For my friend's subdrain system, we're going to dig down next to the basement wall with a Case backhoe, install 4" OD perforated pipe and gravel to capture the water, then convey the water out to a drainage swale about 250' feet away. The outlet trench will be excavated with at least a Sumitomo 220 excavator, something along the smaller flavor of excavators. Trench soil backfill will then be compacted to UBC standards. This system, while not large, is not little.