How do you dig holes for a fence post?

How to Dig a Hole: Pro Tips

1. Step 1: String your line and pound the stakes. …
2. Step 2: Carve out a soil divot with a spade. …
3. Step 3: Loosen earth with a tile shovel. …
4. Step 4: Use your clamshell digger. …
5. Step 5: Use a reciprocating saw on large roots. …
6. Step 6: Dislodge rocks with a digging bar. …
7. Step 7: Tamp the soil with the other end.

More items…

Can you use an auger to drill post holes? A one-man auger with a 6-inch auger bit can be used to dig holes for steel fence posts. A one- or two-man auger with a 10-inch bit can be used to dig holes for a 4 x 4 wooden fence post or larger plants.

What is the best tool for digging post holes? You can use a post hole digger or power auger to dig the hole. A post hole digger is a manual tool and will get the job done in average soil. If you have hard, rocky soil or a lot of roots – you may want to opt for a power auger.

What is the best size auger for a 4×4 post?

Post Holes- If you plan to secure your posts with cement or by tamping dirt, you will need spacing around the post to do so. For example: A 4×4 post (actual size 3.5″x3. 5″) has a maximum width of just over 5″ (diagonally). Therefore, the 4×4 post will likely fit into a hole drilled by a 6″ diameter auger.

What size auger do I need for fence posts? A 12-inch auger, best attached to a heavy machine, will create a hole large enough for a 6×6 or 4×6 post and plenty of concrete. Smaller augers, like 4- or 6-inch options, are appropriate for light-duty work (like mailboxes) as well as metal fence posts for chain-link fences.

How long does it take to dig a post hole with an auger? Augers are available for rent at tool rental centers at a cost of around $60 a day. Power augers can dig as many holes in an hour as a post hole digger can dig in eight hours, with hole sizes ranging from 6” diameter holes and up.

How do you dig holes for a fence post? – Related Questions

Can you use a Jiffy ice auger to drill post holes?

I’ve used my old Jiffy many times for digging post holes. If you hit a big tree root or rock it gets a little hairy but for the most part works great! I just use an old ice blade and haven’t had any trouble. I had the same thought so last week I bought the earth auger at menards, brought it home, hooked up to my Jiffy.

Are auger post hole diggers any good?

If you want to do some serious post hole digging and buy the best tool at a great price, the GardenTrax 43CC Earth Auger is the one for you. Not only is it large and powerful, but it costs at least 20 percent less than most similarly powerful units.

How deep should a fence post hole be?

Dig post hole so diameter of the hole is 3 times the width of the post (i.e., the hole for a 4” wood post should be about 12 inches wide). The depth of the hole should be 1/3-1/2 the post height above ground (i.e., a 6-foot tall fence would require a hole depth of at least 2 feet).

Should I use an auger or post hole digger?

Post hole diggers focus on one task – they dig holes for posts, whereas a hole auger is suited for a wide variety of tasks around the garden. Post hole diggers rely on more work than a hole auger, these heavy hand tools are basically thrown hard into the soil with force then lifted out.

How deep should a 6×6 post be in the ground?

How deep should a post be in the ground:– in general, a post 6×6 or 8×8 that extend 8 feet or more above ground level should be at least 3 feet deep buried in the ground. Posts that extend 6 feet above ground level should have holes at least 2 1/2 feet deep.

How wide should a hole be for a 6×6 post?

A 6×6 post requires a 10″-diameter hole. Shovel a 6″ layer of gravel into the hole to provide drainage.

How big of a hole do I need for a 4×6 post?

For a six-foot-tall post, therefore, you would dig a hole two feet deep. The ideal diameter, meanwhile, should measure three times the width of the post. So, for a standard 4×4, the ideal hole would span twelve inches across.

How deep should a 7 foot fence post be?

How Deep Should a Fence Post Be? For an average fence post, about 6 to 8 feet tall, prepare to dig a post hole about 2 feet deep. To install a fence post, you’ll need a shovel or post digger, a 6-foot level, soil, and gravel or crushed stone.

How deep should a 10 foot fence post be?

The general rule of thumb when setting a post is that the depth of the post’s hole needs to be one-third to one-half of the actual above-ground height of the post. So, a six-foot-high finished post ideally needs to be buried three feet into the ground.

How do I choose an auger?

If you anticipate the need to bury stakes or set small posts, then you may prefer a 4-inch auger or another, larger size. Also keep the length in mind. Shorter augers will require you to be on your hands and knees as you dig, while 28 and 36 inch augers will let you dig holes while from a standing position.

Can you use an auger in wet soil?

Especially if conditions are wet, the grass and vegetation may clog the end of the auger, sticking in place and making it impossible for the blades to get a grip on the soil below. Save yourself some time (and your auger a little trouble) by using a shovel to remove sod before you drill.

Should fence posts be set in concrete?

Concrete provides a strong foundation for wooden fence posts, but can rot them more quickly. Setting them in dirt, with or without gravel or crushed rock depending on your soil type, can help the posts last longer before going rotten. You can also use metal fence post anchors to prolong their life.

How many post holes can you dig in a day?

Augers are very powerful machines with a lot of torque that can throw you like a sack of potatoes if the auger bit encounters a rock or a root. If your soil is loamy or sandy, you too can drill 30 holes in a day’s worth of rental.

Can an auger dig through frozen ground?

The frost ended up being about 2.5 feet deep. With the nearly 3,000 pounds of down pressure we were able to auger post holes in frozen ground much easier than without using it. I hope this demonstration proves that with the proper equipment it is easy to dig through frozen ground.

Can I use an earth auger for ice?

We used a earth auger powerhead and a homemade collar to attach a hand auger drill to it for a few years, it worked. That would be my suggestion if you want to use it for ice, find a used hand auger and make an adapter collar so it fits the shaft coming out of the powerhead of the earth auger. It’s an option!

Can you use a post hole digger for ice fishing?

Most powerheads for post hole diggers are the same as those used for ice. You need to buy an ice auger bit that you can attach to your powerhead, price should be less than $100.

Will a post hole auger cut through roots?

Post hole diggers are not capable of cutting through large roots, and it is time consuming to try and chop the root out by hand. The most effective method of installing a post through a root is to drill through it.

How deep can you dig with a post hole digger?

Post hole diggers have a maximum effective depth of about 3/4 of their handle length, so a five foot pair will dig about 3 1/2 half deep. Very hard earth like clay is extremely difficult to dig with a manual pair of post hole diggers.

How do you dig a post hole in hard ground?

Why do fence posts rot at ground level?

Wood fence posts will rot due to prolonged exposure to moisture in the soil.

How do I keep my post level while concrete dries?

You need to level it in two directions with a 4-foot level. After getting it straight in the first direction, hold one of the braces against the post and drive a single screw to connect the brace to the post. You can then level and brace the post in the other direction and begin filling the hole.

How long should posts be for a 6 foot fence?

Calculate the post lengths If you’re setting wooden or concrete posts in concrete you’ll need 8ft (2.4m) posts for a 6ft (1.828m) fence – i.e. your posts are 2ft (0.6m) longer than the fence height. Use 4in x 4in posts for fences of 5ft and over and 3in x 3in posts for anything under 5ft.

Can an auger go through clay?

Augers are also great for soil that is tough to dig. Heavy clay soils, which tend to clump and stick to shovels, are no problem with an auger.

How many bags of cement do I need for a fence post?

1 – 4 bags of concrete per fence post are typically what’s needed. This depends on the type of soil, fence design, height, post size and bag weight. In general the depth of the post’s hole needs to be 1/3 to 1/2 of the above ground height of the post.

How do you use an electric post hole digger?

Should I use an auger or post hole digger?

Post hole diggers focus on one task – they dig holes for posts, whereas a hole auger is suited for a wide variety of tasks around the garden. Post hole diggers rely on more work than a hole auger, these heavy hand tools are basically thrown hard into the soil with force then lifted out.

Can I use an auger bit in a power drill?

Some auger bits can be used in a power drill, but they should only be applied to specific purposes.

How do you make a fence post auger?