I want to put some fence posts in the ground for my compost bin (no need to concrete them in) and wondered whether a post hole digger would be better and speedier than a spade? I've never used one, I usually dig holes out with the spade.

I saw one in Wickes the other day. Would anyone recommend one from there?

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If at first you don't succeed, ask UHM in your hour of need!

They're brilliant if you have arms like Geoff Capes and no rocks in the ground

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I use similar spade to this for digging post holes
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/31765/Han ... rain-Spade

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www.craigthehandyman.com Wilmslow / Alderley Edge

Agree on the bit after the "if..."

I used one to do my posts and I DON'T have arms like Geoff Capes and I DID have rocks in the ground.

And what I GOT after doing about 80 foot of fencing is Tendonitus in my left arm due to using one which still flares up 6 years on

Avoid!

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I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?"
She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.

Assuming that you are talking about one of these and not an auger.

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/18393/Hand-Tools/Builders-Tools/Digging-Tools/Post-Hole-Borer

If so I somewhat agree with the above and also they can be a pain to use with sticky clay soil. But if you use them in association with one of these it does make life easier as you can use the bar to break up the soil and the digger to lift the loosened soil from the hole.

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/62496/Landscaping/Landscaping-Hand-Tools/Shovels/Roughneck-Post-Hole-Digger-17lb Wickes also sell them (cheaper too).

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Cheers,
Darren

Property Refurbishment & Maintenance Dorset

Thanks guys for the advice.

As the area where the posts will go is near to a leylandii hedge and we have heavy clay soil, I guess that I will be digging the holes by hand. It's raining now, so it'll be a job for later in the week.

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If at first you don't succeed, ask UHM in your hour of need!

Spade...one with a decent handle

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Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety one?

But why a hole if you don't need to concrete them?

Just use one of these (Rammer)



Or put some post spikes in

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Jaeger.
Senior Member doesn't mean I'm OLD!

darrenc wrote:

I dont think its a stupid question but does show a lack of understanding of how paint works and reasons for certain applications, now dont jump down my throat Jaegar i'm not being funny its just a classic case in point of a well educated professionally trained painter against a general tradesman.

I want to put the posts in deep because the ground is fairly thick clay, I reckoned that it'd be more secure if I dug the holes by hand rather than rammed the posts in, that way I could also ram some hardcore around the posts. I don't want to make it a permanent fixture because we could decide to re-position it in years to come.

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If at first you don't succeed, ask UHM in your hour of need!

use the spikes. best bet for your situation my friend

I still don't see how a post in a hole with hardcore bashed in around it is going to be as sound as a post with a spike piled to stationary is going to be?

You have the options and onions, YOU DECIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We need pics of all the work too!

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Jaeger.
Senior Member doesn't mean I'm OLD!

darrenc wrote:

I dont think its a stupid question but does show a lack of understanding of how paint works and reasons for certain applications, now dont jump down my throat Jaegar i'm not being funny its just a classic case in point of a well educated professionally trained painter against a general tradesman.

It's only for a compost bin, somewhere to store the odd bit of vegetation and used bunny and guinea pig bedding because the tip won't accept it!! I want to get rid of the plastic compost bins, they're round and rubbish.

It'll have to wait as I've got a frozen shoulder. I'd rather spend money on something else to be honest. I bought my posts already, like 4 giant sharpened pencils.

How does the tip know its pet waste? And what on earth does the council expect all the millions of households with rodents as pets do with the waste?

We just double bag the guinepig rubbish in plastic bags and put it out with the houshold rubbish, or take it to the tip and dump in household container. (Our tip has bins for different materials, but they don't check whats in the bags.)

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Don't buy a dwarf with learning difficulties,
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dam, sorry Louise i never noticed this post...erm....

if you still havn't done it yet and want to use ALL of those tools listed above, i have every one of them. you are more than welcome to borrow them but in all honesty, i don't think you would be able to lift and continuously hammer down the rod.

i have used one of those auger bits at screwfix for £60 odd. i actually bent the handles and took it back.

if you have got heavy clay though, i would have gone with Jaeg's idea and used the existing ground and spiked it.

I've put in more fence posts that I care to remember and have the tenosinovitis to prove it.

All you need is a long bar, use the pointed end to start your hole, ramming the bar down as far as you can, wiggling it a circle to make a hole near the diameter of your fence post and keep doing this until you've made a good deep "pilot" hole, this ensures the post goes where you want it, then bash your fence post in with either a decent post hammer or a rammer. Job's done!