Whats the best sack concrete to use for remote post holes

[Rebeldad1]

Have some posts to put in away from a water supply. What is the best pre mix sack concrete for this?

 

[HillStreet]

I have always used QuikCrete, always worked fine. They have options for strength and set time.

 

[RNeumann]

Whatever the lumber yard has. It doesn’t need anything special. You can buy the bags and dry set them- no water needed. They will set just fine.

 

[EarPlug]

Have you considered using Foam? Rainbow Tech is commercial/industrial grade. Pole Setting Foam - Rainbow Technology

SecureSet is residential grade SecureSet

I would avoid the Sitka brand

 

[Tractor Seabee]

For fence posts, strength is not a factor, mass is. I use the cheapest they have and add a 1/2 sack of pea gravel. Excess water to make it pour into all the irregularities of the hole.. Brace well for at last 24 hours. That is how I do it.

Ron

 

[oosik]

I used whatever the hardware store had - at the time. I only have two posts where I used concrete. And as Tractor Seabee says - lots of it. I set the two big 'ol gooey railroad ties for the outer gate in concrete. That was 38 years ago. Still there and I can still smell the preservative every time I unlock the gate.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Any of the dry mix concrete products will work fine for setting post. In most cases, you only need enough strength to cause a firm set (firmer than well packed soil)of the pea gravel.
There is usually enough moisture in the ground to react with the cement but if your soil is particularly dry, adding a couple quarts of water to the bottom of the hole would be advisable for a quick set.

 

[oldballs]

I've always set my treated (CCA) 8" posts in tamped dirt/gravel. But certain wet areas cause the posts to rot off right at the ground level. Would using the sack concrete extend the life of such posts? Right now I have two gate posts to replace.
Cheers,
Mike

 

[TomIre]

The shape of your hole can make a huge difference. If you can make the bottom wider than the top of the hole, even by an inch or two, it will resist lifting out so much better. Easy to do with a two handle post hole digger even if done mostly with a PHD.

 

[pmsmechanic]

If you want the pole to last I wouldn't use anything that holds the moisture around the pole. What I do is the same as the power companies do. I just pour a coarse gravel (3/4" crush) around the post and enjoy the lifetime of a post that is self tightening. As the post gets moved the gravel settles around the post and tightens it up immediately. Any water that finds it's way around the post is also free to drain away. Hmmm I don't have to wait for the concrete to set either.