Ditch Witch West sells first Bulldog trencher to speed up undergrounding work along West Coast
Ditch Witch West has sold its first Bulldog trencher, designed by UK manufacturer Mastenbroek, to Cox and Cox Construction, a full-service underground utility contractor licensed in California and Nevada. Mastenbroek designed the Bulldog for underground utility installation, particularly in areas where overhead electrical cables could cause or be destroyed by forest fires.
Cox and Cox Construction took delivery of the first production Bulldog trencher late last year and began using it in January 2025 to install underground utility cables along 50 miles of narrow, winding roads near Lakehead in northern California.
"The Bulldog is a game-changer," said Buddy Cox, President of Cox and Cox Construction. "It trenches so quickly and so cleanly. It's fast, easy to mobilize, and produces an accurate trench, even on uneven, narrow roads. We're leaving a really clean surface, and we can cut at both ten and 18 inches, with the flexibility to change over very quickly. The Bulldog is certainly the fastest and best trencher in its class."
The Bulldog, which is 10.9m (38 feet 7 inches) long and has a transport width of 2.5m (8 feet 2 inches), borrows much of Mastenbroek's engineering prowess from the company's 17/17 trencher, which is popular with European undergrounding contractors.
The Bulldog is powered by a US EPA Tier 4 final compliant Volvo 8-litre engine and a new diesel hydrostatic drive system developed by Mastenbroek to power the new heavier digging mechanism, which can comfortably achieve the 1.5m (five-foot) trench depth required by U.S. cable-layers.
"Utility contractors are in desperate need for something like the Bulldog,” said Eric Greene, General Manager California at Ditch Witch West. “They have thousands of miles of undergrounding to deliver, and it's hard going. Until now, there has not been a trencher that is robust, reliable, and capable of working at the speed needed. We think the Bulldog is going to be incredibly successful, and we're super excited to have exclusivity along the West Coast where so much undergrounding work is being undertaken."
"The Bulldog has been inspired by the unique challenges faced by North American contractors looking to install underground cables as quickly and cost-effectively as possible,” added Christopher Pett, Mastenbroek's commercial director. “We have a tradition of innovation and developing solutions that meet our customers' needs, and the Bulldog continues that.”
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