What do you use to dig clay?

To make digging the pilot holes easier, use a tile shovel. It will slice through grass and clay more easily than other shovel types. Place the soil you dig up on a tarp so it will be easy to backfill the hole with and carry off the excess.

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 easiest way to dig a hole for a post?

How deep can you dig with post hole diggers? 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.

What is a post hole digger called? A post hole clam-shell digger, also called post hole pincer or simply post hole digger, is a tool consisting of two articulated shovel-like blades, forming an incomplete hollow cylinder about a foot long and a few inches wide, with two long handles that can put the blades in an “open” (parallel) position or a “closed” …

How deep should a 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).

What do you use to dig clay? – Related Questions

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.

Do manual post hole diggers work?

For long swathes of new fencing, manual post hole diggers are a lot of work, but they are much more efficient than digging holes out with a spade and also give you neater edges so if you decide to use cement to set your fence posts, you’ll have a better set a the base as a result with less soil dilution on the edges.

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

The diameter of your post hole should be three times the diameter of your post. So, if you’re planning on using a four-inch round or 4×4-inch square post, your post hole will need to be 12 inches in diameter.

Is it easier to dig wet or dry soil?

Soil that’s turned over when wet will form clods that will be very difficult to break apart later, Trinklein said. This is because wet soil is more easily compacted than dry soil. He recommends the “baseball test” before you start digging.

Can a post hole digger go 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.

What is the fastest way to dig a hole in a shovel?

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.

What size auger do I need for fence posts?

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.

Can you dig a post hole with a shovel?

With the turf removed, a long-handled shovel does a good job of removing the dirt. Dig with the blade plumb and the handle pushed forward to keep the walls of the hole straight up and down.

How deep is a 8 foot post hole?

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. For gateposts, you’ll need concrete too.

Can you set a post with dry concrete?

Fast-setting concrete is ideal for setting posts because there’s no mixing—you simply pour the dry concrete from the bag right into the hole, then add water.

Why do fence posts rot at ground level?

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

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.

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.

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.

Are petrol post hole diggers any good?

Are petrol augers actually any good? YES, I’ve used one to drill out for over 100 posts once in a day. Try doing that by hand! Not only that, it’s such a uniform sized hole you create that you can accurately calculate how much concrete you’ll need for posts over a long run of holes so a real advantage all round.

How do you dig a post hole in the winter?

How do you use a hand held post hole digger?

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 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 do you protect wooden posts in the ground?

Placing a thick layer of loose gravel at the bottom of the post hole will allow groundwater to trickle through the rocks and down away from the base of the post. This will prevent the post from rotting by keeping it constantly dry. You can purchase gravel at a local hardware store or landscaping-supply business.

How do you soften soil before digging?

How do you soften the ground to dig holes?

If you’re planning to put in a much longer fence line, soften the soil by digging pilot holes 6 to 10 inches deep then fill each with water from a garden hose. Allow the water to percolate down through the soil before attempting to dig out the hole using a post hole digging shovel, also called a clamshell shovel.

How do you dig in hard ground?

What do you need to dig a hole in the ground?

How do you make holes in fence posts?

What is an auger used for?

Simply put, an auger is a spiral-shaped tool that is used to drill holes into the ground and other surfaces or materials. The spiraling metal shaft with a blade at the end of the device is known as a “flighting”. The flighting rotates to scrape, cut, or siphon out drilled materials.