On 3/24/2019 1:38 PM, Oren wrote:
On Sun, 24 Mar 2019 10:40:33 -0500, Terry Coombs
wrote:

Â* 9" in diameter big holes . Thru rocky ground with a lot of roots .
And 24" deep , but I didn't do it by hand this time , I rented a powered
auger .Â* Things I learned include when you feel the auger start bumping
get it outta the hole NOW ! Rocks usually just stop the machine from
drilling deeper , but a root can and will trap the auger and suck it
down faster than it can dig , stalling the machine . Then ya gotta
uncouple the power head (this is driven via a drive cable and torque arm
to a worm and pinion) from the auger and use a wrench to reverse it out
of the hole . Don't forget to cut that root before you continue ... any
way , the reason for this task is to build a carport structure over our
camper . It'll be 12' wide and 11' tall clear dimensions , and 30 feet
long to accommodate the camper and both Harleys . That's bigger than
needed for the camper both wide and tall , but we're considering moving
up to an RV in the future , it's going to be big enough for anything but
a Class A (I think that's the big'uns) which is way bigger than we're
considering . And my back still hurts , but nowhere near as much as if
I'd dug those holes by hand .
I know about roots

As a teen ~15, I helped to clear 5 acres of land with palmetto roots
and stands. Had a plow blade on a tractor. Got the blade stuck bad.
Could not move back or forth. I shut the tractor down and waited for
help.

The thing about this unit is that it's uncontrolled gravity feed . By
the time I finished my 8th hole I had it figured out . You brace your
leg under the torque rod and pull the thing out of the ground far enough
to clear some dirt from it every few inches . Takes some of the load off
and makes it much easier to control . Here's a link to the ad for this
unit: https://www.littlebeaver.com/product...-earth-drills/ The
head with a 9" auger weighs probably 75-80 pounds .

--
Snag
Yes , I'm old
and crochety - and armed .
Get outta my woods !