Need tips on drilling upright post holes

[stuckmotor]

The Crooked post=crooked fence thread made me wonder why I hadn't asked this before. I pull a line, mark where I want the holes, ease into position, lower the auger, get off, check for perpendicular, make adjustments then bore. On more holes than I want to admit, I still have to straighten the angled hole with a clamshell digger. If there's a better way, someone please tell me what it is.

 

[Gunny]

The angle of the PHD changes as it pulls itself down into the hole

 

[LD1]

Drill the hole large enough that even if a little crooked, you can still set the post straight. Just backfill / tamp real good

 

[oosik]

What LD1 says....... I think just about everybody who posts about PHD has that problem on occasion. Helped a friend with his two man, gas driven PHD. What a PITA - he had an awful lot of softball sized rocks - it required a lot of work with the 'ol clam shovel.

T-133 steel posts with my home-made 50# pounder is bad enough.

 

[Oldoak]

What I do is to drive the tractor ever so slightly forward for about every foot or so that the auger drills down to keep the auger perpendicular. It really helps to have a second person observing from the side to direct you.

 

[CobyRupert]

What I do is to drive the tractor ever so slightly forward for about every foot or so that the auger drills down to keep the auger perpendicular.

That's a good ratio to keep in mind: "Slightly forward for every foot."

Our Canadian neighbors may want a metric conversion for that. "A pinch forward for every meter"?

(sorry)

 

[leonz]

Hello CobyRupert,

No need to apologize, hiring a bunch of sasquatches with clamshell diggers and buying pizza and beer for the crew would be easier,
I agree a pinch forward for every meter is correct in the scheme of things but a small tree transplanting auger will make post hole digging even easier as it acts like a plumb bob.

 

[stuckmotor]

I've tried the large hole method and may go back to that if I can't get the hang of creeping forward. Thanks for the ideas and keep 'um comming. I'm hoping someone's found a magic bullet.

 

[bigtiller]

Someone once said it takes 6 centimeters to to make a pinch. Does that sound right?

 

[Redlands Okie]

Hydraulics to tilt it sideways helps quite a bit on uneven terrain.