Installing a "No Dig" Mailbox ~ Rick's Tips DIY
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- Опубліковано 20 лют 2015
- Our mailbox is a little worse for the wear and we have had the same one since we moved into this house nearly nine years ago. So it is time for an upgrade!
We were fortunate enough to score a new mailbox as well as a mailbox post that claims to be a "no dig" version on the clearance rack at Tractor's Supply! Oh how we love the clearance rack!
The total cost for this entire set up was just under $40 complete. I didn't have any knowledge or experience with the "no dig" posts and to tell you the truth, I was skeptical.
As you can see the mailbox installed beautifully and with only two tools. The only thing I did differently from the instructions was to eliminate what I considered the superfluous base board and simply used some longer deck screws from my shop to secure the mailbox to the cross member.
In all this mailbox will do well. It looks good and is sturdy. Not too bad for a clearance item. So I do recommend the no dig post for those of you who may have more substantial soil to place it into. If you have a sandy loam, this may not be the best choice for you as the post will eventually need to be seated in concrete in order to stay upright for a long period of time.
I hope that this was helpful and I hope you learned something!
Have a Handy Week!
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thank you...... very much... you are a man that cares.... lol thanks... from Rowe Virginia Republic
Thank you so much Rick for this video.
It REALLY helped me out.
I went to Home Depot and they had it in stock.
I purchased it for $29 bucks plus a rubber mailbox for $10.
It came out very well. I appreciate the visual and your sense of humor too.
I absolutely loved the beginning of the video... lol.
You get two thumbs up 👍 👍
So helpful! I bought this mailbox 6 years ago and it came loose over the winter so I’m here to undo it and re-plant it again sturdy. ❤
Mine did too but I'm wanting to go a different route this time.
It’s 2020.. Thank you so much for your video all these years later. I did my own mailbox post on my own with your video help. Thank you and Be blessed to you all.😘
I’m actually at Home Depot right now and I looked for a video on how to install this before I bought it. Helped a lot thanks👍
I’m in the parking lot of Home Depot watching this rn
Great job, Rick. I enjoyed the video very much. Going down to pick one of these up.
Spiffy new mailbox! I had no idea they made posts like this, will have to look for these. Thanks for the vid.
Someone mowed down my box the other day. Hope I can find one of those at my local hardware. Looks so easy this old broad can even do it!
👍 Can't wait to see more videos. Blessings ~ Yvonna
I too am a man of culture and did this in crocks. Thank you for the vid!
I thought sure I had to replace my old mailbox, last summer...but, the post is sunk deep (my dad did a good job, there) so we pounded one dent on the box (a large one..i get a lot of packages) and applied a good coat of Rustoleum....now, the box looks nice not tatty. I like this idea of a "no dig" box and shared the video with a friend, who will hopefully follow your lead..Thanks, Rick.
Awesome video. I got through step 1... and then realized my existing post was good enough. You saved me some money today.
LOL!
Sapporo Beer is a Japanese beer. I have had it at Japanese steak houses and it is very smooth. Thanks for sharing this. I installed a mailbox similar to this one but didn't do as good of a job as you did. Mine lists a little to the left. hahahha
Yes. Sapporo was first brewed in 1876 in Japan by a German trained Japanese brewer then brought to the U S in 1964 and eventually becoming Sapporo USA in 1984 who still brews the original formula today.
Loved the beginning!! lol
Nice video, very helpful. also kudos for emphasizing safety with gloves and eye protection.
Very helpful sir. Did not see anything about the hole in post reading instructions. Thanks
Great tip.we need one too lol!!!!!
Good tutorial and good beer. If you like Red Stripe or Shiner you may also like Chan Beer. Tried a Thai Restaurant for the first time and felt adventurous.
Thanks for the video, Rick! Also, Sapporo is great with sushi!
I ordered this exact post from Amazon and was looking for an installation video. Your's was the first one I came across, and it's as if it was meant to be. Especially at the end of the video, realizing we have 2 things in common. I like beer and my address is also 1405.
Idk Y but "I think the postman went out of their way to run it over" cracked me up. (0:19) 😆
Hard to tell if he is pounding the 4x4 onto the stake or if the stake is being pounded into the ground.
thanks it helped out
Thanks for the update comment below. I suggest viewers scroll down and read them. Just as I feared the post doesn't stay firm. I'm headed out today to buy a replacement mailbox and post. After seeing this I'll stick with the old way of doing it. Thanks!
Ok thanks I'm definitely throwing that extra piece away cuz it didn't come with pre drilled holes.
I love it. I'm going to try to put one up for my mom. It's a girl thing for my sister and I so it should be fun thanks for the easy tip
How did it go installing it? Seems flimsy
Nice. I was worried the post was angled and the stake was being driven further into ground, & not inside of the post. But wow, how nice is that! 👍
Thanks for the vid. PS Sapporo is one of the most popular Japanese beers.
I wanted to see you try to wiggle it a bit, I want to see how sturdy it is.
probably why digging a post hole and concrete, though the most involved, is ideal
If I was to review this post because I bought it I would give 2 out of 10 stars but your video is great.. very easy to get pushed down and not very strong.. some kids bent it to the ground the 2nd week.. So I don’t see how it will survive a winter and getting snow plowed into it. Also difficult to get straight
That's too bad. If it hadn't been vandalized it would still be standing. Yeah, don't know how it would stand up to the plowed snow though.
Thanks for this, we have replaced many knocked down mailboxes, this will be so much easier! Not sure when you filmed this but it was nice to see grass again, even dead winter grass! We have lots of snow and keep getting more and more here in KY, havent seen our dead grass in a long time! Great job on the mailbox, I must disagree with the 'amateur' part of your intro!!!! Your work looks more professional than a lot of the 'pros'! Thanks again from the Young's in KY!!! Please keep these videos coming!!!
:)
Several years later, how long did this hold up? I'm wondering once you drive the metal rod into the ground, you're pounding the wood post on top of it - how do you know the rod is going into the post rather than simply being driven further into the ground? Doesn't seem like the best method so I'm curious if it worked!
Unfortunately it lasted maybe a little more than a year. : ( But the problem wasn't the ground loosening up, it was the hole in the bottom of the post wallowing out. To fix that, I drove 4 pieces of rebar into the ground on each side of the post and then put 3 hose clamps around the rebar and post. Good and solid now and doesn't look too bad. :) I plan on redoing the whole thing using composite materials. :)
Thanks for uploading. How sturdy was it? Much sway?
Unfortunately this didn't last long. The hole in the bottom of the post where the stake goes in wallowed out and caused excessive wobble.
@@rickstipdiy OK. Thanks for getting back with me. Cheers Rick.
It just feels like it will not stay straight for too long with the little metal bar holding it :) How sturdy has it been over time?
Not very long unfortunately. I explained a little further down in the comments if you want to know. :)
when you put the post on top of the metal rod you will likely just be pounding the rod deeper in the earth with not that much getting inside the post, best to hammer rod fully in the post first. The reality is most peoples earth will be too soft for this to really work and I needed to dig and use concrete but the metal rod is useful for holding position. I dont think the post is weather treated so I put on some Thompsons water seal.
Is there a video on how to remove the old one? Since most mailboxes are laid in with concrete, this seems the more difficult task, especially since pretty much all we grow here in Utah are rocks in our soil.
AccordingToLorna Yes, there is another video on removing the old post, but without cement! If your old post is cemented in then I'm afraid your only choices are to either reuse the old post where it is, cut it off at ground level and let nature finish it off, or dig it out.
great vid! i just purchased a jumbo mailbox, would it be same installation or would i need a larger size cedar post? thanks
ynotrhyme I'd say same size post but I wouldn't recommend a "no dig" setup. Even with the regular sized plastic box it's still a little more wobbly than I'd like it to be.
I wouldn't recommend this type of post for a larger/heavier mailbox.
Depends on how firm your ground is.
did you know the USPS requires certain measurements? (distance from street and height of mailbox)
How secure does the post feel? I’m wondering if this would withstand snow plows and days with soggy soil.
It won't. A year or so later the bottom of the post is wallowed out just from the wind moving the post around on the stake. :(
Rick's Tips Shucks. Cement it is, then! Thanks.
@@rickstipdiy There's a product called SIKA that is an expanding foam that works like cement for fence or gate posts. In that it's 20* here in Michigan, we're going with that. (Our box is listing 120* from the street now)
My problem is, when I had the utilities marked to sink the post, the locators indicated gas and fiber optic lines from the curb to seven feet back of curb.
Hi Rick, I enjoy watching your DIY videos.... Just one question on this...does mail ever get stolen? Here in UK we have letterboxes in our front doors, so mail goes directly in to ones home (distances between the pavement (sidewalk) and the front door is not as great as those in the US, so I do understand why you have them). Just curious. Greetings to you and Noreen.
I'm sure that that must happen in some parts of the U S but we live on a short cul-de-sac street with GREAT neighbors so we don't have that problem here. Sometimes we DO get our neighbors mail in our box by mistake and had to put it back in theirs! Thanks for watching!
@@rickstipdiy We have bored probably inebriated teenagers that delight occasionally in drive by bashing mailboxes but I’ve never had mail stolen.
I have very hard ground.. got this and it did not work. Cedar split.
That's unfortunate, hopefully you didn't pay too much for it.
May I ask please for an update whether the anchor is performing good? I have purchase a no dig type for my residence and I am not certain how the quality differs from using cement.
Very helpful and informative. However, you almost lost me with the scrolling opener including the disclaimer. It was too slow.
after you installed the no dig post, was it steady??? I need to do mine and don't think I can dig. This would be perfect for me....hopefully. My poor postal person has to pick up my mailbox to deliver my mail and I'm sure she's going to get tired soon.
Elaine Bahen It was steady "enough" but not as much to my liking. It's a little too wobbly for me but it is DEFINITELY not going anywhere!
thank you...I may just have to give this a try...do you think there's anything that would make it steadier....or is it because its not deep enough?
Elaine Bahen Yes, a longer metal stake would have been better but it's also rather narrow. I've been toying with the idea of driving a long piece (or 2 or 4) of galvanized angle metal down the corner(s) of the post and then securing it to the post. But, for now, it's secure enough!
thank you
Bought this & post is cracked all the way thru & platform is broke in half like a karate chop! Back to home depo I go
:(
I bought this mailbox and it's too tall for me. How can I shorten the post?
Since the bottom has a hole it it for the stake you'll have to cut the excess off the top and then just screw in the cross member.
Where can I find this mailboxes? Where did u buy yours? And also what is the name of the brand you bought pleAse Answer me I really appreciated
richard gomero We found this mailbox setup at our local Tractor Supply Company (which is a National chain). You can clearly see the names of both the post (Gibraltar) and the box (Rubbermaid) in the video.
First drank Sapporo (yes, Japanese in origin) in Las Vegas as an 19 y.o. Airman stationed in Las Vegas, walking up and down the strip drinking legally. Haven't had it in many years (prob. since '89/'90) but I remember it was good, don't know how it was selected in the first place??? Price packaging or size??? Anyway was the post wobbly and how has it held up v. putting the work in of digging a hole & using concrete. The wooden plate attached to the deck and lines up with the holes, but when you start the job by cracking open a cold one I guess the goal is to get it done a.s.a.p. and get on with the day (more cold ones) in as few steps as possible....
+Sonny Northstar Well, Thank You for your service!! I, too, was stationed at Nellis from 94 until '04 when I retired there!
Yes, the post was, and still is, wobbly. So much so that I'm considering redoing it with something more sturdy.
And the extra wood plate that was supposed to go under the box was, I felt, an unnecessary step.
But, all in all, the box is up, it was quick and easy, it's not going anywhere, and we still get our mail in it.
You gotta have the beer!
Sopporro is a Japanese beer I think 🤔
I bought the same post setup and Gibrltar mailbox... You left out how you mounted the mailbox to the wood... I'm just watching videos so I know upfront if I don't understand the process... you know, "measure twice, cut once" theory!
The box has mounting holes on the sides at the bottom. I can't remember if the plank I used came with the kit or not but use a plank wide enough to fit between the mounting holes. Screw the plank into the top of the post first then install the screws through the sides into the side of the plank.
How does the mailbox work after 6 years
It has gotten very wobbly and I don't like it. Going to be replacing it soon
That was too easy!
Now be honest, you really weren't wearing safety glasses were you??? LOL!!
HardWayFarms
I wear prescription glasses anyway that have plastic lenses so I called that good enough! But, DO AS I SAY NOT AS I DO! LOL
Rick's Tips HAHAHA!
You've really never heard of Sapporo? Have you ever been to a Japanese Steakhouse or Hibatchi restaurant?
Step 1 is the the most important ,it would be a tough task with out it!
That is exactly what I was going to say word for word
Some, like myself, perform step one more than once. But that step should not be repeated more than 2, 3, or maybe 4 times. Some like that step at the end. It really varies.
So......... Drunks know the easy way to do everything }!:-)
Or the disabled. They kind of have to by nature don't they?? ;)
He has an old "illdoppalated" mailbox. Probably knows when it's going to rain...nice 🤭
What if ur mailbox no longer reaches paved rd???
Not sure what you mean
@@rickstipdiy it used to b gravel then they paved we need to extend out like 14"
@@rickstipdiy to meet paved rd!
@@lisabowen2246 aahh ok, 14" 's shouldn't be a big deal to your delivery person but if it is indeed a problem and without knowing what your existing post looks like I can only suggest you could try putting a longer cross member at the top.
@@rickstipdiy were goin to look for that post u put in ,the garbritar no dig one!
Lol I’m here because literally just hit a mailbox with my car. FU&@!!!!! Thanks though
is your house on propane?
Yes, it is.
Did it come with propane or did you convert from electric to propane yourself?
It came with propane. It only is used for the central heat and the water heater.
Oh i see, i have a all electric house and i want to put change the water heater and maybe stove to propane.
You can buy kits to convert your appliances to propane. But if you're not comfortable doing it yourself it's best to just hire a professional. And if your house doesn't already have gas lines in it you will definitely need to hire a professional to plumb in the gas lines.