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Bludall
Senior Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2007
Posts: 8556
Location: East Midlands
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 Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 10:21 pm Post subject: Post hole diggers? |
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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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thescruff
Senior Member
Joined: 10 Mar 2008
Posts: 4657
Location: Bath
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 1:09 am Post subject: |
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They're brilliant if you have arms like Geoff Capes and no rocks in the ground
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Scruff |
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handyman
Senior Member
Joined: 16 Jan 2006
Posts: 2671
Location: Alderley Edge, Cheshire
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Hoovie
Devon DIYer
Joined: 27 Jul 2007
Posts: 7773
Location: East Devon
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 6:39 am Post subject: |
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| thescruff wrote: |
| They're brilliant if you have arms like Geoff Capes and no rocks in the ground |
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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darrenba
Member
Joined: 01 Feb 2008
Posts: 98
Location: Dorset
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Bludall
Senior Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2007
Posts: 8556
Location: East Midlands
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 9:40 am Post subject: |
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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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Hitch
Senior Member
Joined: 16 Jan 2006
Posts: 2429
Location: Somerset
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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Spade...one with a decent handle
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Jaeger_S2k
Senior Member
Joined: 19 Nov 2006
Posts: 2786
Location: North West, England, United Kingdom
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 11:47 pm Post subject: |
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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.
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Bludall
Senior Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2007
Posts: 8556
Location: East Midlands
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| Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 8:03 am Post subject: |
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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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fin
Senior Member
Joined: 16 Apr 2008
Posts: 264
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| Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 11:12 pm Post subject: |
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| use the spikes. best bet for your situation my friend |
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Jaeger_S2k
Senior Member
Joined: 19 Nov 2006
Posts: 2786
Location: North West, England, United Kingdom
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| Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Bludall wrote: |
| 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. |
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.
"Does my bum look BIG in this?" Wit's a Ba' Hair in Metric?
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Bludall
Senior Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2007
Posts: 8556
Location: East Midlands
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| Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 11:38 pm Post subject: |
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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. |
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gib_goblin
Senior Member
Joined: 24 May 2007
Posts: 273
Location: Wiltshire
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| Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 11:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Bludall wrote: |
| 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. |
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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Rich-Ando
Approved Electrician
Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Posts: 2481
Location: Derby, Derbyshire
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| Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 11:38 pm Post subject: |
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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. |
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Cellarman
Junior Member
Joined: 06 Oct 2008
Posts: 32
Location: in the heart of the Peak District
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| Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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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! |
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