Question about Digging Post Holes

[flakrat]

Howdy,

I live north of Birmingham, AL where the soil is a nice mix of red clay and sand stone rock.

I'm about to put up a horse fence that's going to require around 175 fence posts.

I've heard the best way to put the fence posts in is to use a post driver / pounder. I'm not sure if that'll work in my soil, so I may have to go the auger route.

I've had someone tell me that digging the holes with a 3 point hitch mounted auger would be a pain in the butt because it's difficult to get the auger to stay straight up and down as it digs the hole.

He says that I'd spend a lot of time lining it up for each hole.

His suggestion was to get one of those hand held two man augers.

I bought my tractor to do the hard work for me, and digging close to 200 2 foot holes using a hand held auger sounds like a lot of work.

So, what are y'alls opinions on 3 point hitch mointed augers? Are they fairly easy to line up and use, or are they more trouble than they are worth?

Tractor: Kubota L2800 HST 29hp

 

[hudr]

If I have several holes to dig (more than 1) I hook up the 3pt auger. Its a pretty simple matter to keep it straight once the hole is started. You may have to inch forward or back at first to keep the hole straight. Once the hole is started I can let off the brake and the auger seems to find its own plumb line. Of course, I use a 9 inch auger then put no bigger than 4 inch pipe in it for fence corners, so I have a little play. If you are going for an "interference type fit" you may have closer tolerances on hole straightness (is that a word?).
Anyway, I never liked the idea of luggin around that two man auger/motor or grabbing hold of it to start a hole. Seems to me SOMETHING is going to spin, either the auger or the motor (then ME). I think my 2.5 ton tractor has a better chance of holding on if the auger hits something. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Disclaimer: I am on sandy loam, so all this advice may be completely wrong for your situation /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Jimbrown]

My opinon is that the tractor will dig a straighter hole than any two man auger and you better be one big strong guy to use the two man thing. You did not say what kind of post you are putting in. If they are T post the pounder will work best. I have put up about 2 miles of T post fence here in Arizona. The ground is about as hard as anywhere. I pound the T post and dig holes for all of the corner post and cross brace post and cement them in. There are places my auger will not dig but in the places where it will it sure makes it a lot easier.

 

[flakrat]

Oops, sorry.

We are planning to use 4 or 5 inch diameter round pressure treated wooden posts (7 to 8 feet long). We are putting up a vinyl stretch fence like this:

Another question popped into my head, how big should we make the holes for a 4 inch diameter post? For the general posts, we are just planning to tamp dirt down into the holes, and for the corners we'll use concrete.

Gate posts will be 6 inch diameter or so.

 

[QRTRHRS]

You won't know until you try how the pounding will go but it makes a tighter installation especially in conjunction with the Centaur type of fencing. I have worked an hour with a 3pt auger and digging bar setting a post where the pounder could not get to. Just 12 feet away the pounder had no problem. Those posts are blunt too, not pointed. Wet ground will help the pounding.

Although voiding the warrenty, I did not use concrete to reinforce my corner posts. Rather, I put in "H" braces which have held up quite well.

Like suggested before, forego on the two man auger.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I'd use the 3pt PHD with a 9" bit. Its a good all purpose bit and will give you a little bit of play in the hole for adjusting to plumb. Also I'd agree that you can dig a plumb hole by inching the tractor slightly forward or back while the bit goes down.

I've rented a 2 man post hole digger. I did it once. I got kicked by a mule once too. I won't rent a 2 man post hole digger again. I won't make the mistake of walking behind a mule again either.

 

[MMM]

If terrain is hilly a 3pt auger can be difficult to dig plumb, straight holes unless tractor is positioned correctly. Such instances as a fence paralelling a slope you will have to position tractor perpendicular instead, which means you can't just drive down the line, drilling. I like a hydraulic auger because they normally dig straight no matter the incline by hanging off 4way swivel mount. You won't have a clutch or shear pin to deal with and they're reversible if you get in a bind. They are a little more spendy than even a quality 3pt pto model though.

 

[ToadHill]

If you use a 9" auger for a 4" post you should have plenty of room to keep the post plumb when you set it and backfill. I use that size auger and black locust post's that are about 4 or 5 inches. Our soil is 14" then clay with a lot of rocks, the 9" auger cuts through it just fine.

 

[rambler]

Your 'someone' is full of it, & pulling your leg.

The easiest way to go is the pounder, but no way to say it will or won't work without just trying it.

The pto mounted is the next best way to go, assuming you can drive to most of the post locations.

I would rather dig the holes with a hand powered auger than those 1-2 man gas monsters. Yish.

I would agree the 9 inch is a good general auger size for your needs.

In my soil & climate, a wood post set in concrete is a real mess, it rots out quickly & you have the chunk of worthless concrete to deal with. Your conditions may vary?

--->Paul

 

[CurlyDave]

If you absolutely insist on using something other than your tractor, use one of these:

One man hydraulic PHD

Standard one-man or two-man augers have led to a lot of back injuries when they catch on a root or a rock.

Your tractor is really your best bet.