Using post hole digger on existing fence

Silly question · Jul 14, 2016

Hi everyone, this is the first of my silly questions on TBN after joining up this morning. I've been reading for a few months though and many of you have already helped me enormously!

I have just bought a PTO driven PHD and will need to use it to replace fence posts on existing barbed wire fences. I have read many many safety related articles on using PHD, and watched all the youtube clips I can find, but have not yet found anyone talking about replacing fence posts, just digging holes in clear ground for new fences. What safety tricks can I use to avoid getting the auger tangled in the wire. Do I need to take the wire off first? I was wondering whether I could make some sort of guard that could be placed between the wire and the auger, then braces to the tractor to push the wires back from the auger to create some clear space between guard and auger. Not sure where it would brace to yet.
Please let me know if this is highly unrecommended!

Any tips would be really helpful.

coralhead · Jul 14, 2016

Do not try to post hole dig in an existing hole if you pull out the old post. It will firmly screw itself into the ground. I would use a 2 x 4 near to where you are digging to hold the wire away from the area after un-stapling the wire.

Silly question · Jul 14, 2016

Thanks for the quick reply Coralhead. Good tip on not using the existing hole, lots of people warn about avoiding screw in!
Do you mean to use the existing post to brace the 4x2 against to give it the clearance? e.g., place the 4x2 between the existing post and the wire to push wire out 4inches?

bcp · Jul 14, 2016

You aren't using steel posts that can be driven without a hole? Every post is wood? Or only corner and brace posts wood?

If this was just an occasional post I would drive a T-post (star picket) about 2 ft away and pull the wire to it while hole digging.

If not a property line fence, and replacing most of the posts, make a new row of holes parallel 3 feet away and move the wire to the new row of posts.

If the fence has to stay where it is, and it is lots of posts and you can drive on both sides, I'd have another vehicle with a bracket to pull the wire aside for each new hole.

One side only access and lots of holes, I would try to think of something on the tractor to push the wire away.

Tell us more.

Bruce

Wagtail · Jul 14, 2016

bcp said:
If this was just an occasional post I would drive a T-post (star picket)...

Bruce

Good on'ya Bruce for remembering that, here in Australia, the standard metal post is a 'star picket'. :thumbsup:

Silly question · Jul 14, 2016

Thanks BCP, lots of ideas and options there!

We have 30+ year old fencing using wood posts all the way along, with droppers (star pickets) in between posts on some fences. Many of the posts are rotting through and have been replaced by hand over the past few years, but more and more to do as time goes by. The droppers are still okay as long as I don't try to pull them out.

It is a combination of a few of the situations you covered. We have boundary fences, as well as internal that need posts replaced. Some we have access to both sides, others have either neighbours property or thick bush on the outside. I'd like to keep the fences where they are and only replace the posts as needed rather than repositioning the fence (on internal runs).

I like your idea of placing a star picket away from the hole and using that to hold wire back, and a bracket to another vehicle where possible.

Thanks for all your ideas and suggestions, greatly appreciated!

Silly question · Jul 14, 2016

Okay, I have a bonus question on this topic. If I have to access a fence from the wire side, rather than post side, Would I do the same as BCP suggested - using a star picket to hold wires back while digging. I am suggesting using the star picket to pull the wires back past where the hole will be, away from the tractor. I ask because this will obviously be more dangerous if the star picket fails, than if I have access to the post side of fence using this method.

Not sure if the makes sense at all.

dougtrr2 · Jul 16, 2016

How many posts are we talking about? If it is just a few then the methods talked out would be fine. If there are quite a few it might be well worth the time to fabricate an integrated "guard/wire pusher".

Doug in SW IA

Silly question · Jul 18, 2016

dougtrr2 said:
How many posts are we talking about? If it is just a few then the methods talked out would be fine. If there are quite a few it might be well worth the time to fabricate an integrated "guard/wire pusher".

Doug in SW IA

Hi Doug, thanks for your message. We are talking about replacing around 40 posts initially, but then there will be more and more to do as the existing fences age, so I'm thinking to put in some time to rig up something that can push the wires out as I back up to the fence. I'm not 100% sure on the design yet, but I'm thinking it will be some sort of frame that protrudes out past the auger from the tractor, possibly braced to the ROPS, not sure yet, I'll have a better look at how it would work over the next week or two when I have time.