Trencher with auto-plunge and boom depth control

A mobile excavation machine comprising:

• a chassis;
• a plurality of tracks on which the chassis is supported;
• an excavation attachment including a boom pivotally moveable relative to the chassis, the excavation attachment also including a rotational cutting structure mounted on the boom, the excavation attachment further including a rotational attachment drive for driving the rotational cutting structure in a cutting movement relative to the boom and an actuator for pivoting the boom relative to the chassis to raise and lower the boom;
• and
• an electronic control system;
• wherein the mobile excavation machine causes movement of an active portion of the rotational cutting structure in a first direction of movement into unexcavated soil and thereby causes the cutting movement of the rotational cutting structure to carry the unexcavated soil away from an excavated area;
• wherein the electronic control system automatically detects a stall condition when the stall condition occurs in the cutting movement of the rotational cutting structure;
• and
• wherein the electronic control system automatically interrupts the movement in the first direction of movement of the active portion of the rotational cutting structure into the unexcavated soil and automatically causes the excavation machine to positively reverse the movement to a second opposite direction of movement when the stall condition is detected.

A method of excavating comprising:

• providing an excavation machine including a tractor portion having an engine, the excavation machine also including an excavation attachment coupled to the tractor portion, the excavation attachment including an active portion having a plurality of cutting implements, the excavation machine also including a control system;
• performing an excavation operation by driving a subterranean portion of the excavation attachment into unexcavated ground while providing power to the active portion of the excavation attachment to induce movement of the cutting implements which engage and break up the unexcavated ground;
• using the control system to automatically respond, without operator intervention, when a stall condition occurs by interrupting the excavation operation and positively reversing the movement of the excavation attachment in an opposite direction away from the unexcavated ground;
• and
• resuming the excavation operation with the control system upon stall recovery.

A method of excavating comprising:

• providing an excavation machine including a tractor portion having an engine, the excavation machine also including an excavation attachment coupled to the tractor portion, the excavation attachment including an active portion, the excavation machine also including a control system;
• performing an excavation operation by driving a subterranean portion of the excavation attachment into the ground in a first direction while providing power to the active portion of the excavation attachment to induce movement of the active portion which engages and break ups the ground;
• using the control system to automatically respond, without operator intervention, when a stall condition occurs by interrupting the excavation operation and causing the excavation attachment to positively move in a direction opposite from the first direction;
• and
• resuming the excavation operation with the control system upon stall recovery.