2022 - Volume #46, Issue #4, Page #27
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Foot-Powered Trench Digger
Ron Matson of Duluth, Minn., is the inventor of the Blue Viper. He came up with the idea after digging a 40-ft. trench from his house to an outbuilding using a regular shovel. Matson said it “tore up his lawn,” and he wasn’t happy about it.
“It’s a narrow digger that’s just 2 1/4-in. wide,” he says. “It has sidewalls that are 3-in. high that will help you neatly dig a trench through your yard.
“It has a concave point that’ll cut through roots without slipping off,” Matson says. “An adjustable aluminum pin that runs through the sidewalls helps control the depth of your digging.”
He says the tool can dig to depths of 4, 8, 12, or 16 in. The adjustable depth means it’s also good for digging shallow post holes or putting tree seedlings in the yard.
The Blue Viper is American-made in Pine City, Minn. It’s made of heavy-duty 14-ga. powder-coated steel. A foot bar at the end of the handle helps add some extra digging power.
“The Blue Viper carves out the soil without ripping it,” Matson says. “It’s almost like digging with a backhoe, where you have the leading edge and the two sides that dig an even trench.
“It’s all one solid piece of metal,” he says. “The blades can be sharpened if need be. If you hit a rock, run a grinder over the edges, and you’re good to go.”
Once you dig the trench, take the pieces of sod and neatly put them right back into the trench. It will be hard to tell that any work has been done in the yard when the project gets finished.
You can find the Blue Viper at Lehmans.com for $129, plus S&H.
FARM SHOW Followup, Ron Matson, Lehman’s, 4779 Kidron Rd, Kidron, Ohio 44618 (ph 800-438-5346; info@lehmans.com; www.lehmans.com).
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