How To Dig The Perfect Post Hole

[@johnnsmith7932]

I have found over many years and hard knocks that a pressure washer is the way to go in hard ground. In the winter and early spring its easy to dig (North Louisiana) but the rest of the year its like digging in concrete. The only shortcoming in using a pressure washer is that it won't cut roots. Use a 4 foot length of 6 inch pvc pipe and you won't splatter yourself and the hole will be straight sided. Dig several holes at a time and when you go back to the first hole enough water will be absorbed to just dump in a sack of Quickcrete fast setting concrete, stir up a little, and the pole is ready to be inserted. In an hour the poles will be strong enough to start adding the top rail. Using a high pressure rotating nozzle also speeds up the work.

[@je-fq7ve]

A cordless saws-all with a 12" blade cut a circle in the ground with it. cuts roots easy.

[@anonemous1046]

​@@je-fq7ve Nice idea. Thanks!

[@johnnsmith7932]

@@je-fq7ve I do use a saws-all for rhe first foot with Diablo blades which don't dull much. For the next few feet I use a tamper bar with the end ground fairly sharp. I hoped my fence laying days were over (I'm 72) but now my neighbor is putting up a chain link fence. I'm more of an advisor than a worker bee now.

[@ruidadgmailcanada8508]

@@je-fq7veAbsolutely!
Save your old blades for this.
I cut out a 20’ row of 50’ year old boxwood bushes this way. Ate up roots like nothing. Very satisfying too.

[@arcadebit1551]

Would there be an Interest in a pressure washer attachment, that would dig the hole? Something similar to a pressure Washer Surface Cleaner could do the trick.

[@ottawavalleybushcraft]

I just dug out old chainlink fence posts using a pressure washer and a shopvac. We went this route due to a buried streetlight electrical cable buried near the fenceline. The best upgrade to this setup is to include a dust separator to the vacuum that attaches to 5gal buckets. This collects the mud slurry into a pale for easy disposal and keeps the vacuum from fouling up too often. Works like a charm, even below 4ft depths.

[@letsRegulateSociopaths]

that is the missing link for this method for sure

[@diverbob8]

The special lid & short vacuum hose is already available at Home Depot for their orange buckets...

[@projectsdontstop8441]

Thanks!

[@wingnutbert9685]

Those little bucket top cone separators are 1000% worth it. Even with drywall dust, hardly any makes it to the actual vacuum can. Hadn't thought of it for wet stuff. Thanks!

[@TheBlueScarecrow]

It's pail. Back to school for you.

[@robertjacobson941]

In 25 years as a SoCal county hiway sign person, I set hundreds of 10 and 12 foot 4X4's in 24" holes (no frost) using a sharp digging bar, posthole diggers and a tamping bar. Too often it required digging thru native decomposed granite and the tip about punching a center hole and breaking away the sides was a hard learned trick. The mistake people make with posthole diggers is using them to dig--all they do well is remove previously loosened soil from the hole. The biggest drawback to hand digging for me was learning to recognize that I was digging in a roadside utility trench and stopping, relocating or proceeding with caution. Cutting a line can REALLY ruin your day and is why I've seen city crews using pressure water wands and vacuum systems to dig signpost holes.

[@southstreetbarbecue7875]

I'm generally going to choose whichever method requires the least amount of effort. When it comes to digging postholes, that means paying someone else to do it while I stand to the side and offer all the advice I just got from this video.

[@SWiFence]

🤣🤣

[@truthalonetriumphs6572]

You got all the advice you need and then some 😂

[@sir.cannabis1173]

You really improve the world dude

[@kd9937]

You don't like shoulder workouts

[@southstreetbarbecue7875]

@@kd9937 I don't like workouts!

[@ethelryan257]

As a woman working in the trades, (electrician), I learned decades ago that whatever solution works well is the one to take, no matter how 'unconventional'. Love the pressure washer, shop vac. trick.

[@raidzeromatt]

If you want an unconventional method that isn't as messy you can opt for a rotary hammer with the chisel function
It will burn through batteries if you need to put in posts somewhere that an extension cord can't reach, but that's how forest service puts in trail markers in the middle of nowhere in unforgiving terrain

[@Garandmasthumb]

I dig holes using a pressure washer . same idea as they used in gold mining with pressurized water.

[@biljanas7931]

I just spin the shovel and shave soil off the edges, it's fun

[@biljanas7931]

Actually any grandma gardener is more competent to comment on using water to soften the soil 😂 but I guess we need to know what trades electrician want to teach them lol

[@user-rl5je6bu6n]

So this is obviously a very niche channel for a small population and an even fewer will appreciate the effort but I have to say I’m always impressed not only with the information but also the presentation. Good stuff.

[@SWiFence]

Thank you!

[@03mtncat]

This should be a required video for any laborer or apprentice to watch. This is what I learned from an old timer when I was in my early 20's. Retired contractor of 38 years. Great video!

[@tastx3142]

I was planting several shrubs and also had my 10 year old neighbor with me who wanted to help. I admired the boy’s perseverance and enthusiasm as we live on a hill with thin, rocky soil and limestone bedrock and outcroppings. I worked on another nearby project and he was using a pry bar after he had shoveled and used a small garden trowel to get whatever he could but was deterred to get the rock. I came over to help and even with our combined weight, the rock wouldn’t budge. I suggested moving over a bit in the opposite direction but he thought removing the rock would work if he started loosening the outside edge. It was a foot and a half in diameter as he exposed the edge and I told him it wasn’t necessary that I had random plantings not measured distances in a straight line, but he was determined. He worked several hours and it took the 2 of us to eventually shift it out of the ground and he was triumphant. I admired his determination and only hope he carries that into adulthood but also learns that sometimes things can be done through less effort. If it had been a fence post hole, it would have been worthwhile, but for a shrub to be shifted a few inches wasn’t going to affect the landscaping.

[@bobbates7421]

Thank you for helping this young man learned about work. Was hope from them like you this boy might grow up to be a real man and raise a family which is becoming harder and harder to find this country.

[@moonshinershonor202]

Kid built some character I tell you what

[@Mark-EFMB-Combat-Medic]

I wish I would have watched this video 60 years ago, LOL. Thank you for taking the time and effort to produce well thought out useful videos. After watching a few of your other videos like ("This Farm Fence Is So Fast and Easy It's Embarrassing"), I see that you have a lot to offer me and likely many other people. I am now subscribed.
Back in the early 70's, I worked for a commercial fence construction company that did federal, state and large scale residential work. Mostly guardrail, chain link, property parameter fences, and large gates. We didn't have shop vacs back then, so when the job was in an area that we could not get our 5-ton truck with hydraulic drilling machine into the area, we used breaker bars and a shovel. However, as I have gotten older, I now pay someone to drill or otherwise hand dig holes. Then I do the balance of the construction, because building stuff that is strong, straight, and useful is very satisfying to me.
Also, I have used a water hose and steel or PVC pipe to bore access holes under sidewalks and other small cement areas so I could run plumbing or electrical services, at my home mostly.
Thank you again

[@SWiFence]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching. 👍🏻

[@miscellaneousanus2831]

That pressure washer shop vac trick for working around utilities is genius. I would have never thought of that. Thanks for the tip!

[@boutellejb]

A shop Vac can suck even from really deep holes, you just have to dip it in & pull it out in pulses, so you suck up small slugs of water at a time. A septic tank guy taught me that when sucking out a tank down a 200 foot hill with about a 50 foot rise (at a lake side cabin near the shore with no vehicle access).

[@elbuggo]

Used to such up the last bits from the bottom of the tank after cleaning on tank ships with a vacuum. At least 30ft up to the deck - no problem!

[@Bacrenfencing]

Agree about adding water on hard ground, I do this all the time.
Form the top of the hole and dig about 6 inches deep with the bar and then fill with water and leave it a good while. I sometimes perforate the hole with the sharp end of a crow bar to allow the water to seep in quicker - it works well. Appreciate your videos !

[@mydraftable6526]

Done that often.

[@user-pk2fg8im4u]

Best way to dig a post hole is watch some young stud do it. At 75 a hole is just somethin to fall into. I'm in Montana, we shipped all the soft soil down to Wyoming. 🤗 BTW, I didn't like digging them ever, but I used a mules foot to clean out the holes. Still have it to look at.

[@dsmith3134]

Unsure what a mules foot is, google no help, curious?

[@bluebalute]

@@dsmith3134 I couldn't find it either. What I did find was a post hole digger that behaved like scissors so that when the handles were apart, the scoops at the end were open and when the handles were together the scoops were closed. Looked like a better way of getting the dirt out of the bottom of a hole.

[@user-pk2fg8im4u]

@@dsmith3134 A mules foot is a contraption that scoops loose dirt out of a post hole. It consists of a half round shovel part that enters the hole vertically, then by an attached handle it swivels 90 degrees under the loose dirt at the bottom of the hole and "scoops" it up. Hard to describe, but it has a main handle with a lever attached to a rod that goes along side down to the scoop. The little handle is parallel to the main handle, then swivels 90d which swivels the scoop at the bottom. It's like putting your hand down a hole, scooping up a handful by sliding your hand under the loose dirt. Whew!

[@bradleywatt9769]

I knew what it was, but I was impressed you described it so well. Mines in the barn, ready for use.

[@shybishop5059]

Back in the 1990s I was stationed aboard the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at 29 Palms, CA. The ground under base housing was very sandy. Because it was military housing I could not use cement to permanently set in my posts. I used a garden hose with straight sprayer on the end (as opposed to a pistol grip style). I set the spray tip to send out a focused spray. I then set the hollow fence post where I wanted it, shoved the hose through it until the sprayer hit the ground, and had my son turn on the water. I kept the hose tip level with the bottom of the post as it easily slid into the ground.
I have since retired and live on a small farm in southern Idaho. The hose system does not work on caliche and lava rock. On caliche I cheat and use an electric Harbor Freight jack hammer with a wide blade. On lava rock I build a steel frame, wrap it with fencing style net wire, put it where I want it, and fill it with rock.

[@Jerry-ko9pi]

Reminds me when I was in Afghanistan as a contractor. I made a outdoor covered area for DFAC. It took us all day to dig 6 holes! I had I think 5-6 guys too! All by hand!

[@myfavoritegroomer]

Thank God I’m not the only one feeling like a hole takes forever to dig!!!

[@user-is7es]

@@myfavoritegroomer If the ground is dry and hard it takes a lot longer. You gotta take the garden hose and water it real good about a day or two before you dig or dig after it rains. Let the water soak in real good so it's not muddy but the soil is just moistened and damp. Really though gas powered post hole auger is probably the way to go if you want to get it done real fast and efficient with as little manual effort as possible.

[@johnpusch1376]

The auger is useless if it is very rocky, trust me I own one. 24 or 30 " SDS max bull point and a PHD is the only way to go in rocks.

[@melmartinez7002]

Having dug a whole bunch of post holes up in the Vermont mountains, it is a completely different story from digging in clay. For exactly one of the holes, the powered post-hole digger actually succeeded in a clean bore of a hole. . In all the other post holes for the whole fence line, I ended up digging very wide & deep by hand with shovel & tamping pole & pick axe in order to fish out big giant rocks. Some so heavy they required some engineering just to get them out. I then had to use forms and backfill to make the 'holes' for pouring.

[@ljprep6250]

First off, ALWAYS water the area before digging. I've found that 36 hours leaves the perfect soil conditions. Mud is dried, the water dispersed deeper. Second, use a rotary auger. Harbor Freight has one on sale for $180 a couple times a year. You can be done with your holes in about a minute apiece if you water first. It takes only one (fairly strong) person and it removes the dirt from the hole for you. The 6" will dig out rocks as large as a cantaloupe, the 8" will suck out football sized rocks. I still have mine from my handyman days.

[@SWiFence]

Sounds like a good plan.

[@GoodForYou4504]

It's very true that it is difficult to find a sturdy shovel these days. My tip is to go to a masonry supplier. They tend to carry tougher brands like Bully (American made). Also, always mark 3 and 4 ft on your post hole digger and bar. Better then filling your tape with dirt. Nice video, thanks.

[@video80634]

I'm not a fence pole hole digger expert, but 24 years ago I did my own fence. After placing the post in the hole, I filled the hole with concrete to the top (several bags per hole) and did a crown slope to allow water to drain away from the post. Today, it's still holding strong. However, my neighbors fence was done by a fence company, and they did it completely different and cheap. They dug a hole so deep, put a post in it, mixed some concrete into the hole (only filling it a fraction of the way). Once the concrete set up, they filled the remaining hole with regular dirt. Over the years, the dirt retained moisture (rain, snow, etc.). Now the posts have rotted and the fence is falling down. I firmly believe had they filled the entire hole with concrete, the fence would be solid as mine. So in your video at 9:13 I disagree with filling any hole to the top with dirt. Eventually the moisture in the dirt from the elements will rot the post.

[@Faesharlyn]

Omf i clicked so fast!
You can use a PVC pipe with a carb valve to pull water out afterwards, like putting your thumb on a huge straw, and fling it out of the way or into the next spot to soften it up while you work the hole you're emptying
You can also sink a pvc pipe, fill it with water and pull the whole hole out with the suction, dead straight sides

[@toddwmac]

Wife..."Honey, can you put up a fence out in the back field? Husband..."Sure, let me run out for some tools". W...."Honey, why is there a new truck in the driveway" H....well, I needed something to carry my new water tank, pressure washer, genset and shop vac....and your fence posts."

[@homesteadhaven2010]

I went and bought a new tractor, so I can get a post hole digger and other implements for the tractor. 27k later and I'm all set to farm the land. 😂

[@user-yl5sp5ww8e]

You write that like that's a problem. 😂

[@nautifella]

Guilty.
We have an understanding. I ignore her shoe collection, and she ignores the tools and guns.
The trucks and motorcycles are getting hard to explain.

[@mrdavidurquhart]

I respect you for sharing your technique knowing so many of us will argue based on our own experience and theories. You made a fantastic video.

[@SWiFence]

Thank you!

[@pocket83]

Here in PA, our soil is rich, fertile, and soft! And that gets you to about 5" deep; under that is just clay and rock-all the way to Australia.
Best way I've found to dig straight down involves five things: a shovel, sweat, a bar, your hands, and a demo hammer.
For medium rocks, the pry-bar I use is a 42" DeWalt wrecking bar, because a full-length digging bar just wears you out faster, and it has no 'handle' on the backside. But the secret to beating a big rock is to simply break through it with a good demo-hammer: since it's made for concrete, it'll bust apart embedded rocks like peanut brittle. Only problem is the extension cord.

[@darkestkhan]

Sounds similar to western Poland. First 10 to 20cm is quick. After that you gotta dig through hard clay. Power drill with hammer mode works great, at least in my experience. After that it is soft loose powder. Shovel works great on that.

[@billparker8954]

You are the only talking about dealing with the rocks. These videos are never real life. He has a few baseball sized stones. Irl, it's a few bowling ball sized, and hopefully nothing bigger than a wheelbarrow.

[@455buick6]

There are cordless ones

[@WadeMD]

I volunteered to help a neighbor put in a fence separating her front and backyard. I'm really dreading trying to put these post holes in and I don't have an auger. But this right here was an awesome video

[@455buick6]

Buy a 16 inch spade, they're not easy to find these days but it puts those 3 methods to shame, my dad dug holes for a living with one, and I inherited his shovels, nobody can dig a hole as fast and as cleanly as I can, and I'm a boomer!

[@dac7046]

I’ve found that in many situations (I’m not a commercial guy though) that the post hole digger type that you screw into the soil is often the fastest/easiest. It’s not an auger it’s cylindrical with a couple cutters on the bottom. Bought it at a farm store. I’ll start the hole with a shovel then switch. Even in our rock hard Colorado clay it’s surprisingly effective if the rocks aren’t too big and you can go as deep as you like. Otherwise I’m with you- old school shovel and bar with judiciously applied water is the way to go.

[@ethanmitchell1308]

I bought a 1 man auger from harbor freight 5 years ago and it still works great. For about $300 you can get the auger, extension, and a 9 inch bit. Super useful on small jobs or places where you can't get larger machines in. It will dig Alabama red clay all day.

[@zeroflight6867]

100%. Cuts it down to a couple of minutes and less work.

[@landmarkcreations1183]

I’ve bought the harbor freight one a few times over. It is by far the best one man auger I’ve used. Our crews use it on small projects and tight spaces

[@benjaminbrewer2154]

Grenaded the "lower crankcase" recently but the hills of the Ozarks are rocky and rough on equipment.
(HF does sell the parts reasonablely but Vevor has a $170 auger I'm tempted to try.)

[@ethelryan257]

I picked one up, also about five years back. It works a treat. Yes, there are limits (not much torque) but for me, by myself, it's perfect. Not going to snap my wrists and does an hour of that awful clam-shell work in 5 minutes.

[@ethanmitchell1308]

@@ethelryan257 had enough torque to throw my little ass halfway down a hill one time 😂😂

[@OOICU812]

And here I've been all these years thinking that digging a hole was as simple as digging a hole. Man, I learn something new every day. Thanks for the lesson!

[@SWiFence]

You're welcome!

[@calebbearup4282]

I found a good post hole digger at a garage sale years ago that turned out to be a godsend. I started looking after that and found one more since then and picked it up instantly. Basically is a straight pipe handle with a T plumbing fitting at the top with a wood handle through that's about 36 inches long. At the bottom is a ring with 4 blades bent in at the bottom at different angles so that as I spin the tool it cuts into the ground like an auger but it collects the soil inside the cupped blades so that you can pull it up/out. It does require you to tip the tool sideways to dump the soil out but you can screw attachments onto the handle in order to go as deep as you want. I was younger when I found it so had the energy to spare. On a test run I dug a 6 inch diameter hole that went just about ten feet deep with straight edges all the way down.
It isn't the most useful right at the surface but by the time I go about 8 inches down I always switch to that

[@kenperry1399]

Thanks for this video. I got a great tip today. We have a project that we will run into many areas where we are trenching and when we come up to a pipe of any kind we can power wash past the pipe ,after we dig deeper in the trench backwards from the pipe for 3-4 ft and then we can let the slurry settle and dry in the trench bottom in the Texaco heat. So we don't have to trench pump or vacuum that slurry out. So all in all Clean, Safe and no mess pouring out the slurry. Thank you Kenny

[@precisionguesswork5394]

That big river place has a 32x2 auger drill. Drill multiple holes around perimeter of hole and dig out. Reasonably priced. Also, with use of auger, pressure washer, vacuum, helpful in DIY removing tree stumps.

[@vernacular1483]

I have a 9” manual auger on a 4’ t-handle that I use in conjunction with a bar. It’s a very shallow auger, just around a twist and a half maybe. Works amazing as a clean out tool, twist and lift… very fast process and consistent hole size.

[@dwebman11]

I’ve been digging post holes on and off for 50 years. I learned long ago to disturb the ground around the hole as little as possible. I use a cat bar and a tin can. If the post is 4”, then the hole. Is maybe 6 or 7”. Getting the dirt out is the trickiest part. I like the pressure washer and vac trick for that. Never thought of it before seeing your video. Once the post is in the hole I force rocks down between the post and the undisturbed soil with the blunt end of the cat bar. I rarely use concrete….too expensive and not needed in most cases. Folks around here use backhoes to dig post holes. After a hard winter their fences look like waves on the ocean! Our soil is just like yours, a thin layer of top soil and then clay with embedded rocks. I try to dig my holes in the early spring while the clay is still fairly moist. My summer it’s as hard as concrete. Digging holes is almost as much fun as splitting knotty pine firewood! Thanks for the video. It’s good to work hard.

[@andrewblahut6213]

I'm a bar and shovel guy... I did swimming pools for a couple years ...before your helper was born. digging bar is always best and a great work out

[@Dudeguymansir]

I call mine “the ground spear” 😂 or “ground spike”
Makes it easy to yell out to helpers

[@lloydprunier4415]

I've never tried this on fence post, but a electrician showed years ago that he could take a cup of water and put a ground rod in the ground here in our black gumbo. Just pump it up and down and the rod acts as a piston and uses the water to push the mud up and the rod keeps going down with each pump. The black gumbo requires a digging bucket full of water using either the post hole digger or a shovel. Lots of fences down around my area after Hurricane Beryl. Plenty of other damage also.

[@IngloriousOne]

Excellent video. Clear instructions, easy to hear, and specific. He didn't just say what to do but explain why with examples. This helped me a lot. Thanks.

[@morrisjvan]

I agree with you about shovel quality. I used to be able to use them as a lever with my full weight on the handle , and they either worked or not , but they didn't break, but now I manage to snap the handles off just digging!

[@carpathus]

Here in the Texas desert our caliche is like concrete and water is scarce. Forget shovels or phd's. I took a chance and bought a Makita brushless earth auger for post holes. Still need a digging bar to get the occasional big rock but the Makita can bore a 36-40 inch post hole no problem. Best thing since sliced bread.

[@ddgarcia90]

Fiskars makes a steel post hole digger with a design that’s made for digging deep holes. They’re amazing and we’ve been using them for years on my fence crews. We’ve never had to use a shovel for digging post holes.

[@saltymofo5870]

You really need to find a spade and spoon combo, spade for chipping and soon for bailing. Works 10 times better than spud bar/ shovel. Power pole and telephone pole contractors use them for holes they can’t access with equipment. I know, I’ve used both

[@Tonyrd3000]

Ah yes, the old banjo and spoon. Hated digging pole holes that way. Even if it was only for a 25 foot pole (about a 5 foot depth)

[@ChuckD59]

I could use link to an example of this. All I'm getting is tableware.

[@TLMuse]

@@ChuckD59 I had trouble finding this, too. YT usually won't let commenters post links. The most promising I think I found comes up if you look for Oshkosh spoon shovel.

[@terravarious]

I've worked with pro Hydrovac crews so when I needed to dig around tree roots I improvised using a shop vac and my air compressor, with a 2ft air wand. To get deeper I used a 6ft piece of 1/4" pipe and put a ball valve and air cuck on it. By using air I was only sucking up loose dirt and not mud.
Air didn't go through the dirt as easy as a pressure washer, but way less mess, and I was often able to use a shovel to remove the loosened dirt when a root wasn't in the way.

[@TravisInCanada1]

All I can give you is a like on this video, you earned it man!

[@SWiFence]

Hey thanks!

[@TBJK07Jeep]

I like the soft digging (shop vac & pressure washer). As a friend would say to me, work smarter not harder.

[@HarryDirtay]

The "badger" is a truck sized version of this trick. They use it to set utility poles in a hurry. The vacuum tube is about 10" diameter😂

[@newmonengineering]

I living in FL have soft sand but also have rocks. The post gole digger works well enough here. But I have used the pressure washer the same way for years and it makes it even easier. I have even used a pvc pipe and pressure washer to dig a hole under a sidewalk horizontally. Its not something you can do with a shovel but with a preasure washer and some lengths of pvc pipe you can push your way through easily. Oil rigs use water pressure to dig as well. The loose dirt from the water is by far the easiest to move through.

[@user-bv2tj3kd6d]

I’m retired from a power company and would have to dig holes in clay and rock soil manually, including setting the pole. We could not get our hole digger truck to the site for various reasons. We would use what’s called a spade and spoon and pin (steel) bar. Spade and pin bar to dig and the spoon to clean out the hole. Our holes were normally 4’ to 5’ deep. I agree with you that the shovel and bar are the best tools to use. You might try searching for the spoon that I referenced for clean out.
If I lived in your area and needed a fence installed, I’d be calling you and only you. Good job!

[@AM-sq5ut]

Very entertaining! 🤣🤣🤣
And I highly appreciate these since I was born in Cheyenne 60 years ago now! Most importantly, I DID learn something! Time to go change my oil now which is a Good Dang Day! God bless you and your crew! Safe digging!

[@juanr859]

Excellent demonstration... Thanks for sharing your expertise

[@SWiFence]

You're welcome!

[@three3Paws]

Awesome! I saw the shop vac / pressure washer in the background and knew I had to watch this video.
Been contracting for 45 years and agree with everything thing you said (I have seen a ‘bottom out’ post hole digger, with a plate that keeps the material from sliding out) but they still hurt your hands.
I’m in So. Cal. We have caliche & adobe along with plenty of clay. As you were digging, I recognized the soil.
Yeah, have a race between your assistant with a bar & shovel. You get the pressure washer & shop vac. Betcha he loses.
I do a fair amount of irrigation & used to refill the subterranean boxes with soil, until I had to replace valves.
Then I left them empty ( it actually freezes here, 5 miles from the coast, & 20 miles North of TJ) for a few hours on a few days in the winter) just enough to blow off the supply lines, & I get to fix the flood .
Now, I fill them with sand or river pebbles. I can use a pressure nozzle on a garden hose & a shop vac & clean them out in minutes with 12 valves in a box. 24 pipes in & out.
Or safely unearth gas lines on new construction.
It also works great for setting ‘gopherhawks’ between large rocks (50-200 lb). Where you can’t get a shovel.
I’ve wanted to make a similar video, but you did a fantastic job!
Thank you.

[@craigjordaens8366]

Great video….much respect for a guy that doesn’t shy away from hard work. As a guy that does try to get around hard work as much as possible, I dig your pressure washer and vacuum solution (see what I did there). I almost tried the vacuum the other day when I was digging, but my 11 year old son was there and didn’t want him to think I was the kind of guy that shies away from hard work….also, I let him do most of the digging. Good luck getting that kind of hole in upstate NY though, even with 11 year old laborers. The hole is the size and shape and depth that the rocks want it to be. A 9” hole in an area where you’ll pull 3 or 4 12” rocks out before you get to the bottom is pretty much a fantasy. Sono tube and back fill is the name of the game here.

[@jamesburke8842]

You never mention a shallow well digger. Out of all the tools used for digging I have found that to be one of the most useful.

[@SWiFence]

That's a good point. I was trying to stick to things most commonly owned.

[@Oldpqlyr]

Which is why I (30 yr Texas DIY'er) use my "tree root feeder" hooked to a garden hose to pressure water into the soil where I'm gonna dig. 😅

[@spadesman_the_first3296]

My challenge is for you to come to east Texas, and try these methods with our clay. The only thing that works is an auger on the back of a tractor.

[@tim6366]

Or concrete from centuries of backfill from previous owners

[@niqhtt]

Lots of hole digging in Houston now.

[@noelwest8234]

Call me stupid, but last year I figured out the vac method without water. Easiest holes digging ever for me.
Thanks for the video. Some good ideas for me.

[@mikehammer7419]

When using post hole diggers, keep the handles together and wrap both hands around the outside of both handles. It will drive deeper and grab more dirt that you already loosened with your bar. Although they can be hard to find, they do make spud bars that are flat on one side, chisel on the other. If you keep the flat side against the edge of your hole, it will help keep it from pinching out. Touch up the chisel point periodically and it also cuts roots pretty well. Great video!

[@chadzomek2948]

My preferred method is a pry bar and a shop vac but no water. A contractor buddy of mine turned me on to the idea for digging sonnet tube holes. We have very boney soil here in MA. Handling dry dirt is way simpler than sludge. Only draw back is that if the dirt gets sticky it wants to clog up the vacuum hose. I love the pressure washer idea for digging around utilities, etc. Thanks for the nice video tutorial.

[@lencavallaro6781]

Old school. Breaker bar for digging and post hole diggers for clearing out loose dirt only (unless you have that rare loose, soft soil). Even with an auger, you need the bar when you hit a rock in tight soil . Dropping the bar in (sliding through a loose grip) tells me whether I can bust through or need to pry out. The bar is also essential for slit trenching to have a perfectly straight top line or when installing chain link on a bias and dealing with minor grade changes on a straight run. I haven’t done fence work in decades, but still own a trusty breaker bar.

[@JaymesEaston]

The pressure washer and vac is also the way to dig out tree roots. Had a 29 foot Hollie tree so the root ball was huge, also large gravel mixed in with the roots. Used demo saw to cut roots- use a dead dull blade and sharpen with file. To defeat the splatter I've used 2 foot square plywood with a two inch hole in the middle. For larger areas a chunk of carpet, tarp, or cloth with small slit. Easiest way to drain shop vac is epoxy a pvc drain or ball valve to connect hose or ducting.

[@scottdahl1938]

A few thoughts. I would wipe a leaf of tobacco along the handle for better grip that won't slip. My best holes were made with a garden weasel and a wet/dry vac to get the dirt out after a couple feet deep. A building inspector loved how easy it was to eyeball the alignment and depth. I'm with you on the efficacy of the two handled hole digger. To use it right the surface ends up being conical as you described due to limits of dirt removal at the bottom decreasing compared to the surface. Plus the static lift doesn't have to be as great when the dirt is dry. A couple of 2 or three stage vacuums in tandem connected to a drum seems to help that a lot but most people aren't going to have a need for that much power. While over kill in most circumstances who's going to need to use that many around or use them in that way again. Why get a truck mounted blower for even more. A 5-6 ft. steel bar is a must have for smashing rocks and such.

[@zhaidalian5845]

I’m so upset that I didn’t find this video 2 weeks ago! I have a pressure washer and using this method would have saved time in digging 16 holes in Ca dirt in 100deg heat! Definitely using this method moving forward.

[@DearHenryA]

Best tool I ever used for digging post holes was an antique twist style. It had two blades that would cut the dirt and hold in a large pile to be pulled out. The handle was just wood inserted into a black iron gas pipe T fixture. The other end of the T was attached to any length of black iron gas pipe that you wanted to use. If you needed a deeper hole then you could add a piece of pipe or change the pipe. The head was the only special part. It had five or six holes to adjust how wide you wanted the hole. The blades were attached at the bottom pivot point although I don't remember how they were attached. That thing was very well made. I remember using it helping my father when I was a kid. I borrowed it from him as an adult.

[@haydenbraxton8095]

I did something similar with the shopvac when digging out some of my crawlspace, except a pressure washer under a house would wreak havoc. In my case, I used a power planter auger bit on a 60v cordless dewalt drill to dig horizontally. The auger would loosen the soil. Then i ran a shop vac into a 55 gallon drum and then another hose out of the drum under the house to suck out all the loose dirt. It almost worked. The only issue was slightly moist clay would collect in corners and corrugations and then create a blockage.

[@steveprice5664]

When I installed fence posts for my backyard (107 posts in fairly hard, dry soil), I used a pneumatic post driver. I stood on a ladder while my wife held a level to make sure they were straight. Each 2-3/8" oilfield pipe fence post went in 3 feet. No concrete was used in the holes because there weren't any holes. However, I did pour a 6" high x 12" wide footing along the entire fence. It is solid as a rock. C-purlin was welded on using welding clips, then cedar pickets were attached to the C-purlin with machine screws. The screw holes were pre-drilled and threaded before installation. The bottom edge of the C-purlin was drilled for drainage.
So far it has held up for 8-10 years just fine with wind gusts up to 70 MPH.
When I must dig a post hole or trench, I use water. I bought an extra long wand for my sprayer so I can go deeper. I have finished a deeper hole with a piece of lightweight fence post material and a stick. Pour water into the hole, slam the fence post in hard a couple of times, pull it out and use the stick to clean the resulting mud out of the fence post.

[@imconsequetau5275]

13:30 Pressure Washer.
An alternative to water jets is compressed air and vacuum cleaner combo. You can dig deeper without creating mud. You can create rectangular holes. Work around utilities and roots.
You can completely uncover shallow tree or bush root systems and transplant the entire mature tree.

[@RetiredRadioChaser]

3:17,I bought a house from an estate sale. There were two two circular clothes hangers in the back yard, set in pipes, cemented in the ground. The top of the cement, projecting above the ground, was about 10 inches in diameter. I decided to remove them from the ground.
I started digging around one and hit cement about 3 or 4 inches under the dirt and it went out about 2.5 feet from the center pipe the clothes hanger pole set in. Eventually, 3 feet down I found the bottom of the cement base. Whoever poured that block of cement must have had a bunch of free cement.
I rigged up a tripod and a hoist to lift the block up, dug about 6 inches of dirt out from under it, dropped the block to the bottom of the hole and covered it up. It's still there under the dirt. An ice cream cone shaped clothes rack cement footer would have been easy!!
I left the second clothes hanger footer where it was. I did check and there was cement out about a foot from the center.

[@mrdavidurquhart]

You can fit a mesh over the end of your vacuum nozzle to avoid blockage in your hose.

[@TheAlpine49]

This was a great video. I'm a landscaper and have done thousands of holes. I 100% agree with you on a bar and shovel is the way to go. Post hole only the very bottom when it gets tough to get that last little bit out. Pressure washer would be a huge freaking mess I don't want on my projects.

[@FlyingBuzzard]

I have literally dug Thousands of post holes and I have used a post hole digger to do so, in rocky ground, wooded/root ground etc etc . I have had No issues doing so. If I come across a rock it can't handle, I bust it with a bar, if I come across to larger root, I cut it out and move on . I am far far older today, but If I had to dig a post hole I would still use a post hole digger would take me longer today, but would still get the job done.
because most individuals/home owners etc do not have access to a pressure washer/water/power when out in many areas of their properties or others properties.
Ur Welcome

[@rickrossi7471]

Great video. May seem obvious but very important tip is to place dug up soil in a neat pile and not too close to the hole. (You did) Makes backfilling much easier.

[@TheWadetube]

John Smith 7932 has good advice in using a length of 6 inch PVC to shroud your pressure washer. Some washers offer a swivel head design feature that may assist in cutting through the dirt in a circle. Also the vaccum hose could be fed through the top and used simultaneously.

[@hu5116]

I love your idea about using the pressure washer! A further suggestion. Instead of boring only one hole with the pressure washer, maybe drill one in the middle and then maybe 6-8 holes in a circumference around it. Then I’d bet you could take your post hole digger and make quick work of the remaining spoil, which should now be both soft and frackable. Thanks for the vid!

[@SWiFence]

It could work. I feel like you're going to have a lot of water in the hole at that point that isn't going to come out on the shovel so you're going to have to sit and wait for it to drain.

[@johnhavel7685]

As someone whose had to dig a number of postholes in my life especially in the heat I’d gladly use the shop vac method. Where I’m at it’s either tons of wet clay or gravel beds usually and digging with post hole diggers sucks and even two man augers suck I’d rather do it the easier way to save my back even if I get a bit more messy which really isn’t a big deal since I’m usually getting fairly dirty by the end of the day anyway and a saved back is far better than being worried about getting a bit muddy on my clothes which is easily cleaned after work

[@na2305]

Great video. Having a bar to break the dirt loose is key for sure. I admit, I have always used the bar method and cleaned it out with a post hole digger
I'll try the shovel method next time

[@danielcassel1059]

Quick tip to get more dirt out when using the post hole diggers: don't try to use it like a shovel, go down hole, expand handles to break soil apart, then thrust down hole again and again until you have a full scoop. This way you always come up with a full scoop and the soil will compress inside the jaws requiring handle angle.

[@BruceS42]

I've dug *way* too many post holes with the clamshells, and can't argue with anything he said about them. At one house, a neighbor wanted to replace the fence between our yards, and rather than using clamshells, he rented a two-man gas-powered auger. That did an outstanding job of digging a straight, round hole to the depth we needed. The soil there was mostly a mix of sand and heavy clay, with a few rocks, and it handled that well. I've also dug some with just a shovel, and hated that more than the clamshells. If I had to do a lot of post holes in the future, I think I'd go ahead and buy one of those augers. Otherwise, I'd rent one. The pressure-washer/shop-vac approach just seems way too messy, but if I had power out where I need to dig the holes, I would have to at least *try* that.

[@Dr.CandanEsin]

Logic coming from experience makes it highly digestible. I learned too many useful instructions. Thank you.

[@SWiFence]

You're welcome!

[@markjanowski1502]

I use a manual post hole auger. Once you get through the top layer, it can go really quick. If I hit rocks or really hard soil, I use a bar to loosen it up.

[@davids2530]

I have a 3” x 18” auger i use with a Dewalt 20v hammer drill. Works great for breaking up the soil and Georgia clay in the garden and for post holes. Just make sure to install the side grip bar into the drill. Hit a root and almost broke my wrist.

[@paulkelm6550]

Well done! Thanks. I've dug some holes with each method you showed today except the pressure washer and shop vac. I thought of using that method (on my own) for digging around gas or power lines. I'm happy to know that it's actually a known way to dig holes. Verifies my idea. Thanks again. Well spoken. Clearly shown, Great job!

[@SWiFence]

Thank you!

[@engnerdan]

My go to setup is a flower planting drill bit (3-4") and shop vac. Works great for post removal too when they are set bare. Add in your digging bar and it will go even faster and less mud.

[@The6Bird9]

Awesome video. I grew up on a farm. I tell my three boys the two job that I liked the least were stacking balls and setting wooden posts for (livestock) fencing. I agree with all of your thoughts and learned a couple of things. I thought your vacuum was a silly method until at the end you recommended it for digging around utilities. That is brilliant!
I love your matter of fact approach with your dry sense of humor. Very enjoyable to watch your videos. Keep it up!

[@robbysguitars8223]

I was a sign installer for a number of years and dug a lot of sign post holes. A pike and a 3:53 D handle shovel were my weapons of choice for Arizona caliche soil. The pike broke up the rockiest stuff and I used the shovel like a drill to form the hole. It worked pretty well, to my surprise.

[@ChrisUhlik]

That's a beautiful hole, and I'm very impressed that you can go 3ft deep and get such nice, straight sides with a shovel. Also, I learned something important with your pressure washer and vacuum demo. I'm going to fix my freeze-damaged sprinkler valves now.

[@TheseusTitan]

I dig a lot of holes and time is money. So I use a power auger. I also use a post hole digger and a bar. Typically, I use a post hole digger to remove loose dirt but sometimes to dig a little deeper. I use the bar, which is different than yours, to pry rocks out of the wall of the hole. We usually dig holes from 38” to 44” deep (depending).

[@jonhart8185]

When using the shop vac, reduce the nozzle inlet by a little, and it reduces the number of times debris will get stuck in the hose. With that model, you can use 2" husky no hub band with a small peice of 2" pvc, a 2x1 1/2 bell reducer and a 3' piece of 1 1/2 pipe. (Husky bands you can get in a plumbing supply store for about 9 bucks) This will both lengthen the depth that you can use it, and prevent it from getting clogged up as often
There are also ways to make the volume of the shop vac bigger, so you dont have to empty it as often.

[@jcsabolt2]

Having grown up on a farm, I’ve used a traditional post hole digger. However, most of the time we just used the auger on a 3-point hitch. For tamping, a pneumatic tamper is worth its weight in gold. Learned that by setting utility poles for the local power company. This was all like 30 years ago.

[@BadDadio]

Where I live, a digging bar and posthole digger are my primary tools for digging. They keep the sides straighter than using a shovel.
But I don’t dig 12” holes either.

[@TheGorf]

That's kind of interesting, talking about how you bail out the top of the hole and cover it with dirt. Where I'm at, code is that the concrete has to be at least flush with the ground. The winter rain will insta rot any type of wooden post that allows the moisture to sit up against it. We always set posts using tubes at the top so that you get a nice finished cap that's above grade.

[@metal_mo]

I've been digging holes by hand in hard dry clay for sonotube piers for my deck. I've been using those small cheap augers for a handheld drill and they work great for loosening up the top foot and a half of soil before digging it out.

[@user-ce8lr3ff6v]

We have the same clay in Colorado. Love my short handled, long bladed trenching shovel for breaking up the clay, and cutting through roots. Still need a spade shovel to get the dirt out. Years ago (early 80s) when I did sprinkler systems in Florida, we used a garden hose with 1/2" PVC rod and a vacuum. Even dug a well or two that way in Florida.

[@draytonkk]

tip with scoops too is replace handles with heavyweight 1 3/8 pipe to add weight to those scoop plunges, welded on of course then when you throw your scoops into the hole close then, pry to the side, then pull it out,

[@TonyUrryMakes]

Good lesson with bar and shovel. The pressure washer and vac is really good for when you don’t have clearance for a shovel or bar. I used that method to sink a 9 inch hole 3 feet in between a foundation and an AC unit. Messy- but quick, straight and relatively easy.

[@chrisbraswell8864]

Thanks, you have taught me something. I have a shovel, a bar, post hole diggers, shop vac and pressure washer, but I have to dig by the highway to put up a larger Mailbox and post. They packed this road with heavy machinery. The last hole took nearly half a day at 97 degrees. I believe I will just hire somebody to do it and watch from the camera from the living room on the big screen now.

[@annettesurfer]

I used a ridgid vac to extract dirt and rocks but without the pressure washer. Well I used a 2-person Earthquake power auger to get as deep as possible and vacuumed out the smaller boulders but some I have to bust with the bar. 42" is the frostline and code in Michigan but I always go 48" and add some gravel so the post has some drainage underneath. BTW, the inspector in my SE county doesn’t inspect the depth of the holes and was only concerned about where the fence was being installed. I found that odd but fine by me. I also kind of bar out a bell shape on the bottom and the vac helps pull that loose material out. It’s a pain to empty that vac but probably better dry than the slurry you had.
I see you have another video I plan to watch about 3 ways to set a fence. My way is not to use any concrete. Just packing around the post with something called a county mix, which appears to mostly be pulverized recycled concrete (the fines) that’s mixed with some not so pulverized recycled concrete. It almost seems to set-up like concrete. Well not really but it densely locks-in quite well. No post failures and it has been over 20 years. I’ve seen the concrete around treated posts crack, allowing water to pool inside and rot the post out at the ground level. I purchased the lot next door and decided to relocate the fence line between them and those 23 year old county-mix packed treated posts were still good.
I’m battling huge carpenter bees that bore tunnels under the treated rails and the treated posts, protected by the fence panels. The males fly around, menacing anyone in their area but can’t sting. The females in the tunnels are the stinging type. I just started spraying ‘em with Sevin attached to a garden hose and that seems to provide peace for a day until their replacements arrive. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen any for a week so maybe they’re finally defeated.

[@dallashill23]

I’ve seen plumbers use that water blasting and vacuuming trick to reveal pipes and this post digging method is pretty awesome

[@nicolausranker8521]

I use a combination of the digging bar, shovel, sharp shooter shovel and a shop vac. Works great.
The shop vac is also great when working around things like French drain pipes or downspout pipes. When working around pipes the dirt always wants to fall underneath making the pipe hump up. Just use the shop vac.

[@thorsten6422]

I'm in the middle of a bigger project. Was cool watching you guys do your thing.

[@SWiFence]

Thanks!

[@rockyroad7345]

I had a friend who dug a new hole for my mail box metal post and he used a very long paddle bit attached to a big drill and it went so fast! I have rock hard ground mixed with caliche with rocks and pebbles. It was amazing. No physical work or stress on the back.👍

[@melgueta1]

Excellent video and your efforts to show you different ways to dig. I like the idea of using the pressure washer for digging because of the amount of rocks I found when replacing a pole. I will give it a try next time.

[@benoitdesrochers1720]

Digging 40 inch deep holes, I found using a garden twist tiller loosens up the soil to be able to more easily pull it out using the post hole digger. Thank-fully no rocks. Thank-you for sharing your videos, learning a lot.

[@SWiFence]

You bet!

[@MatthewTaylorAu]

Solid content, minimal fat, quality information.
Some of the info might seem trivial to those with experience, this vid will save years of learning for many.

[@SWiFence]

Appreicate that!

[@HoosierDaddy_]

When I realized my pressure washer would burn right into dirt, I never looked back. It's messy, but man, does it work! Little auger for planting plants, pressure washer for post holes.

[@kevinbowker2385]

I didn't expect to enjoy a video about digging holes but it happened! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience.

[@SWiFence]

You're welcome! Thanks for enjoying it.