Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney wrote:
I've got to put down about 50 feet of 4-inch french drain along the
sides of the house. The plan is to dig down 5-inches, lay a
perforated drain pipe, cover it with screen material and gravel.

Normally I would get out the old pick and shovel, but the wife is out
of town right now. All the ditch diggers I see online are for heavy
duty ditches. Any suggestions what would work good on a small job
like this?

Go hire someone hanging out looking for work outside your local Home Depot or
whatever you have locally. There are always 10-30 guys at the HD here.