Question about Digging Post Holes

automech · Jan 28, 2006

I have rented a post hole digger that had the engine separate from the auger. The engine was on a wheeled frame like a generator, and had a flex shaft of some kind leading to an auger bit with a 2 man handle set up. There was an anti torsion bar set up between the motor and auger so the auger handes wouldn't kick. It worked pretty good and was safer than the type with the motor mounted on the auger type. I would prefer owning and using a 3 pt type though.

MikePA · Jan 28, 2006

I've dug post holes with a shovel, a clam shell digger, a 3ph post hole digger and a post driver. The best one, by far, is the post driver. Turns a 2 step process into a one step process.

BGL990 · Jan 29, 2006

I agree. I'm actually surprised that so many people seem to use augers rather than post pounders. Around here if you were putting in a regular field fence with an auger people would look at you funny and ask how many weeks you plan to work on it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

It takes 30 seconds to put in a post in soft-ish soil, a few minutes in hard clay with a pounder. Also, short of actually cementing it in, the post will be as tight in the ground as it can possibly be. Having said that, I have found it is not always easy to keep the post absolutely laser straight and vertical with a pounder, especially if the post hits a rock underground. If you are looking for perfect alignment, the auger/cement route gives you a bit of leeway to adjust each post. If the odd post being a couple inches off center or leaning a couple of degrees won't cause you to lose sleep, go with the pounder and get it done in 1/10th the time.

/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

ps. the posts do need to be pointed to use the pounder (unless perhaps if your soil is extremely soft)

cisco · Jan 29, 2006

Pounder works fine in soft or particularly wet soil, and even then it helps to have a somewhat pointed tip. If you've hard soil and/or rocks, a pounder can be frustrating (split posts, crooked posts, etc). An auger works on any kind of dirt, wet or dry, but larger rocks are an issue. For a 4X4 that you're not planning to put cement around, a 6" auger is fine. For cemented in corner posts, use a 9" auger. You can always get a 4X4 straight in an augered hole, as there's so much "play" around the sides of the hole to work with. As to lining up the auger - it's mounted to your tractor and swings downward in a bit of an arc, not much but enough to put the hole slightly off center. Just drop the auger tip where you want it, and drive your tractor backward an inch or 2 (depending on the arc of travel of the auger head). Should work fine.
As to a 2 man hand held auger - HOW many posts was that you needed to seat, and how strong is your back?

MikePA · Jan 30, 2006

<font color="blue">ps. the posts do need to be pointed to use the pounder (unless perhaps if your soil is extremely soft) </font>
I had a different experience. My soil is not 'extremely soft' and I did not have to put a point on any of my posts. 180, 4" x 4" x 8' posts went right in.

BTW, people use augers instead of post drivers for 2 reasons. Augers are a lot less expensive (less than half the cost of a driver) and can be used for other purposes.

Mosby · Jan 30, 2006

We are finishing up our last stretch of close to 500 hundred sections of board fence. We have drilled all of them this time. I had a driver on our last place which a lot more rockier than this one. It worked great when the ground conditions were right, and was somewhat frustrating when it wasn't. It was a front mount and I had to have someone on the ground to help.
I'll offer this on the auger. To remove the play or slop from left to right, be sure to tighten the lift arm turnbuckles after you hook up. It makes a world of difference. For those that have issues keeping the hole straight, that is it quite often. You can then adjust side to side by using the adjustable lift arm.
I lay off mine with dots of paint. On the hills, I always head down. If the auger is swinging, I touch it to the ground to stop it and then line it up on the paint. Once it starts, (if on a hill) I let the tractor roll forward just a little bit and have no problems with them being straight.
I always try to be sure that I have enough room around the post to allow the head of the tamping bar to fit all the way around. When I have had or seen problems is when the post is set to one side and the tamping bar doesn't fit all the way around. That is why the layoff can be so critical.
I actually have a college kid tamping all of them for me. I drill the holes around his class schedule and weather and he takes over from there. I HATE tamping posts.

BGL990 · Jan 30, 2006

I stand corrected. I should have stated that I haven't actually tried driving non-sharpened posts, but I wouldn't have imagined it working too well. Other than a couple wet swampy spots, the "soil" around here is rocky blue clay that is just slightly softer than concrete. No points = shattered post in this stuff. I suppose my definition of "extremely soft" might be someone elses definition of "normal" /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Re. the pounder being more expensive than an auger - yup they sure are. Unreasonably expensive to buy IMHO, but if you don't have one they should be pretty easy to find for rent. We got lucky and found an old Farmall M with front mounted pounder for $800. Its conversion to 3pt mount for use with my 990 will be the subject of a future DIY posting on this board someday ...

slowrev · Jan 30, 2006

Unless you hit solid rock a pounder is the ONLY way to go. Here we have clay and slate rock and a pounder just pokes them on down. Much faster and easier. My friend and I could set those 175 posts in one day with a pounder, depending on terrain of course.

Ben

RobertN · Feb 1, 2006

I found my 3pt auger does not work well in my clay/rocky soil, mostly because of no down pressure. 3pt PHD's with down pressure are available though... I tend to use a combination of Auger and 40lb Makita electric jackhammer...

If you do have to rent an auger, go rent a skidsteer or tracked loader with an auger. That's the way to go... Or, pay someone to do it. Around here they get about $5/hole...