Posthole Digger Posthole digger w/ 24" auger

[shvl73]

Posthole digger w/ 24\" auger

Do they make & does anyone have experience w/ a 24" auger for a posthole digger? Will it goe to a 48" depth?
We're thinking about a pole barn in our side field & I would like to use a posthole digger (I have one already) to do the footings instead of renting/borrowing a backhoe. My plan is to use 12" sonotube & I want to make a good base of concrete in each hole, thus the 24" size. I'm looking to keep the PT posts out of the potentially wet soil, I've only found .60 ACQ & I'm not sure it would last long in wet soil conditions. I'm thinking if I put a 8x8 sill across the piers then build on that, backfilling with gravel or such to build up the area around & in the barn it should work. Any thoughts or ideas?

 

[stevef]

Re: Posthole digger w/ 24\" auger

I've run into the exact same problem in Texas with the treated lumber. Most of the lumber yards that I've talked to are not to happy either and none give a warranty for ground contact yet. What I did find out though is although you can't find new telephone poles most of the surrounding counties utility company's will sell their old telephone and the price is right I've ordered 60 - 20ft poles at .50 cents a linear foot from the san antonio utility company now I'm just waiting for them to call and tell me they have them ready. They have up to 3 months to fill the order. I'm using them for piers on a house pier and beam foundation and my engineer buddy tells me they should be good for at least 50 years if not 200 since they will be under the house and out of the weather. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[SPIKER]

Re: Posthole digger w/ 24\" auger

The Phone Pole thing is what was done at my place (old guy built the cabin on piers using 4' down and 2' above ground level of pld phone poles.) while it WORKS don't expect it to last forever like you heard. they DO rot but hey the price is right. around here you can get them for free ususlly as old ones are removed. also most of the counties here require 24" dia holes with 12" thick wafers or 8' thick poured footers for pole barns and the top of the footer/wafer must be 4' deep! not dig to 4' then fill in. (as found out by neibor ;( )

now anyhow we built our 24" using a 12" and added steel to the flights... makes a hard go by having to drill remove dirt continue drilling ect. but only had a few holes anyway. also had to add extension shaft to get below the 4' for the required footer depth. seems the inspector wants 4' to bottom of POST unless you PHYSACALLY ATTACH the post to the footer...! which would mean hammer drill and threaded bolts and angle... anyhow easier to make hole deeper than to attempt to alogn the pole and drill mount to footer while in a 24" hole with 6x6 taking up the middel...

Mark M

 

[gabby]

Re: Posthole digger w/ 24\" auger

A 24" auger pulls lots of torque and will break shear pins in the blink of an eye. If you have to go 24 inches I would try to hire a utility contractor to drill the holes with a boom truck. If you don't have to go 24 inches go with 18 inches and use your tractor. I use a 12" auger for 6x6 pole barn poles and trim the hole as needed with hand diggers. Drive some 6" galvanized landscape spikes into the sides of the pole to grip the concrete.
Gabby

 

[rambler]

Re: Posthole digger w/ 24\" auger

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( also most of the counties here require 24" dia holes with 12" thick wafers or 8' thick poured footers for pole barns and the top of the footer/wafer must be 4' deep! not dig to 4' then fill in. (as found out by neibor ;( )

Mark M )</font>

I'm interested in the topic, and got totally lost by the above. Could you explain? Ok, if you meant 8 'inches' instead of feet, I think I can muddle through on reading it again:

The county requires the pole to be 4 feet deep in the ground.

You can use a 12 inch collar of concrete, or an 8 inch pad at the bottom of the pole - which needs to be deeper than 4 feet.

Not sure I understand why you have to drill a 24 inch wide hole....

--->Paul