The trenching machine creates narrow, deep trenches using a rotating cutting chain with carbide teeth. Trench widths of 80 to 600 mm and depths up to 2,500 mm are possible in a single pass — significantly faster and more precise than conventional excavation. Excavated material is deposited directly alongside the trench.
Applications include cable and pipeline installation (fiber optic, electrical, gas, water), drainage laying in agriculture, and joint cutting in asphalt. Self-propelled trenching machines from Ditch Witch, Vermeer, and Tesmec achieve up to 300 meters of trench per hour in normal soil.
As an excavator attachment, chain cutters are available for hydraulic excavators, mounted in place of the bucket. These offer greater flexibility but deliver lower cutting performance than self-propelled units. For rocky ground, cutting chains are equipped with round-shank chisels instead of standard teeth.