Digging Post Holes.

[fairplay]

Hi Everyone,

Not sure which Forum is most appropriate but here goes : One of the jobs I volunteer to do is footpath surveys for my local branch of the Ramblers Ass' and sometimes this also entails having to walk some distance with a spade and way-marker post/s to replace those 'missing' or to erect one where it would be helpful to know you are on the correct route.

Digging post holes can be hard work in clay or stoney soil.

Has anyone any practical experience of using these T shaped devices for hand drilling post holes ? They cost almost a hundred quid now, but I don't want to persuade our local branch to fork out on one if they do not make life easier or are no good on stoney soil.

Another point, do you buy a 'driller' roughly the same size as the (square) post and hammer the post in with a large heavy rubber mallet (we never use ours) or get the larger size (our local ironmonger has 2 sizes) and then ram stones and soil down the sides ?

The downside will then be we have to trundle miles carrying the metal post driller and a heavy mallet on top of what we already carry.
Are they worth the aggro ?

Neil.

[ron1863]

When I worked on a golf course some thirty odd years ago, we used those American style post diggers with two handles, where you ram it into the soil and push the handles together to grab the soil - only useful in soft earth. We also had the screw device you are talking about - like a giant corkscrew. It was excellent in good or soft soil and coped fine with small stones, rubble etc. but not in very stony soil. In good soil we generally just used a "mel" to hammer the post directly into the ground. A "mel" is a very heavy type of hammer designed for hammering in wooden posts. To stop the post splitting use a flat piece of board on top of the post and hit this.

[RogerTheCat]

For putting in posts I use what I can only describe as a large crowbar about 5 foot long, 1 inch diameter with a point at one end and a sort of flat bit on the other. The thing looks a bit like a nail. I am sure it has a name but I have no idea what it is.

To use you lift the bar vertically about 12 inches off the ground and thrust downwards letting go just before impact else you will jar your shoulders. You then repeat the action. A cone shaped hole is the slowly formed in the ground. There will be loose debris which you have to remove. You then put the post in the hole. For fence posts I would then add concrete but for sign posts you might be able to get away with infilling with soil. On the down side it is heavy to carry. On the plus side it was cheap, under £20 and if you use it often enough you will end up with lovely broad shoulders.

[JoulesH]

When not able to use a tractor (makes life so much easier!) then I use the same method as Rogerthecat. - large metal bar to make the hole. To bash the post in properly once the hole is a reasonable size,(again in the absence of a tractor for ordinary round fence posts use either a 2-handled post basher - best done by 2 of you as a team (you know the sort, a metal tube closed at one end fit over top of post and use handles to raise up and down) or for larger or square posts, a beadle - a v large wooden mallet.

No joking, if you are using a post basher then consider wearing crash helmets - a misjudgement in timing or teamwork can leave you with a nasty gash on the head.

[Cotham Marble]

I came across this web page while looking for a post driver reference - seems to cover all the bases: BTCV Handbooks Online

My preference would be crowbar to make the hole, drymix postcrete as fill and two person post driver to set the post. The equipment and postcrete is heavy but will make a firm and durable installation. I don't like the shove-holers and if light equipment is necessary I'd stick with a sharp border spade.

JoullesH comment re:helmet should apply to any circumstance where equipment is 'wielded' - and with the crowbar and post driver both safety boots and gloves should be worn. Failure to take proper precautions may negate insurance cover leaving individuals responsible for any claim - even in circumstances where the responsible person/manager is a volunteer !

CM

[fairplay]

Thanks for the replies people, I'm not really any the wiser, so it looks like we have to stick to a good old spade, the trouble is you never know what the soil is going to be like until you start digging.

A lot of footpaths follow farm tracks so quite a few have hard-core underneath and we cannot place waymarkers too close to a hedge because they need to be clearly seen, and not too close to the path as (turning) farm machinery may clout it ( and farmers tend not to ring up the Councils Rights of Way officer to say 'sorry, just knocked one of your posts down' )

Still, we do our best. Cheers again,

Neil.

[Hobjob]

I've used all three methods - but none long enough to get broad shoulders

The auger is the best - stones permitting !!

BTW, with wooden posts it is said that concrete traps the moisture and
the speed of rotting is increased.

[hammock monkey]

there is a type of shovel thats like a Devon shovel but only 6-7inches at it broadest, its great for digging holes. Let gravity do the work for you as much as you can
As far as the stone and hardcore goes, just take it easy and try to ease them out gently (relatively!) instead of trying to go through, its faster and easier.

Going steady and not getting fed up with it makes all the difference i always found....having said that I pulled a 3ft ball of concrete out the garden (it was buried 3ft down on the end of a concrete post) with a scaffold pole and a trowel after getting in a big girlie huff with my wife one sunday!! sometimes brute force and not too much ignorance is just the job!