Tractor-Mounted Rotary Ditcher Cuts Trenches, Builds Terraces

Tractor-Mounted Rotary Ditcher Cuts Trenches, Builds Terraces MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Earth Movers 26-2-12 Several years ago, Gilbert Nadeau designed and built a rotary ditcher with a 36-in. flywheel to dig drainage ditches on his Fannystelle, Manitoba, farm. His inspiration came from a similar machine made by a German manufacturer. When his neighbors saw what he'd made and how well it worked, they encouraged Nadeau to make more for sale. He says there are several advantages to a rotary ditcher over a scraper or blade for cutting drainage channels. One is that a rotary ditcher throws soil up to 200 ft. away from the trench, so it doesn't create a mound of dirt that stops the flow of water. Another is it doesn't smear and seal heavy soils in the trench like a scraper or blade would. It also operates more quickly with less horsepower. When he began making ditchers for sale, Nadeau increased the flywheel to 42 in. dia. and made two models - one for tractors with 540 rpm pto's and up to 150 hp, and another for tractors with 1,000 rpm pto's and up to 185 hp. Last fall, he began selling a 72-in. flywheel rotary ditcher, for use with tractors with at least 200 to 380 hp. It will cut a trench 48 in. across and 12 in. deep. One operator on a 200 hp tractor can remove and spread about 600 cu. yards of soil an hour. At maximum depth and width, that's a ditch about 4,500 ft. long. He recently introduced a 24-in. model that's sized to work with 18 to 30 hp tractors with 540 rpm pto's. Nadeau's ditchers will work on any soil a tractor can get through, even standing water. The 72-in. ditcher has two adjustable rippers that loosen soil ahead of the flywheel, which has eight knives that throw soil away from the cut. The knives are fastened to the flywheel by two shear bolts, which protect them from rocks and other obstacles. Nadeau says operators can make additional passes to dig drainage ditches deeper or wider. The ditcher can also be used to level ridges and old fencerows. Or, with an optional deflector, it can be used to build terraces. The 72-in. model sells for $19,000. The 1000 model 42-in. ditcher is priced at $10,995, while the 540 model sells for $7,250. The 24-in. model can be purchased for $3,000. The terracing deflector, which fits all models, adds another $1,995. (All prices are in Canadian dollars.) Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gilbert Nadeau, Rotary Ditchers Ltd., Box 40, Fannystelle, Manitoba, Canada R0G 0P0 (ph 204 436-2469; fax 204 436-2466; E-mail: nadeau@mb.sympatico.ca ).

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