No matter what your task, having the right tool for the job is critical for success. It's no different with digging chain. Ditch Witch® digging chain comes in a variety of configurations that will cut through almost any kind of ground you encounter. Selecting the right one can go a long way toward keeping you productive and preventing unnecessary wear and tear on your equipment.

"Using the proper chain type is extremely important," says Jaime Wines, product manager for The Charles Machine Works, Inc. (CMW). "Check the jobsite, see what you are getting into and then match the chain with the soil condition."

For example, sticky, clay-like soils have a tendency to clog up in a standard digging chain, eventually keeping it from turning and digging efficiently. "An alternating side bar configuration is a great solution for clay," says Marty Piel, CMW training specialist. As the name implies, it's built with a side bar on only one side of the chain, alternating sides every other link. This allows gummy soil to fall out the other side, keeping the digging chain turning freely.

For hard or rocky soil conditions, or mixed soild conditions, a combination chain with bolt-on teeth allows you to build a custom chain to fit your unique digging conditions. Ditch Witch bolt-on Alligator teeth, for example, come with rotating carbide inserts—like those in a concrete saw. By fitting a chain with an alternating pattern of Alligator teeth and standard cup teeth, you can create a pick-and-shovel effect that breaks up the rock and carries out the spoils.

Another option for combination chain is the bolt-on Shark tooth. Rather than carrying a carbide insert, the Shark tooth is welded on, and it's engineered with four times the carbide of a standard Alligator tooth. Shark teeth can also be used to build a custom chain—even at custom widths—to help you be as productive as possible.

If your soil conditions vary from job to job, you need a chain that can handle many soil types well. "Our Shark Chain® II is an excellent all-purpose chain," says Piel. "I've seen it perform exceptionally well not just in dirt, but also in hard soils all the way to chunk rock and solid rock."

Part of its high performance comes from a patented design that places teeth at the optimal attack angle. It's also engineered with a clean-out shoe on the back of every other station that helps clean the trench and creates a rounded bottom that cradles the product. "Since what most of the customers put in the ground is round, like pipe or cable," says Piel, "the cradle comes in handy."

But it's not just easy to dig with, it's easy to own. Because with Shark Chain II, there are no nuts or bolts to change out, and the teeth last the life of the chain. Wines says, "Rental yards—and other customers with very large, very mobile fleets that have to be maintained—really appreciate this chain."

"If you select the wrong type of chain, you aren't going to cut as well or clean as well, making you less efficient, and efficiency directly ties back to profitability," says Piel. Your local Ditch Witch dealer can offer expert consultation and genuine Ditch Witch digging systems to help make sure you have the right tool for the job and help you stay productive.