Cable trencher/puller

[Sprinklerman]

If you want a clean cut , you add a steel wheel like a pizza cutter ahead of the blade , that cuts the sod . To pull pipe they make a puller called a chinese finger ( available at lawn irrigation suppliers ) . Nice build . I use something similar for installing irrigation systems , a Burkeen B30 vibratory plow .

 

[LD1]

I was getting a nice clean cut. That wasnt the issue. Once cut, the angle of the knife would lift the sod into the skid its welded to. It kinda wedges in there. I need to move the knife to the edge of the ski, so there is nothing above the knife to hang it up and I think it would work perfect.

 

[blucoondawg]

If I made something like this id design it as a vibratory plow blade minus the vibratory function which isn't really necessary for these shallow installs. You will find having the proper angle on the toe of the blade is all you need to achieve depth it will cause you're blade to pull in farther rather than climb up. As far as the wire coming up in the trench that is going to happen at every depth to a certain degree, as you are pulling the wire is trying to pull taught which will likely cause it to raise a bit, you can cure that by anticipating it and building your blade slightly deeper to compensate. You could also make what we call a plug plow, just a thin blade tooth with a shackle welded on the back where you connect a chain and round steel plug larger than the material you are installing, set your wire up at one end of the trench on a free spinning rack and zip it in, the plug essentially bores a path under ground and pulls the wire through right behind

 

[LD1]

As far as the wire coming up in the trench that is going to happen at every depth to a certain degree, as you are pulling the wire is trying to pull taught which will likely cause it to raise a bit, you can cure that by anticipating it and building your blade slightly deeper to compensate.

Or angle it like I did, which worked perfect.

I didnt want to have to trench deeper than I needed the wire. I didnt want to rip out my phone line (which is ~10" deep) or have to tear through any unnecessary roots.