker’s performance.
• Heat exhaustion. Symptoms include heavy sweating, weakness, headache, fainting, vomiting, and skin that is cold, pale and clammy. It is possible to have a normal temperature with heat exhaustion.
• Heat stroke or sunstroke. This is the most serious health problem for workers in hot environments. Heat stroke occurs when sweating stops and the body can no longer rid itself of excess heat. Symptoms include an excessively high body temperature (106° F or higher); mental confusion or delirium; convulsions; hot, dry skin; strong and rapid pulse; and possible unconsciousness. Make no mistake: heat stroke can be fatal, and victims need immediate medical attention.

Prevention: The Best Solution

The number one method of avoiding heat disorders: avoiding heat. But for construction workers in the summer, this is simply not possible. So, here are some tips for staying cool and staying alive, beginning with the most obvious:

• Drink plenty of fluids. Your body needs water to keep cool. Drink water even if you don't feel thirsty. Proper hydration actually begins the day before a long, strenuous day in the sun. Before increasing your fluid consumption, consult a physician if you (1) have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease; (2) are on a fluid-restrictive diet; or (3) have a problem with fluid retention.
• Do not drink alcoholic beverages. Alcohol dehydrates your body. Enough said.
• Limit caffeine intake.
• Do not take salt tablets unless specified by a physician.
• Put less fuel on your inner fires. Foods that are heavy in protein increase metabolic heat production and also increase water loss.
• Dress as lightly as possible. You need protective clothing, of course, but consider light-colored fabrics, such as cotton, that breathe.
• When possible, take longer breaks than normal in a cool, shaded area. A rested worker is a more productive worker.
• Know the symptoms of heat illnesses. Use a buddy system to keep tabs on your fellow workers.
• Acclimate yourself to the heat. You can “get used to” the heat, to some degree. Workers, especially those who follow the advice above, can eventually develop some degree of tolerance. However, new employees and workers returning from an absence of two weeks or more should have a five-day period of acclimatization: 50 percent of the normal workload and time exposure the first day, gradually building up to 100 percent on the fifth day.

stopimg title="keepCool_img3" style="padding-left: 20px;" align="right" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 0px solid; WIDTH: 260px; PADDING-LEFT: 10px; HEIGHT: 195px; BORDER-TOP: 0px solid; align: left" alt="keepCool_img3" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/3_KeepCool_260x195.jpg" border="0" />Supervisor Obligations

There are precautions every employer should take when temperatures are high and the job involves physical work.

• Understand the signs of heat stress and permit workers to interrupt their work if they are extremely uncomfortable.
• Provide training about the hazards leading to heat stress and how to prevent them.
• If possible, schedule the heaviest workload for the coolest part of the day: early morning or late evening, when the sun is less intense.
• Make sure your workers have easy access to cool water—a minimum of one quart of water per hour, per worker.
• Schedule frequent rest periods with water breaks in shaded or air- conditioned areas.
• Routinely check on workers who are at risk of heat stress due to protective clothing and high temperature. Pay close attention to those who are at risk because of age and physical condition (including obesity and diabetes).

When A Fellow Worker Is Ill From The Heat

• Call a supervisor for help. If the supervisor is not available, call 911.
• Have someone stay with the worker until help arrives.
• Move the worker to a cooler/shaded area.
• Remove outer clothing.
• Fan and mist the worker with water; apply ice (ice bags or ice towels).
• Provide cool drinking water, if the worker is able to drink.

For more information about preventing and treating heat-related illness, consult these articles:

• “Heat Wave: A Major Summer Killer,” [http://www.noaawatch.gov/themes/heat.php] by the NOAA
• “Protecting Workers From Heat Stress,” [http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3154.pdf] by OSHA
• “Protecting Workers In Hot Environments,” [http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=FACT_SHEETS&p_id=167] by OSHA

Sources for this article:

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (noaawatch.gov)
• Occupational and Safety Health Administration (osha.gov)

stopimg title="19a" style="padding-right: 20px;" align="left" alt="19a" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/19astopimg4Take the time to winterize your equipment this year. A few minutes spent could save you time and money in the months to come. The amount of winter care your equipment needs depends both on the climate and how it is used. Check your service manual guidelines, and keep the following tips in mind:

1. Check coolant. Provide protection by using the recommended antifreeze/water mixture for the lowest temperature expected during operations.

2. Change the oil and filter before cold weather arrives. In addition, use lubricants recommended for low temperature applications.

3. Maintain the battery. Remove cables, clean cable ends and posts, and clean and tighten terminals on the cranking motor. And remember never to charge a frozen battery.

4. Check tire inflation. Tires inflated in a warm shop will be under-inflated when used in cold temperatures.

5. Give hydraulic components time to warm up before beginning work. If you’re running diesel equipment, be sure to idle the engine a few minutes before shutting down to properly lubricate internal components. Your local Ditch Witch^® service technicians can help you make the most of your cold-weather equipment productivity, and can suggest winterizing techniques that are perfectly suited to your operation.

stopimg title="diggingsystem2" style="padding-right: 20px;" align="left" alt="diggingsystem2" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/diggingsystem2stopimg4No matter what your task, having the right tool for the job is critical for success. It's no different with digging chain. Ditch Witch® digging chain comes in a variety of configurations that will cut through almost any kind of ground you encounter. Selecting the right one can go a long way toward keeping you productive and preventing unnecessary wear and tear on your equipment.

"Using the proper chain type is extremely important," says Jaime Wines, product manager for The Charles Machine Works, Inc. (CMW). "Check the jobsite, see what you are getting into and then match the chain with the soil condition."

For example, sticky, clay-like soils have a tendency to clog up in a standard digging chain, eventually keeping it from turning and digging efficiently. "An alternating side bar configuration is a great solution for clay," says Marty Piel, CMW training specialist. As the name implies, it's built with a side bar on only one side of the chain, alternating sides every other link. This allows gummy soil to fall out the other side, keeping the digging chain turning freely.

For hard or rocky soil conditions, or mixed soild conditions, a combination chain with bolt-on teeth allows you to build a custom chain to fit your unique digging conditions. Ditch Witch bolt-on Alligator teeth, for example, come with rotating carbide inserts—like those in a concrete saw. By fitting a chain with an alternating pattern of Alligator teeth and standard cup teeth, you can create a pick-and-shovel effect that breaks up the rock and carries out the spoils.

stopimg title="diggingsystem1" align="absMiddle" alt="diggingsystem1" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/diggingsystem1stopimg4

Another option for combination chain is the bolt-on Shark tooth. Rather than carrying a carbide insert, the Shark tooth is welded on, and it's engineered with four times the carbide of a standard Alligator tooth. Shark teeth can also be used to build a custom chain—even at custom widths—to help you be as productive as possible.

If your soil conditions vary from job to job, you need a chain that can handle many soil types well. "Our Shark Chain® II is an excellent all-purpose chain," says Piel. "I've seen it perform exceptionally well not just in dirt, but also in hard soils all the way to chunk rock and solid rock."

Part of its high performance comes from a patented design that places teeth at the optimal attack angle. It's also engineered with a clean-out shoe on the back of every other station that helps clean the trench and creates a rounded bottom that cradles the product. "Since what most of the customers put in the ground is round, like pipe or cable," says Piel, "the cradle comes in handy."

But it's not just easy to dig with, it's easy to own. Because with Shark Chain II, there are no nuts or bolts to change out, and the teeth last the life of the chain. Wines says, "Rental yards—and other customers with very large, very mobile fleets that have to be maintained—really appreciate this chain."

"If you select the wrong type of chain, you aren't going to cut as well or clean as well, making you less efficient, and efficiency directly ties back to profitability," says Piel. Your local Ditch Witch dealer can offer expert consultation and genuine Ditch Witch digging systems to help make sure you have the right tool for the job and help you stay productive.

stopimg title="RentalMgtFeature_1" style="padding-right: 20px;" align="left" alt="RentalMgtFeature_1" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/RentalMgtFeature_1stopimg4All of a trencher's mighty horsepower, incredible traction, and reinforced steel frame mean nothing without a well-operating digging system—the one feature that makes a trencher a trencher. With digging systems, one defective part—a stripped bolt, worn tooth or cracked sprocket—can mean the failure of the entire system, and every rental company knows how costly this kind of downtime can be.
A trencher's rapidly rotating steel, tungsten-carbide teeth are designed to pulverize any type of dirt, mud, and even rock. But wear and tear eventually occurs, and sooner than many rental fleet owners are aware. Without timely maintenance on its digging system, the trencher becomes less productive. Not paying attention to digging system maintenance over the long term will actually impact the entire trencher—from performance to trenching productivity.

Marty Piel, Parts Training Specialist at the Ditch Witch® organization, likens the use of overly worn digging teeth to a "dull-axe effect." "If you're chopping wood with a dull axe, you feel the shock right up through your arm and into your shoulder," Piel explains. "It's the same with dull digging teeth: the shock is transmitted from the digging chain through the attachment and up to the operator's station. This is one reason it's so important to keep a properly maintained chain on your digging boom. It's not just the production of the digging system itself; you're saving wear and tear on the entire trencher."

stopimg title="RentalMgtFeature_2" style="padding-left: 20px;" align="right" alt="RentalMgtFeature_2" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/RentalMgtFeature_2stopimg4Rules to trench by.

Piel says there are three cardinal rules for properly maintaining digging systems, no matter what brand of trencher you own.

1) Always replace sprockets and digging chains at the same time. Replacing one without the other will cause premature wear of the new component.

The shock load can cause a chain to stretch. As the chain stretches, the sprocket teeth that were designed to fall directly between the chain's rollers begin to strike those same rollers and wear them down prematurely. Worn chain rollers will begin to resemble an hourglass or apple core. Digging chains should be replaced before wearing through the roller to the chain pin.

2) Replace worn digging teeth.

As teeth wear, shock load can increase on the chain. Generally speaking, as the tungsten-carbide cutting edge wears away, the teeth begin to become dull and transmit shock to the digging system. Also, the more the cup of the tooth is worn away, the less capability the tooth has to carry dirt out of the trench.

3) Maintain the proper tension on the digging chain.

Improperly adjusted digging chain can result in premature wear on the chain and sprockets. The chain should be tight enough so that it doesn't slip off the sprockets but loose enough to keep from binding. Chain tension depends on the size of the trencher. Refer to your operator's manual for the correct tension.

It may seem like a lot to keep track of, but Piel says being religious about maintenance will pay big dividends. "The time you invest in maintaining your digging system is nothing compared to the damage your equipment can suffer—not to mention loss of productivity—if you don't," he says.

stopimg title="RentalMgtFeature_3" style="padding-left: 20px;" align="right" alt="RentalMgtFeature_3" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/RentalMgtFeature_3stopimg4What to look for in digging system components.

All digging systems are made up of teeth, sprockets, sidebars, pins and rollers. But it's the way these components are put together that determines their durability. The ideal digging system is one whose components are engineered to work and wear together.

"Ditch Witch digging systems have always been engineered to maximize the overall life and productivity of each component," says Piel.

Sprockets.
When looking for replacement sprockets, there are several factors to consider. First, it's a good idea to choose those that are engineered with proper mud relief. Buildup of spoils can cause a chain to stretch and prematurely wear all digging system components. Piel says Ditch Witch sprockets are manufactured with mud relief between the teeth to allow spoils to escape.

Another desirable quality of sprockets is a longer tooth. Sprockets with longer, tapered teeth enter the well between the rollers easier and deeper to have minimal contact with sidebars and rollers.

Chains and teeth.
There are dozens of chains designed specifically for different types of soils, so it's important to understand the predominant soil types in the regions where your equipment is operated. If you know your customer is going to be digging in soft soil, for example, a four-pitch, cup-tooth chain would be the ideal choice. A two-pitch, cup-tooth chain—designed for medium to hard soil—would not be necessary. Conversely, using a four-pitch chain in place of a two-pitch chain in hard or rocky soils could be extremely detrimental to your digging system as well as the trencher itself.

Digging chain is categorized three ways: by tensile strength, by pitch (two-pitch, four-pitch, or alternating sidebar), and by type (cup, combination, alligator or Shark Chain®). Ditch Witch chain is available in tensile strengths of 33,000 up to 225,000 pounds. Chain spacing refers to the number of chain pins between sidebars. Two-pitch chain has a sidebar on every station, four-pitch chain has a sidebar on every other station, and alternating sidebar chain has one sidebar at each station on alternating sides of the chain. On raised rivet chains, the chain pin is positioned higher on the sidebar, putting more steel on the sliding surface and heel, which are the main wear areas of the chain's sidebars. This design increases the life of the digging chain.

Piel says a welded, low-profile chain such as a Shark Chain or Shark Chain II® can be good choices for general-purpose trenching or where trenching conditions are diverse. With a low-profile chain, the sidebars are only about half as tall as a normal digging chain, so the teeth are positioned closer to the chain or the boom it rides on. In general, the closer the teeth are to the boom, the smoother the cut. "Those teeth act like a lever; anything they catch will cause the chain to kick back," says Piel. "A low-profile chain reduces kickback, which reduces wear on the heel (the bottom backside of the chain sidebar) and shock load to the unit."

A lot of thought has been put into the design of digging systems. Taking a little time to consider all of the variables and develop a regular maintenance schedule can dramatically extend the life of your equipment fleet.

stopimg style="padding-right: 20px;" align="left" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/RentalMgtFeature_1.jpg" alt="RentalMgtFeature_1" title="RentalMgtFeature_1" />All of a trencher's mighty horsepower, incredible traction, and reinforced steel frame mean nothing without a well-operating digging system—the one feature that makes a trencher a trencher. With digging systems, one defective part—a stripped bolt, worn tooth or cracked sprocket—can mean the failure of the entire system, and every rental company knows how costly this kind of downtime can be.
A trencher's rapidly rotating steel, tungsten-carbide teeth are designed to pulverize any type of dirt, mud, and even rock. But wear and tear eventually occurs, and sooner than many rental fleet owners are aware. Without timely maintenance on its digging system, the trencher becomes less productive. Not paying attention to digging system maintenance over the long term will actually impact the entire trencher—from performance to trenching productivity.

Marty Piel, Parts Training Specialist at the Ditch Witch® organization, likens the use of overly worn digging teeth to a "dull-axe effect." "If you're chopping wood with a dull axe, you feel the shock right up through your arm and into your shoulder," Piel explains. "It's the same with dull digging teeth: the shock is transmitted from the digging chain through the attachment and up to the operator's station. This is one reason it's so important to keep a properly maintained chain on your digging boom. It's not just the production of the digging system itself; you're saving wear and tear on the entire trencher."

stopimg style="padding-left: 20px;" align="right" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/RentalMgtFeature_2.jpg" alt="RentalMgtFeature_2" title="RentalMgtFeature_2" />Rules to trench by.

Piel says there are three cardinal rules for properly maintaining digging systems, no matter what brand of trencher you own.

1) Always replace sprockets and digging chains at the same time. Replacing one without the other will cause premature wear of the new component.

The shock load can cause a chain to stretch. As the chain stretches, the sprocket teeth that were designed to fall directly between the chain's rollers begin to strike those same rollers and wear them down prematurely. Worn chain rollers will begin to resemble an hourglass or apple core. Digging chains should be replaced before wearing through the roller to the chain pin.

2) Replace worn digging teeth.

As teeth wear, shock load can increase on the chain. Generally speaking, as the tungsten-carbide cutting edge wears away, the teeth begin to become dull and transmit shock to the digging system. Also, the more the cup of the tooth is worn away, the less capability the tooth has to carry dirt out of the trench.

3) Maintain the proper tension on the digging chain.

Improperly adjusted digging chain can result in premature wear on the chain and sprockets. The chain should be tight enough so that it doesn't slip off the sprockets but loose enough to keep from binding. Chain tension depends on the size of the trencher. Refer to your operator's manual for the correct tension.

It may seem like a lot to keep track of, but Piel says being religious about maintenance will pay big dividends. "The time you invest in maintaining your digging system is nothing compared to the damage your equipment can suffer—not to mention loss of productivity—if you don't," he says.

stopimg style="padding-right: 20px;" align="left" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/RentalMgtFeature_3.jpg" alt="RentalMgtFeature_3" title="RentalMgtFeature_3" />What to look for in digging system components.

All digging systems are made up of teeth, sprockets, sidebars, pins and rollers. But it's the way these components are put together that determines their durability. The ideal digging system is one whose components are engineered to work and wear together.

"Ditch Witch digging systems have always been engineered to maximize the overall life and productivity of each component," says Piel.

Sprockets.
When looking for replacement sprockets, there are several factors to consider. First, it's a good idea to choose those that are engineered with proper mud relief. Buildup of spoils can cause a chain to stretch and prematurely wear all digging system components. Piel says Ditch Witch sprockets are manufactured with mud relief between the teeth to allow spoils to escape.

Another desirable quality of sprockets is a longer tooth. Sprockets with longer, tapered teeth enter the well between the rollers easier and deeper to have minimal contact with sidebars and rollers.

Chains and teeth.
There are dozens of chains designed specifically for different types of soils, so it's important to understand the predominant soil types in the regions where your equipment is operated. If you know your customer is going to be digging in soft soil, for example, a four-pitch, cup-tooth chain would be the ideal choice. A two-pitch, cup-tooth chain—designed for medium to hard soil—would not be necessary. Conversely, using a four-pitch chain in place of a two-pitch chain in hard or rocky soils could be extremely detrimental to your digging system as well as the trencher itself.

Digging chain is categorized three ways: by tensile strength, by pitch (two-pitch, four-pitch, or alternating sidebar), and by type (cup, combination, alligator or Shark Chain®). Ditch Witch chain is available in tensile strengths of 33,000 up to 225,000 pounds. Chain spacing refers to the number of chain pins between sidebars. Two-pitch chain has a sidebar on every station, four-pitch chain has a sidebar on every other station, and alternating sidebar chain has one sidebar at each station on alternating sides of the chain. On raised rivet chains, the chain pin is positioned higher on the sidebar, putting more steel on the sliding surface and heel, which are the main wear areas of the chain's sidebars. This design increases the life of the digging chain.

Piel says a welded, low-profile chain such as a Shark Chain or Shark Chain II® can be good choices for general-purpose trenching or where trenching conditions are diverse. With a low-profile chain, the sidebars are only about half as tall as a normal digging chain, so the teeth are positioned closer to the chain or the boom it rides on. In general, the closer the teeth are to the boom, the smoother the cut. "Those teeth act like a lever; anything they catch will cause the chain to kick back," says Piel. "A low-profile chain reduces kickback, which reduces wear on the heel (the bottom backside of the chain sidebar) and shock load to the unit."

A lot of thought has been put into the design of digging systems. Taking a little time to consider all of the variables and develop a regular maintenance schedule can dramatically extend the life of your equipment fleet.