Post Hole Digger Showdown!
Вставка
- Опубліковано 15 тра 2024
- A test of a drain spade shovel, post hole digger, hand auger, and Earthquake power auger for the title of Post Hole Champion.
1. Drain spade: amzn.to/3wZPPBS
2. Post-hole digger: amzn.to/2UmC4ty
3. Seymour hand auger: amzn.to/2zl9LVm
4. Earthquake power auger: amzn.to/2ARfFhn
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#postholes #postholedigger #diggingholes
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The only guy on you tube who is really digging a hole just to show the difference, big respect and definitely a like.
Big thanks! The ground is frozen out here right now ... no digging :)
I can't believe I watched your video all the way to the end. The best hole digging video I've ever watched.
Gotta dig those holes! Haha … thanks buddy
A small trick we used to do when I was working on a fence crew, cut a large circle out of an old tarp or a piece of ground fabric, cut out a center hole, like a donut. place that over where you want to use your power auger. And when you drill your hole all the dirt stays on the plastic. Then when you set your post and backfill you just lift up the plastic and it’s like a funnel pushing all the dirt back to around the base of the pole, then lift your little circle up off the top of your pole and voilà cleanup was easy. We had four or five of them in varying sizes. Really came in handy when you’re doing a extremely large fence job.
left a very clean finished looked that the customers appreciated. Especially if they weren’t growing behind us and putting mulch down for a grow bed or something along the fence line.
I completely see what you're talking about -- well described and sounds like a great idea. I'm gonna try it for sure, as scraping up that soil is a big pain. Thanks so much!
Wow that’s exactly what I was thinking and I’ve never installed a fence before but I’m going to this weekend and probably all next week, I’m by myself 😅 Great video! Helped me decide on which tool to use, and not use. That gas auger was tempting but not after seeing you use it! I’m 66 years old and 5’1”! It probably weighs as much as I do. Manual hand auger and digging rod is my choice. Thank you!
Good luck!
Good idea! Thanks for sharing!
@Cruz Marc thanks for the info but I've red pilled after an ugly divorce. So no girlfriend, no worries!! Don't need to lose everything lol
A word of caution using the two handled post hole digger.
Two years ago I was building chicken run and coop, I had 20 holes to dig quite deep, around 3 foot into hard packed clay.
I dug them all and concreted all the poles in 1 day!
Biggest mistake in my life, my shoulders were killing that night and they have never come good since.
After scans it turns out I now have chronic bursitis in them.
A simple hand tool that does a good job but take care of your shoulders folks, you don’t want the constant pain and sleepless nights I now have.
Oh wow, that's a major bummer. Yeah, I've since learned to run that power auger with two people: one holds the long end of a 2x4 that is strapped to the handle ... must steadier that way. Thanks for the lesson!
I doubt that trouble was due to just that one job but after doing this type of work after may years! The body needs rest and can't work all the time hard!
Op
@@BB-tx8ty yeah probably right there, I have abused my body and joints constantly since a young age. It catches up with you eventually 🥴
@@markpaterson6024 definitely
I ended up with permanent nerve damage in my dominant wrist when my Earthquake grabbed a large root. Can't bench press anymore, no more curling bar, no free weights.. it's hell just turning a door knob. 🤜💥🤛
Oh that's horrible. They are super dangerous -- no doubt about it. I was using mine today to drill some holes down to 4' and was reminded of how much damage that thing can do. Hang in man
Thanks for the warning, hope you are doing better.
@@TWiz-iu4oq .. well, many doctors and lots of $ later, it's not better, in fact at times much worse.. door knobs and coffee cups have been my daily challenge.. I'm not complaining much, just an occasional agonizing silent scream when I touch something I know better.. take care friends.
@@steven.h0629 wear bandages, put alcohol where it hurts and bathe in luke warm water, you will recover
@@BB-tx8ty Five years later.. no that doesn't work my friend. Nerves don't reconnect the way I'd hoped. Good news.. my non-dominant hand is doing fine. 🥂
Thank you for taking the time to make this video.
happy to do it! It was a fun comparison and I learned from it myself
This is just what I needed as I've got several posts to set in our allotment here in the U.K. and really had no idea how these tools worked and therefore had a great problem deciding which way to go. I finally plumped for a Draper hand auger after seeing your video and it's a great tool for the job. Thanks so much for posting this . Tom!
Most excellent!!
Perfect timing! Thank you for sharing! 👏👍
Excellent!
Great side by side comparison. Thank you!
Excellent review of the four options, great commentary. Thanks for creating this video! Now I know what tool I will rent.
Most excellent! Happy digging
I think a combination of the hand auger and the post hole digger is great for smaller projects. I have three 36” fence post holes to dig this season, and I’m a senior, so I truly appreciate the effort you made creating this video for us.
Sounds like you're gonna get it done, and done well! Thanks for checking out the video and for dropping a note :)
Minou, when you buy your diggers, be cognizant of the tool size and weight.. the Post Hole Digger comes in a few sizes, some might be too large and heavy for the job at hand. I have three, one is so light it's practically useless in compacted soil.
@@steven.h0629 great point man
Very helpful. Exactly what I needed to make an armchair decision on the best tool for this w/o the mess!
Excellent to hear! I was digging some holes this week and using all of these tools -- rocky soil. Good luck!
Good man helping people out
Thank you for your information and the time you have spent helping us know what to use digging holes.
I’m going to put a fence up. Good health and happiness to you.
Big thanks and good luck!
Excellent demo! Great comparison
Thanks for checking it out! The ground is frozen here, but I'll be back out there digging holes in the spring
Great Video! You helped me decide that all I needed was a post hole digger for a small job I have to do tomorrow. You saved me time, money and a big headache..Thanks!!
Excellent. Yeah, can't go wrong with the old post hole digger. So versatile
Same! As a smaller lady I was a little scared to use a power auger
Yep it’s tough to run and a bit dangerous
NEeeeever thought I'd be interested in watching a 15 minute video on how to dig a hole. But here we are. Great video man - this is the type of thing that everyone will completely overlook and take for granted. But for people who haven't dug a lot of holes (like me) - this is absolutely critical. Well done and thank you so much.
Funny! I guess the phrase "not all holes are created equally" comes to mind. happy digging! you'll get it done
completely agree.
i was recently digging a hole , i made zero progress.Wrong equipment ,wrong idea.These videos are so helpful.
@@orangefacedbuddah1776 hang in there and you'll get it done!
@@metaspencer thanks for that.
Very surprised to find that someone performed an experiment to demonstrate the different methods of digging post holes. Thank you so much! I only need to dig a few holes to replace old posts that have decayed over time. Other than hiring someone I wasnt really sure what I should do. Thanks again.
Good to hear that it was useful! I replace a lot of posts, like what you're doing, and always like to see the fence spring back to life. Good luck with it!
This is probably the most useful video about a really difficult job. Much appreciated and thanks so much.
Good to hear and happy digging!
Thanks dude, much appreciated!
The ground is frozen here in Illinois right now ... so no holes are being dug. Thanks for checking it out
Great video. I loved the maintenance needed on the post home digger
Thanks for checking it out. Yeah, the old post hole digger is meant to be abused :)
That 3rd tool, the hand auger is amazing. I had to dig 4 3-foot deep holes last week and it took me ages with just a shovel
Yep it's a good one ... and they come in different sizes/widths
I have my grandfather's hand auger. Have dug at least 40 holes. I wait for 3 days after a good rain. It's downright relaxing sometimes.
Thank you for the demo’s.Excellent 😊
Happy digging!
Great job! Very helpful. Loved seeing that heavy bar at the end. A must have!
Rock bar! So THAT'S what it's called!
yep, it'll wear you out but does the job in really hard ground. I had to use it a lot in this recent job: ua-cam.com/video/aM7-rizAw_I/v-deo.html
Great video ! Thank you for showing the different options and pros and cons to all of them.
Happy digging!
Awesome video, thanks for taking the time to make it!
Thanks for checking it out! It was a fun one to make
i love your analysis...i always wondered about the comparative efficiency..
Thanks for checking it out :)
Man! This was EXACTLY what I needed! Thanks!
Outstanding! Thanks for checking it out
Excellent comparison video. Great information. Awesome demonstration. Thank you.
Great to hear! Thanks
I really appreciate the video! I'm looking for a lower-usage tool to dig garden raised bed posts as well as transplanting holes (and other needs as the arise), and it looks like the classic post hole digger is the right answer, especially for lower use, lower budget, and versatile soil types.
You can't go wrong with one ... just go slow and it won't wear you out! :)
This is a great video, Your putting a lot of effort making this kind of content. Now we know how to use all those hole post tools.
Thanks..👍👍👍
Most excellent! I'm glad you found it useful!
Going for the 3rd & 2nd weapon! Thanks
that's a great combo! Good luck out there
Thanks for making this 5 start video and comparing it for occasional users for DIY home projects. To the point and very good review video..... Nice.....
Thanks for checking it out. Yeah, it was a fun one to put together as a test
Nice comparison of the tool options.
My longest day as a Girl Scout Camp Ranger was when I had to rearrange the horse pasture. 87 post hole with a posthole digger. Only hit one rock. That part of Michigan is all sand
That might be a world record number of posts! I can do about 20 in a good day but afterwards I'm like rubber :)
I grew up using a rock bar (I've heard them called San Angelo bars too) and a similar post hole digger. I think I'd like to try that manual auger. The only other auger I was exposed to was tractor mounted and the owner ran it. I still had to cleanout the holes with the post hole digger. Thanks for taking the time to make this video!
Yeah we have one of those tractor augers and it's like you describe: gotta get in there with a post hole digger afterwards. I like that "San Angelo bar" name! Cool to hear
Perfect comparison hands on thank you
Glad you liked it! thanks
earthquake auger, nice ;-) ....good demo, gives a good idea on what to spend on...thanks a ton...
Just be careful if you buy that power auger! Good luck out there
Good job , just what i was looking fore. Thank you.
Good to hear! Thanks for checking it out, man
Wonderful demonstration thanks!
Good to hear. Happy digging!
I needed to know more about the Seymour hand auger. I loved how you described the challenge of each with rocks and roots, the bane of my existence. I did six holes with a sharpshooter and a post hole digger. I paced myself. Chopped the roots with the shovel and brought up dirt with the post hole digger. I could see how the power auger required so much lower back when bringing it up, great video. I want to add the Seymour hand auger to my toolset, not so much the power auger. Thank you so much!!!
Pacing yourself is the way to go for sure! slow and steady wins the (post hole digging) race. Yeah, that hand auger is nice in certain situations.
Very good comparison. have a project in which i need to make a choice on the most efficient tool to use. You hit it right straight to the nail...Thank you!
Efficiency is the way to go when you're out there. Good luck with the project!
I was undecided, thanks man.
Good to hear! happy digging
Well done Sir. I'm a handyman and have dug too many holes...Luv your comparison of tools!
Thanks man! Great hearing from ya
This was exactly the video I was looking for. Thank you!
Happy digging out there! haha
Picking up my post hole digger & rock bar tomorrow after struggling with a spade in a rocky yard - thanks for the video!
Bdjdh
Good luck with it! You'll get it done for sure
@@metaspencer phew it's still a good workout, but much better than using only a spade! 😅
Exactly
I finally bought a rock bar, wish I hadn't waited.
On hint, my bar has a flat blade at one end. I used a grinder and a file to put a real edge on it.
Best way to cut through a tree root at the bottom of your hole.
I bought the hand auger after seeing this video. It made easy work of my 4 holes for garden arbors. Thanks!
I'm glad it worked out! In rocky soil that hand auger can get hung up, but when it's working it's really great, safe, and easy on the body.
@@metaspencer I used it in compacted clay (no roots or rocks). The key was pouring water in the holes as I went.
@@mrlaney62 great idea!
Thanks for the review! Will help me to chose tool for diiging 90 holes for my fence.
90 holes! That's a big one ... good luck out there!
You bet
AWESOME! I'm putting in a new gate thanks! ❤
Good luck with the gate :)
@@metaspencer luck has increased with your videos thank you! 👍
Good demos of the various methods. The sharpshooter shovel is the easiest for me because I could leverage my weight by jumping on top of it and dig by rocking to and fro. I remove the loosened earth by hand as appropriate.
Very informative. Thank you for this video.
You bet! Thanks for checking it out
The hand auger is great, only problem is when you are digging close to something else (tree, house, old fence) you can't spin the handle. Great if you are in the open though.
Yep, I encountered that problem just today ... clunk clunk clunk every revolution of the handle
metaspencer the ole post hole digger to the rescue, man how many banged up knuckles pushing that thing together over and over through the years
Loosen the handle so that it can slide back & forth in its yoke.
thanks for your time. very useful info. too old for manual labor, I'll be going with the power tool
Excellent!
Very, VERY nice comparison. Excellent video.
Thank you and greetings from Portugal.
Thanks for checking it out! obrigado :)
Great information and comparison. Thank you for sharing.
Happy digging!
Owned a power auger 35 years ago. Did 80 acres with it. Concept in smooth soil is great. Rocky soil not so much. Tore ligaments in elbow. Took 7 years to heal. Conclusion: few holes = ok. 2 man auger safer. Lots of posts... Get auger or post pounder for skidsteer/tractor. I still use the old standard 2 levered post hole digger in predicament situations. Jeff, WI.
Lots of wisdom in that comment, man. A one-man power auger is an accident waiting to happen except in the softest of soils. I still do most of my holes with the old two handle shoulder buster. Thanks for commenting!
Oh my God thank you this is exactly the video I needed right now because I’m struggling just to dig a damn hole in my rocky backyard so I can stick my rotating laundry dry line thing up yay you’re the best!
You bet!! Good luck with your hole
I love the video! This is the most comprehensive, instructional and comparative video I have seen. Exactly what I was looking for. Who has the time and energy to do exactly that on their own?
Most excellent! I’m glad it worked out. My wife asked the other day “looks like there were some holes here” hahaha
Helpful!
Thank you!!!
@@billy6166 Oh good!
@@metaspencer you... "yeah the kitchen tiles were a bit hard".
Great comparison, thank you for sharing
Happy digging!
great tips, big help ,thanks for taking the time to make video
Thanks for checking it out!
Man, you saved me heaps of time and buck, thanks a million.
Excellent!
Really great video! totally comprehensive and straightforward. Love the side by side comparision!
Oh great! Big thanks
Thanks 👍👍👍👍 always daydream of a power augers while using a post hole digger.....then jobs done and I get cheap lol
I know that way of thinking so, so well! :)
I enjoyed watching you dig 4 holes. I only dig 1 or holes a week. I install mailboxes. I was wanting to find out if the manual auger would make it easer. After your demo I think I will stay with the post hole digger and 16 pound iron bar rock buster. These two work in all soils, clay or rocky. Thanks again.
You're using the best and most versatile tools for the job. Tough work but at least you don't have to do 20 a day! :) Thanks for the note, man
I want that job
First time commenting on any video. You sir could have a show. Excellent video.
Woah that's huge! Big thanks for checking it out :)
I agree...you should seriously think about this metaspencer
I was actually looking for design ideas for a diy earth auger for the diy 3 point hitch I built for my 2002-2003 Stanley GT when I stumbled upon your video, :) and your demonstration provided A LOT MORE helpful information than I would have received from any 1 "diy 3 point earth auger" would have. :) Thank you so much; I've got an idea that combines the concepts of the power auger, the hand auger, and the manual well version of the hand auger. Post hole diggers have always been my go-to for holes. I had 2 OLD sets my great great grandpa bought in his time and they are beasts, :) I have the upper body to prove it. Lol they are made out of 1/8" steel and are pretty heavy compared to modern post hole diggers. The bolt broke in 1 set last year and I put off replacing it because I still had the other set, but then decided not to replace the bolt because I discovered that a half of a post hole digger was the perfect companion tool for a complete set. The half is perfect for shimming the sided of the bottom of the hole in order to get the post hole diggers deeper (and lighter than a whole set.). Just my take.
Good luck with that auger project! I have an auger on my tractor and the biggest challenge with it is getting a good plumb angle when drilling ... yours sounds great
Thank you for the perfect review
Good to hear ... happy digging!
You never disappoint 😅😮
Thanks! Super helpful
Good to hear. Happy digging
Thank you for this video. It was exactly what I needed to make up my mind.
Good to hear!
Top notch vid as always thanks a ton! Also throw us an EDC video! We wanna know what a person as handy as yourself carries on your person on the daily.
Oh yeah, an EDC would be a lot of fun ... thanks for that idea. :) thanks for the support
Thanks for that! Cheers
Oh ya bet
Great video,Thanks for making this.
Thanks for checking it out!
Excellent review - Gave me the information I needed.
Superb - Thank you
Good to hear. Happy digging!
Great review! Thank you
Great to hear!
Very helpful, thanks for the video. I think the only tool missing is a drill bit auger but this is very comprehensive nonetheless. Thanks!
Thanks for checking it out!
Great video! Thanks for doing it!
Absolutely. Thanks for checking it out
Very helpful video. Thank you for posting this
Excellent man! Good luck digging those holes!
Great demos, thanks really useful
Thanks and happy digging :)
The power Auger on 4 wheels helps stabilize the twisting on your back and arms
Sounds great. I haven't used one like that but it sounds MUCH more stable and safe. Thanks man
That power auger is really best used with two people for both ease of use and safety. Ive seen people get hurt using those by themselves going too hard on the gas.
Yep you said it -- lots of torque on those things
Very informative and helpful for this layperson.
Thanks and good luck!
Thank you!
Happy digging! :)
Great review and showing how everything works including their pluses and minuses, regarding the post hole digger I noticed if I dig a hole more than about 2 ft or 2 and 1/2 ft I literally can't open the 2 handles at the top to actually squeeze the dirt at the bottom of the holes to pull it out because the sides of the handles will actually hit the inside of the top of the hole when I'm trying to dig deep holes that are like 3 ft deep or 3.5 feet deep for example and trying to actually get the dirt out so the post hole digger works great if you have a shallow hole to help dig the hole and especially pull the dirt out like if I use my Harbor Freight Earth Auger to make a hole which is what I use primarily on most holes to actually dig the holes and I use an 8 in auger bit instead of the 6 in one that it came with because the one that it came with is just so much more narrow and a lot shorter at only 22" compared to 31" long on the 8" bit but you can also buy the extender arm thing that will help you dig a hole much deeper but sometimes there's a lot of dirt at the bottom of the holes so I try to use the post hole digger to remove the dirt from the bottom of the holes but then if the holes are deep I can't even get the dirt out with the post hole digger really just because of how they're made because when you try to squeeze the dirt the handles hit the insides of the hole so that's a problem and a shovel can't even get it out either often so there's this certain specific type of a shovel that's made for removing dirt or sand or whatever from the bottom of a hole that angles up more at the bottom that costs like $30 that I might buy from Home Depot only online but it's a little bit pricey but I think it's worth trying it for deep holes that have a lot of dirt and or sand at the bottom of them to remove that material so that I can put my posts in deeper than normal on my fence that I'm building but great video and thanks for showing how these different hole makers work because people need this type of information because if anyone's going to build any fence or anything beyond just a couple holes they need to know this type of information and how all these things work for sure and yeah if there's a lot of rocks in the ground for sure your earth auger will automatically stop working great and cease to function so that's when a shovel is needed and the other straight rock breaker thing like you have on the video are necessary and it will take a lot more physical work to try to break up and remove the rocks but when you have a lot of rocks in your ground or your hole it's going to take you much longer to dig holes and especially if you have a lot of them and you're going to need shovels and the other bar thing for sure but great video!
Great insights there man -- I totally know what you mean. Some holes thus end up too wide, others crooked, and some just right. Always a struggle ... but great to get it done!
I use post digger to make a 4.6’ deep hole now so I understand what you said about post digger.
Awesome video! Very explicit!
Good to hear!
Excellent review thanks
Thanks for watching!
Good comparison of the tools. I once rented a power auger in the 1980 s that was attached to lawn mower type base with an 8 foot bar. It was really cool because when you hit a rock it could not twist on you like the two handed ones. I have never been able to find one again.
That sounds like a great design. I've seen one with a long bar behind it, limiting the twist ... great idea to displace that energy into a frame. Thanks man
Little beaver....
Dude. Thank you for such an informative video. I need to replace large chunks of fence around my house. This video was priceless.
You're gonna get it done! You've got this!
Great job! I am going with the traditional post hole digger given the results from your hands-on experiment. Thanks.
Good choice. It's the best all-around tool
Really informative. Thank you.
Thanks for checking it out!
Waiting for Part II: The Post Show Digger Hoedown, haha! Would like to have seen what the working end of the hand auger and the rock bar looked like. As you noted with the post hole digger, _you_ supply all the power. So the comment at the end about how that tool cuts through the roots and rocks... well, that is _you_ (or me) doing all the work. Machine auger 100% for me!
Good to know. Thanks!
You betcha
Great video thanks. Lovely place and nice truck
Glad you enjoyed it and big thanks!
Thanks for this.
Thanks for checking it out!
I use a combination of a manual spiral auger, spade, post chisel and post hole digger and occasionally a concrete breaker if digging a hole with an existing concreted post. Not all are necessary every time but good to have them all, never needed a power auger. Works very well without too much effort . Enjoyed your video 👍🇬🇧🇺🇸
I like your style: gettin' it done with a variety of tools that you use when you need them. I tend to think it's more effort that you, but maybe I'm just wimpy! thanks for checking it out man
Having our property in the sand fields, I gotta tell you, the hand auger is super. Dug 8, 6' deep holes, no problem
Wow, that's interesting! I've never dug in an area like that but have seen really sandy land in New Jersey ... cool to hear
@@metaspencersgu gfggg
Thanks for all your examples. This is really helpful. I have to dig through very hard soil.
You'll get it done! just take your time in that hard ground
Very nice review. Thanks. Personally I use the post hole digger, followed by the trenching shovel to shape the post hole. I want to try using an auger next. I wonder if you use the auger with a longer arm and two people if digging would be easier and faster.
Good to hear your technique: sounds good. Auger with two people could be cool -- haven't tried that yet
Appreciate this 👍
Thanks for checking it out!
Thanks for the tutoring. Great video.
Good to hear! Thanks
Thank you I learned a lot!
Good to hear!