I need to dig a fence (hardware cloth or welded wire) about a foot deep. I don’t need a wife trench, just a slit wide enough to shove in the material.
A trenching shovel seems like overkill…is there a tool that I can basically push in and bend outward to create a deep but narrow wedge in the ground?
Digging bar
The mini walk-behind Ditch Witch.
How big is the fence?
200’
Id just rent a trencher for 4 hours https://www.homedepot.com/tool-truck-rental/mobile/Trencher-18/T-4-HS18/
Edging spade?
Super soft, easy-to-work ground could be done a few ways; but it’s still slow and a lot of work. Hard, dry ground = little Ditch Witch. I’ll add that a DW may seem like over-kill and a small trencher (same principle) might be enough, and cheaper. Look around for any other task you could use it for…your 200’ won’t take long. Watch for underground utilities, etc. I’m in a spot right now where the very-suspect locator dude swears there is nothing there but the phone company post says otherwise…dang.
I was trying to figure out what a “wife trench” was. Then I realized you meant “wide” trench. Someone could get the wrong idea!
I don’t know if you have a tractor with a 3 pt hitch but if so a subsoiler may make the digging easier, but it would not leave an open trench.