Digging Post holes

   / Digging Post holes #11  
I'm dealing with super hard ground right now while building my fence. It's off how I can drill all the way down in one area, but barely scratch the surface just a little ways away. I have a six inch and 12 inch auger. I'm just using the 12 inch.

If I can't get it to drill, and the ground is to hard to even scratch the surface, I use my SDS Max Hammer Drill with a shovel bit to dig a hole as deep as I can. Then I fill up the hole with water.

367466033_10231088812426401_3687738119621430775_n.jpg

Usually I can drill the hole all the way down the next day. But sometimes I can't, so I add more water. This might last all week, with me adding water, then coming home from work, getting on the tractor to see if it will work. If it doesn't, I fill up the hole with water and try again the next day. Rarely does it take more then three tries to get the hole drilled.

I also play around with the speed of the auger. Usually it drills best for me at about 1,100 RPM, but sometimes if it's not working, I'll raise and lower the auger a few times to see if I can change something, and then speed up the auger to 1,500 RPM's. This rarely works, but every now and then, it does work!!!

I've bought three different brands of 3 point augers. The Country Line from Tractor Supply is the best that I've found so far. It can be tricky finding new teeth for it from Tractor Supply, but Amazon always seems to have them.
 
   / Digging Post holes #12  
I'm dealing with super hard ground right now while building my fence. It's off how I can drill all the way down in one area, but barely scratch the surface just a little ways away. I have a six inch and 12 inch auger. I'm just using the 12 inch.

If I can't get it to drill, and the ground is to hard to even scratch the surface, I use my SDS Max Hammer Drill with a shovel bit to dig a hole as deep as I can. Then I fill up the hole with water.

View attachment 1664027

Usually I can drill the hole all the way down the next day. But sometimes I can't, so I add more water. This might last all week, with me adding water, then coming home from work, getting on the tractor to see if it will work. If it doesn't, I fill up the hole with water and try again the next day. Rarely does it take more then three tries to get the hole drilled.

I also play around with the speed of the auger. Usually it drills best for me at about 1,100 RPM, but sometimes if it's not working, I'll raise and lower the auger a few times to see if I can change something, and then speed up the auger to 1,500 RPM's. This rarely works, but every now and then, it does work!!!

I've bought three different brands of 3 point augers. The Country Line from Tractor Supply is the best that I've found so far. It can be tricky finding new teeth for it from Tractor Supply, but Amazon always seems to have them.
Cant you just wait until spring? Or does that even make any difference. For me, i dont bother trying to dig a hole late in summer.
 
   / Digging Post holes #13  
Spring is super easy to drill holes. Same with pounding T-Posts and taking out trees. But it needs to get done as soon as possible, and dealing with hard soil just means a few extra days of filling the holes with water as I work my way down.
 

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