Pro tip: go old school with a post hole digger for rocky ground

I was always team auger for digging post holes, faster and easier. Then I got a job up near Boulder where the ground was full of rocks and the auger kept binding up and stopping. Switched to a manual clamshell digger out of frustration and was surprised how much control I had to work around the rocks. Took me 3 hours to set 8 posts but I didn't hit a single rock that stopped me dead. Has anyone else had better luck with hand tools in tricky soil?

2 comments

2 Comments

cora_martinez1d ago

Honestly, was the control enough to make up for the extra time it took, or did you find a rhythm that actually sped things up after a while?

rowan_hayes1d ago

Did I find a rhythm that sped things up, or did I just get really good at pretending not to notice the clock? Honestly, the control was decent but it took about twice as long as my usual method. By the third batch I had it down to maybe 30% more time, but that felt like winning a slow-poke contest.