Mike Coslo wrote:

I bought a Butternut vertical at a hamfest a few weeks ago. All my other
antennas have been dipoles, so this was going to be my first experience
laying radials, I did some looking around for how to's.

Laying the radials on the surface and stapling them down was forbidden
by the XYL.

I tried using a flat spade to make a small trench. PAH! this was going
to take a long time.

Lawn edgers sounded like a good way to go. Wow! the cheapest was 100
bucks! No way for something I'd use once.

Rentals? That was going to be around 60 dollars.

Finally I was at the local Hardware store, and had an inspiration or
maybe worse.

They had an electric chainsaw on sale for 40 bucks.

Bought it, took it home, and trenched and installed my radials in a
couple hours. I need a new chain, but that's all.

Anyone in the locale that is thinking of installing radials and wants
to see this weirdness and get some radials installed at the same time
just give me a shout! 8^)

Mike, I don't bury 'em at all. I lay the wire out, cut pieces of
galvanized fence wire to make "hairpins" three or four inches long and
use those to hold the radial wire down. Before you know it, the grass
grows over the radials and you never see them again. I put down 5,000
of wire under my 160m inverted "L" in this manner.

Dave K8MN