Turfco Pipe Piper

[turfguy87]

I have an older Turfco Pipe Piper with I believe a 3.5hp Briggs engine.

Does anyone know anything about this machine?

What are some good services I could offer with this machine?


Thanks and Merry Christmas!

[Mike Leary]

What are some good services I could offer with this machine?

Break Boots out of jail.

[turfguy87]

What do you mean?

[DanaMac]

What do you mean?

Inside joke/reference. hang around the irrigation forum and you'll know.

[ARGOS]

Break Boots out of jail.

Not with 3.5 hp.

[turfguy87]

What do you mean?

[CAPT Stream Rotar]

is it a big boy with handles?

green?

[turfguy87]

I remember seeing the larger Turfco Pipe Pipers. Mine is a small one with I believe a 3.5hp Briggs engine.

[CAPT Stream Rotar]

I remember seeing the larger Turfco Pipe Pipers. Mine is a small one with I believe a 3.5hp Briggs engine.

great machines...

hard workers...

up here depending on condition you could get 2 G's for it

[Junior M]

Ok, you got me on this one. What are pipe pipers?

[CAPT Stream Rotar]

Ok, you got me on this one. What are pipe pipers?

you wouldn't need them in NC my man...

pipe pullers...

[Mike Leary]

you wouldn't need them in NC my man...

What do you mean?

[Junior M]

you wouldn't need them in NC my man...

pipe pullers...
SC, but I was just curious, never heard them called "pipe pipers" We freakin trench everything here :wall

[AI Inc]

Its like a rototiller with a plow blade, only a rototiller dosnt beat you up as bad.

[Wet_Boots]

Ok, you got me on this one. What are pipe pipers?Gee, sleep in and things get interesting. Pipe Piper was the brand name of Turfco's pipe pullers. They actually worked quite well, in their limited fashion, if you discount the beating they gave their operator, since they basically steered by way of the operator's leg power. No machine could pull pipe with less turf damage than a Piper, because of the blade action it used. (think sod cutter)

A photo of the 3.5 HP Turfco machine would be greatly appreciated.

[hoskm01]

A photo of the 3.5 HP Turfco machine would be greatly appreciated.



What do you mean?

[Wet_Boots]

I think I saw a sod-cutter being used to pull pipe, but it was from a distance, so I can't be certain of the make. What was different, was that the small machine had a place for the operator to stand, and his weight was probably needed to keep the operation stable. How it would steer, I can only guess.

[FIMCO-MEISTER]

Gee, sleep in and things get interesting. Pipe Piper was the brand name of Turfco's pipe pullers. They actually worked quite well, in their limited fashion, if you discount the beating they gave their operator, since they basically steered by way of the operator's leg power. No machine could pull pipe with less turf damage than a Piper, because of the blade action it used. (think sod cutter)

A photo of the 3.5 HP Turfco machine would be greatly appreciated.

Boots at his linguistic best.

[bicmudpuppy]

Way back when, I probably pulled two miles of irrigation commo wire with a piper. I installed my first resi system with the same machine (put in a manual system to be upgraded for a HS teacher). Front drive roller resembled a sod cutter. Back was two caster wheels under the handles. Operator beating may be the understatement of this decade! Still, on 1" and smaller pipe, it got the job done at 12" cover or less. You did a lot of "pushing".

And a picture would be great.

Not sure you can still get parts for them.

[turfguy87]

Here are some pictures.

[Wet_Boots]

That ain't a Pipe Piper vibratory plow, that's a boring unit.

[Dennis Spencer]

It looks to have been a mule drawn unit

[bicmudpuppy]

Used a similar machine in DFW that we called a wonder under. With the optional water jet attachment, I've shot full driveways with no problem. 40-60' is very doable with a little practice and good conditions. Like any boring unit, you run the risk of porpoising up right through an asphalt drive though :(

[Waterit]

Like any boring unit, you run the risk of porpoising up right through an asphalt drive though :(

Or popping out in China, or into the Atlantic or Pacific...

[CAPT Stream Rotar]

that machine looks like it wants to take a dive off my local bridge

[FIMCO-MEISTER]

Used a similar machine in DFW that we called a wonder under. With the optional water jet attachment, I've shot full driveways with no problem. 40-60' is very doable with a little practice and good conditions. Like any boring unit, you run the risk of porpoising up right through an asphalt drive though :(

Funny I used one as well but the name was opposite. UnderWunder I believe is what it was called.

Yes I'm being a Smartazz. I personally soured on water based boring. I've seen too many damaged driveways from the washed out soil a couple of years down the road. I've saved time on service calls by looking at the driveway and being able to tell by the cracks where they bored under. Unless sleeves can be put down I'd go the missile route myself.

[Wet_Boots]

Are these concrete drives that cracked over the pipe? I'd never water-bore under asphalt.

[FIMCO-MEISTER]

Are these concrete drives that cracked over the pipe? I'd never water-bore under asphalt.

Yes.........

I think most guys bore too shallow. Save time on the entry ditch.

[Wet_Boots]

I've sort of developed "plow vision" and see driveways (overwhelmingly blacktop) as impassable barriers, and just go the long way around.

[Rotor_Tool]

Here are some pictures.

Is that a boring unit or the drive mechanism for a super duty plumber's snake for the New York area where those big boys eat a lot of pasta?

[bicmudpuppy]

That is a water hose on the left side of the handle (second pipe/tube going up that side). Definitely a water boring unit and like Peter, I've seen a lot of driveways ruined with them. If you use a trencher to dig your entry and don't skimp, and IF you can hit it hard and quick with no problems OR turn the water way down to limit the erosion, they work well. Most guys just take the easiest path, push through the sand layer under the drive and wash away about three times the material needed to make the bore. I never shot an asphalt drive with the water attachment in use, but I've seen it done. I have never wrecked an asphalt drive, but I've seen it done. I liked using similar units for wide sidewalks. One rod and a quick in and out vs. the pounding a pipe.