When I used to live in AZ a co-worker had the same problem
(minus the snowplows). He solved it by burying a railroad
rail in 6' of concrete. Combined with the hard soil composed
of several layers of caliche he had the proverbial immovable
object. The last I heard the score was: mailbox 2; drunks 0.
YMMV subject to local soil conditions, laws, etc.

Art

"Ignoramus5876" wrote in message
...
Our old mailbox was hit by cars, snowplows etc, too many times. It is
falling apart. (no foul play involved, just a lot of idiot drivers and
snowplow operators)

I made a swinging arm for a mailbox, so that when the mailbox is hit,
it swings away and then back.

So, now is the time for installing a new mailbox post. I bought a 30"
post support that is made to be beaten into the ground with a
sledgehammer. It is like an arrow with four fins.

I am now having second thoughts and am not sure if this is a good long
term solution. One of the reasons is that there is going to be quite a
bit of tipping moment due to a little longer swinging arm. (my guess
about 40-60 extra foot pounds of moment of force).

I want this mailbox to stay vertical and not "tip".

I live in Northern Illinois, so we have frequent freeze/unfreeze
cycles of soil.

So... What's a good way of mounting a mailbox post? Maybe I should set
that mailbox post support at least partially into concrete? (ie, digh
a shallow hole, beat it into the hole level with ground, and fill the
hole with concrete?

i