PARSONS TRENCHERS AND
CABLE
PLOWS
History of Parsons Trenchers and Cable Plows
T-80 Handlebar Trencher (8 hp)
T-120 Handlebar Trencher (11 hp)
T-130 Handlebar Trencher (13 hp)
T-20 Riding Trencher (20 hp)
T-500 Riding Trencher/Plow (58 hp)
T-750 Riding Trencher/Plow (82 hp)
DP-60 Cable Plow (82 hp)
DP-100 Cable Plow (110 hp)
If you are interested in obtaining more information, please fill out our Extra Info. Order Form. Upon receipt of this form, we will send you literature with additional detailed specifications on the products you are interested in.
Parsons T-80 Handlebar Trencher
8 Horsepower (6.8 kW)
All steel construction and longer frame for easy maneuverability.
Best combination of infinitely-adjustable hydraulic ground drive and mechanical digging
drive.
Digging depths of either 24 inches (610 mm) or 30 inches (760 mm)
Unique swing-out panel for easy maintenance (Standard on all Parsons Handlebar Trenchers)
Choice of three engine options.
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Parsons T-120 Handlebar Trencher
11
Horsepower (8.2 kW)
Most popular Parsons Trencher.
Hydrostatic ground drive for low maintenance.
Proven reliability with mechanical digging system with depths of 24, 30, or 36 inches
(610, 760, 910 mm)
Honda, Briggs & Stratton, or Wisconsin Robin Engine options.
Warn hubs allow unit to be moved without engine power.
Additional options include Outboard Bearing and Crumber Assemblies.
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Parsons T-130 Handlebar Trencher
13 Horsepower (9.7kW)
Latest advances in walk-behind trencher technology.
Capable of cutting 6 inch (150 mm) widths and 36 inch (910 mm) depths.
Best maneuverability of any trencher in its class.
Operators Presence System will stop unit if user releases handlebars.
Simplified Control Panel with complete operating instructions.
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Parsons T-20 Riding Trencher
20 Horsepower (14.9 kW)
Mechanical digging drive capable of trenching up to 54 inches (1,370 mm).
Simplified maintenance with accessible engine and hydraulics.
Tightest turning radius of any riding trencher with hydrostatic skid-steer ground
drive.
Easy change-out from center mount trenching to offset for digging along obstacles
and buildings.
Ideal unit for irrigation/utility installation and rental applications.
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Parsons T-500 Riding Trencher/Plow
58 Horsepower (43 kW)
4-wheel hydrostatic drive for dependable tractive effort.
Attachments available: offset trencher, trencher/plow combo, front mounted backhoe,
and six way backfill blade.
Trench to depths up to 72 inches (1830 mm) and 18 inches (460 mm) wide; plow to cover
depths of 24 inches (610 mm) -- depending on ground conditions.
Heavy duty mechanical digging drive transmission provides durability with unmatched
trenching efficiency.
Time tested reliability with John Deere Diesel Engine.
Mid-sized trencher is the choice of contractors and utility companies.
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Parsons T-750 Riding Trencher/Plow
82 Horsepower (61.5 kW)
Best combination of rugged, heavy-duty mechanical trencher with 4-wheel hydrostatic
ground drive.
Multiple attachments for versatility: trencher/plow combo, backhoe, offset trenching,
boring attachment, and backfill blade.
Trench to depth up to 108 inches (2740 mm), widths up to 18 inches (460 mm); plow
capable of covering depths up to 30 inches (760 mm) -- depending on ground conditions.
Tightest turning radius of any trencher in its class: automotive steering and non-oscillating
articulation for best combination of maneuverability with stability.
Proven John Deere Diesel Engine reliability.
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Parsons DP-60 Cable Plow
82 Horsepower (61.5 kW)
Most productive rubber tired Cable Plow in its class.
Fast travel speeds, 6 MPH (9.6 Km/H) and rubber tires allow it to quickly move on
road ways between sites.
Combination of 4-wheel hydrostatic ground drive with hydraulic vibratory plow for
proven reliability.
Steerable boom and plow blade allows the DP-60 to plow around obstacles.
Parsons Cable Plows are designed to be plows only. No other competitive trencher
with a plow attachment can meet the Parsons Cable Plow's productivity.
Capable of burying utilities up to 36" (915 mm) deep.
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Parsons DP-100 Cable Plow
110 Horsepower (82.5 kW)
Standard by which all other rubber tired plows are measured.
Unmatched performance with 110 HP Turbo Diesel Engine and fully hydrostatic controls.
Only rubber tired plow in its class to offer steerable plowing to bury cable outside
the wheel base.
Available with plow blade configurations for utilities up to 3 inches (75 mm) and
depths to 42 inches (1,070 mm) deep.
Ideal unit for underground telephone, fiber optics, gas, water, electrical, and CATV
installation.
Combination of vibratory plow and rubber tires for fast, efficient burial with limited
ground disturbance.
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History of Parsons Trenchers
In 1893, George W. Parsons and F.L. Maytag established a business; their first
product was an attachment for threshing machines known as the Parsons Self-Feeder
and Band Cutter. The partnership was dissolved and Maytag went on to form his own
company making a newfangled machine called a clothes washer.
The City of Newton,
Iowa began installing its sanitary sewer system in 1903. Parsons watched the excavation
and it occurred to him that the method used left much to be desired. Earlier, during
the winter, Parsons had been working on a machine to cut ice from a local source
for storage until the following summer and he thought the same principal would apply
to dirt. The following year (1904), Parsons tried his new trenching machine.
It was built in two sections and mounted on large steel wheels. The front section carried a steam engine, a large boiler, and a hopper for fuel. The rear section held a ladder arrangement with a chain of digging units. The result was a fast and safe trenching device!
Parsons started making trenching machines in an old abandoned church. Quarters were cramped, but it was here that the first production model trencher was built and sold in 1905. Here is a summary of what happened to the company since then:
1905-1960's: Production continued in Newton, Iowa under the Parsons name.
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