United Rentals’ selection of walk-behind trencher rentals will make digging phone, cable, TV or electrical trenches easy. Trenchers — or ditch witches — are ideal for plumbing and irrigation trenches as well. We offer ditch witch trenchers, ride-on trenchers and other popular brands for general contracting work for deeper utilities like sewer lines.

Trench diggers are like walk-behind ergonomic compactors, but instead of a vibratory plate, trenchers are affixed with a rotating chainsaw-like chain with auger teeth or scoop buckets to break up soils and remove them from a narrow area, creating a trench.

FAQs About Trenchers

Should I use a walk-behind trencher or a ride-on trencher?

• The right trencher for you will depend on the job and the conditions of the worksite. If you are a DIYer digging a dirt trench for utility work such as cable, telephone or pipes, then a walk-behind trencher rental will be ideal. If you are digging deep utility trenches in a rocky landscape, a ride-on trencher with higher horsepower would be the most productive and the safest.

Can a trencher cut through roots?

• Trenchers can cut through small roots, but take caution: Trenchers were designed to remove soil, and you can damage the equipment if you force the machine onto a large root. If you have a lot of roots to clear, a mini excavator with an attachment would be the best option.

How do you cut through roots with a trencher?

• If you have a limited number of small roots, ensure your trencher has a strong carbide blade and higher horsepower. Then clear the dirt around the roots with the trencher so you have a clear view of them. Position the trencher to one side of the root, start the trencher, lower it onto the soil next to the root and move the trencher into the root. Do not force the trencher into the root, but be firm. Make several cuts into different sides of the root until it is torn up and out of the trench.

Can you trench frozen ground with a walk-behind trencher?

• Typically walk-behind trench diggers do not have the horsepower or torque for trenching frozen ground. Ride-on trenchers are the standard for frost. If it's a light frost and the soil underneath is soft, a walk-behind trencher with a pointed carbide blade will be able to break up the frost. However, a walk-behind trencher may take a long time and be insufficient.