Hi
I need to install 7 fence posts, I want to do them AS FAST AS POSSIBLE!

They are 9 foot posts

As I understand it I should aim to do a narrow hole as possible. But I have
also read I should stick some hardcore down there to help hold it in place -
doesn't this mean I should dig the holes a bit wider than the post itself?
or they just mean smaller rubble?

Anyhow, which tool will do it for me the quickest?

http://www.hss.com/g/62720/Post-Hole-Borer-Manual.html

Looks a bit small.....?

http://www.hss.com/g/50631/Shovel-Holer.html

Any good?

I also saw a digging shovel available elsewhe

http://www.triadsupply.com/products/...392_shovel.jpg

Thanks!

On Jun 4, 10:16*pm, "mo" wrote:
Hi
I need to install 7 fence posts, I want to do them AS FAST AS POSSIBLE!

They are 9 foot posts

As I understand it I should aim to do a narrow hole as possible. But I have
also read I should stick some hardcore down there to help hold it in place -
doesn't this mean I should dig the holes a bit wider than the post itself?
or they just mean smaller rubble?

Anyhow, which tool will do it for me the quickest?

http://www.hss.com/g/62720/Post-Hole-Borer-Manual.html

Looks a bit small.....?

http://www.hss.com/g/50631/Shovel-Holer.html

Any good?

I also saw a digging shovel available elsewhe

http://www.triadsupply.com/products/...392_shovel.jpg

Thanks!

Frankly none of the above. Go to your nearest tool hire company and
tell them what you want to do. They will have a post hole borer you
can hire that will do the job with the least effort and greatest
efficiency. Yes you must make the hole bigger than the post so that
you can put some concrete in it to hold the post securely particularly
if they are nine foot posts!

"mo" wrote in message
...
Hi
I need to install 7 fence posts, I want to do them AS FAST AS POSSIBLE!

They are 9 foot posts

As I understand it I should aim to do a narrow hole as possible. But I
have also read I should stick some hardcore down there to help hold it in
place - doesn't this mean I should dig the holes a bit wider than the post
itself? or they just mean smaller rubble?

Anyhow, which tool will do it for me the quickest?

http://www.hss.com/g/62720/Post-Hole-Borer-Manual.html

Looks a bit small.....?

http://www.hss.com/g/50631/Shovel-Holer.html

Any good?

I also saw a digging shovel available elsewhe

http://www.triadsupply.com/products/...392_shovel.jpg

Thanks!

Post Hole Borer Manual in the first link,i used one to put in 10 fence
posts, a doddle. Bore the hole bit of rubble & then I used post mix (B&Q,
Wickes) per post.

"mo" wrote in message
...
Hi
I need to install 7 fence posts, I want to do them AS FAST AS POSSIBLE!


Regardless of how you dig the holes if you want a quick job fill them in
with quick setting postcrete or similar. It comes ready mixed in bags from
your favourite builders merchant. Mixing normal concrete is cheaper, but
takes a lot more time to set.
In my experience a small hole is only best in solid ground. In soft sandy
soils a bigger hole and more postcrete/concrete is more stable.

Mike

In my experience a small hole is only best in solid ground. In soft sandy
soils a bigger hole and more postcrete/concrete is more stable.

Mike


When I had my fence posts and fence panels delivered, the chap who delivered
then was an expert, it was his own business and had years of experience.
"You have very soft soil here, you need to make a big hole and concrete them
in" which I did.

The trouble was that they have nearly all rotted off by now at ground level.
The fence was put up about 20 years + ago and they started rotting at out 10
years ago

Mike

"'Mike'" wrote in message
...
In my experience a small hole is only best in solid ground. In soft sandy
soils a bigger hole and more postcrete/concrete is more stable.

Mike


When I had my fence posts and fence panels delivered, the chap who
delivered then was an expert, it was his own business and had years of
experience. "You have very soft soil here, you need to make a big hole and
concrete them in" which I did.

The trouble was that they have nearly all rotted off by now at ground
level. The fence was put up about 20 years + ago and they started rotting
at out 10 years ago


Softwood posts?
I used oak at the last house, we lived there 20 years and when we left there
was no sign of any posts rotting. I even built a chicken run using cheap
reject (warped, bark edged, etc) oak posts at the same time. These were
never treated with anything and still stand straight (well as straight as
the warped ones could stand) with no sign of rotting off today. My old fence
has been replaced with some thing prettier, must ask what the posts were
like when they were taken out next time I visit.

Mike
(The muddy one)

--
..
"Muddymike" wrote in message
om...

"'Mike'" wrote in message
...
In my experience a small hole is only best in solid ground. In soft
sandy soils a bigger hole and more postcrete/concrete is more stable.

Mike


When I had my fence posts and fence panels delivered, the chap who
delivered then was an expert, it was his own business and had years of
experience. "You have very soft soil here, you need to make a big hole
and concrete them in" which I did.

The trouble was that they have nearly all rotted off by now at ground
level. The fence was put up about 20 years + ago and they started rotting
at out 10 years ago


Softwood posts?
I used oak at the last house, we lived there 20 years and when we left
there was no sign of any posts rotting. I even built a chicken run using
cheap reject (warped, bark edged, etc) oak posts at the same time. These
were never treated with anything and still stand straight (well as
straight as the warped ones could stand) with no sign of rotting off
today. My old fence has been replaced with some thing prettier, must ask
what the posts were like when they were taken out next time I visit.

Mike
(The muddy one)


:-((

Soft wood

:-((

Mike

In article ,
says...
Hi
I need to install 7 fence posts, I want to do them AS FAST AS POSSIBLE!

They are 9 foot posts

As I understand it I should aim to do a narrow hole as possible. But I have
also read I should stick some hardcore down there to help hold it in place -
doesn't this mean I should dig the holes a bit wider than the post itself?
or they just mean smaller rubble?



If you fill the hole with rubble or bricks etc, all you are doing is
making a nice sump for water to sit in thereby rotting the post. Fill
the hole with concrete.

"prb" wrote in message
om...


If you fill the hole with rubble or bricks etc, all you are doing is
making a nice sump for water to sit in thereby rotting the post. Fill
the hole with concrete.

how much conrete should i put in exactly?

if you say 2 foot of the post is going in - how much extra space should i
dig around (under?) the post so i can stick the concrete in, guy suggested 1
bag of mix per post - but i don't have the bags yet and i have no idea how
much concrete there will be when its mixed!

On Fri, 5 Jun 2009 08:47:56 +0100, prb wrote:

If you fill the hole with rubble or bricks etc, all you are doing is
making a nice sump for water to sit in thereby rotting the post. Fill
the hole with concrete.

Eh? Rubble with nice big gaps between it forms a sump and hole full of
concrete, with no gaps, doesn't?

Not that it makes much difference, as another poster has said the posts
will rot just above ground level. This is because the rot likes a
particular range of damp in which to live, to wet (in the ground) or to
dry (in the air) it doesn't live and the timber doesn't rot.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Thu, 4 Jun 2009 14:40:40 -0700 (PDT), moghouse wrote:

Frankly none of the above. Go to your nearest tool hire company and
tell them what you want to do. They will have a post hole borer you
can hire that will do the job with the least effort and greatest
efficiency.

I'm not sure I'd like to try holding a powered borer on my own. I think
they are really a two person device. A lot will depend on the local soil
conditions, few stones or rocks and just "earth" might not be to bad.
Heavy clay or scattered rocks could be interesting when the bit jambs and
the engine rotates, or tries to.

Yes you must make the hole bigger than the post so that you can put some
concrete in it to hold the post securely particularly if they are nine
foot posts!

Don't see 'em putting concrete around telephone or power poles... Snug
hole with rammed soil/rubble around will hold a post, provided it's put in
deep enough. A 9' total post needs a minimum of 2' better with 3' in the
ground to be stable. If the ground is very light and soft you may need
more depth.

"Postcrete" or similar poured in dry around the post in a snug hole and
settled in by waggling the post and a some tamping is less effort than
ramming earth. The damp in the soil will set the 'crete and the post will
be held before it's set anyway.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Fri, 5 Jun 2009 18:29:32 +0100, mo wrote:

guy suggested 1 bag of mix per post - but i don't have the bags yet and
i have no idea how much concrete there will be when its mixed!

The same as a bag, the "guy" is suggesting the use of a "ready mix" like
Postcrete not mixing up cemet, sand and agrregate...

As I have just said dig a snuggish hole, not much more than 1" all round
clearance, pop in the post and back fill with the dry mix waggling the
post and tamping down the mix as you go. Having a bit of initial "give" in
the post fixing may well be useful to take up "manufacturing tolerances"
in the panels.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Jun 4, 11:16*pm, "mo" wrote:
Hi
I need to install 7 fence posts, I want to do them AS FAST AS POSSIBLE!

They are 9 foot posts

As I understand it I should aim to do a narrow hole as possible. But I have
also read I should stick some hardcore down there to help hold it in place -
doesn't this mean I should dig the holes a bit wider than the post itself?
or they just mean smaller rubble?

You don't say why they are 9' posts. I mean, presumably you want them
to end up been X' above ground. As has been suggested, your posts will
need to be 2' deep... at the very least. (90cm pref) so I hope that
fits in with your end height plans.


Anyhow, which tool will do it for me the quickest?

http://www.hss.com/g/62720/Post-Hole-Borer-Manual.html

I'm familiar with this one; Not so hard to use; more user friendly
when it comes to that kick they give when suddenly jammed on
something, eg a root. It'll soften the ground to make it easy to dig
out. Alas, depth is only around 75 cm if memory serves. If your using
round pointy posts and the ground is soft, you could try using that
bore, plonk the stake in and try to hammer down to the right depth,
but easier said than done.




Looks a bit small.....?

http://www.hss.com/g/50631/Shovel-Holer.html

I never used one, so I'm wondering if they"re really only good for
emptying out the already softened earth?


Any good?

I also saw a digging shovel available elsewhe

http://www.triadsupply.com/products/...392_shovel.jpg

I just call that a shovel. that said, I like mine to look like they
wont snap within the first half hour (-;
perhaps a long handled spade would be more appropriate;

If you go for the digging out the hole option, do so, so that you end
up with a hole that is wider at the bottom; Think of an elephant's
foot. This gives the post a foot.

As for the rubble, that's really for something else. Use bits of
rubble to stabilize the post... if there's no one else around to hold
it for you whilst you go off checking on other measurements.


Thanks!

these are concrete posts by the way. they are 9 foot as i have 6 foot posts
and a gravel board - so i might end up putting just over 2 foot underground

the electric post borer is looking more attractive if it will save me a LOT
more time.

i am guessing tho it will just me me a nice snug hole straight down - will
the hole be wide enough or will i need to put a couple of heales near each
other to make it wide enough?

On Jun 6, 4:17*pm, "mo" wrote:
these are concrete posts by the way. they are 9 foot as i have 6 foot posts
and a gravel board - so i might end up putting just over 2 foot underground

the electric post borer is looking more attractive if it will save me a LOT
more time.

The one up there is not electrical. It's 2stroke engine.
And as stated, suitable for soft ground.


i am guessing tho it will just me me a nice snug hole straight down -

Not to fast straight down I hope; When they shoot down like that they
can be a devil of a job to get back out again.

will
the hole be wide enough

No, not a chance.

or will i need to put a couple of heales near each

I'm unfamiliar with "heales"

other to make it wide enough?