On 14/04/2013 14:13, polygonum wrote:
On 14/04/2013 13:46, charles wrote:
In article om,
dennis@home wrote:
On 14/04/2013 10:44, charles wrote:
In article m,
dennis@home wrote:

8

You don't usually need concrete at all for fence posts. If the hole
doesn't collapse when you dig it a bit of gravel compacted around it
works fine. You don't see many telephone poles concreted in.

True, but they tend to go in far deeper and the hole is machine made.
When the hole has to be dug with a spade there is a large void round
the post. Gravel tends to migrate into the surrounding soil.


The holes are frequently hand dug with a post hole tool. If you use the
auger on loose soil the hole collapses and you can't get the pole to
stay up.

AIUI they dig with post hole tool until they hit clay and then use the
auger. If they don't hit clay they dig it all by hand.

Its actually quite easy to dig a neat hole with a post hole tool unless
you hit lots of rocks/house bricks.

or flints

Especially when the flints are the best part of a foot across.

DAMHIKT

It depends on the unknown :-) I have just used an auger in decent soils
.....for the first 16 inches then one hole had a large piece of slab,
another had 2 bricks and another had a wall buried.
Unless you have known issues (like flint) then its pot luck.
Having said that I found the auger much quicker,neater and less work
than digging.