Post Holes with a backhoe?

[ctgoldwing]

Doesn't sound lame to me at all. Although I have been actively looking for a PHD for my tractor I have recently decided that an investment in a 9 inch bucket for my BH76 makes more sense. I have to make a fenced in area for our dogs, mostly in the woods. The FEL made quick work of all the brush & small trees & now I need about 500 feet of fence to run. I also need to trench several hundrd feet for wiring for outdoor lighting. Can't do that with a PHD.

[pitt_md]

I used the mini excavator that I rented to dig away the dirt and expose the bedrock that I had to go through. The excavator would not bust up the rock so I used a jack hammer for that. There were some holes that I dug with it that did not have the rock problem and I thought it was harder to set the posts than when the PHD was used.

[radioman]

BH away ! if you do it right, you will only end up with a elognated hole and slightly larger then a PHD hole. for the price , you cant beat it.

[HardlyWarcane]

Just how are you intending to use the backhoe...digging the hole ...or pounding them in.
I have a 4 in 1 CX300 loader on my 3320 tractor and have installed 280 post 4 to 6 " in wet weather and in middle of summer's worest heat and dry season.
I pound them in with the back edge of my bucket - using about 4" blows.
Now I'm a pile driving crane operator and have the timing down very good.
I was told it can't be done this way and yet, like I say 280 post mostly 5" or better and there all in 2ft or better,these are 8foot post's.
One thing - once there in ,leave them alone for a day or so to set ,before you add boards etc to the post.
If your backhoe bucket can reach the top of the post try it! One won't hurt anything.
I have a friend hold it till I get the bucket on it he keeps it straight one way and I eyeball it the other ... I set the bucket on the top ,press down till it won't go any more and then jerk the lever to allow the bucket to come up about 4 to 6 " and slam back into the top of the post.
Try it you might like it!

But that's just me.

[Knight]

Actually I prefer a backhoe over a post hole digger. I sold my Post hole digger last summer from lack of use.
Backhoe will remove rocks with no problem. Just dig a hole put in sono tube in the center line, backfill with dirt. Cement post in.
I used the post hole digger once 10 years ago and it worked great where there were no rocks. Any rocks would auger the front tires up in the air and I would have to take a large pipe wrench and unscrew the digger auger.

[bluetc30]

i put in about 15 post for the fence around my pool using mostly my backhoe and the only hard part was packind the dirt back in around the post ,after the first one i filled the hole half way with dirt ,i didnt use any cement filled the hole with a 5 gallon bucket of water and let it pack in until the next day and finished filling the hole with dirt and my fence doesnt move at all and it is a 6 foot high with 4 feet in the ground

[jimmyj]

I'm with bluetc30. Dug the holes, which were slightly elongated, partially filled with soil around the post, watered the dirt, tamped it, repeat till the hole is filled. Packs great.

Have fun.