trg-s338 wrote:
Getting old, had bilateral Carpal Tunnel Syndrome surgery recently. I
therefore cannot use the post hole digger like I used to.

I've always hated using a post hole digger in hard clay. My grandfather
used the end of a heavy bar to break up the clay. I used to dump in a
bucket of water, return in an hour to remove the mud with a post hole
digger, and dump in more water.

A garden claw can make the job easier. It can be used as a sort of
drill. It has four tines and a handlebar a little like a bicycle. I
turn it to loosen the clay at the bottom of the hole, remove the loose
stuff with a post hole digger, and loosen some more with the claw. My
claw is three feet long.