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The time I tried digging post holes through what I thought was normal dirt... | Fence Erectors - The Community Guide

The time I tried digging post holes through what I thought was normal dirt...

I had a job last month over on Maple Drive where I was putting up a 6-foot cedar privacy fence. The ground looked fine at first, just regular soil with some grass on top. But about 2 feet down I hit this layer of heavy clay mixed with small rocks that just would not budge with my standard auger. I figured I could power through it in an afternoon, maybe 3 hours tops for all 12 holes. Ended up spending almost 9 hours total swapping between a digging bar, a clamshell digger, and even trying to chip away at it with a pickaxe. My back was shot by the end and I still had to tamp everything down the next day. Has anyone else run into surprise rock clay layers that turned a simple fence job into a whole weekend thing?

2 comments

2 Comments

elliot_king2mo ago

Tbh that clay and rock mix is brutal, I've been there. A standard auger is useless once you hit that stuff, you need a heavy duty gas powered one or a manual post hole digger with sharpened edges to chip through it. I've found soaking the ground overnight with water helps soften the clay before you start, saves your back from all that pickaxe work.

cameronwest2mo ago

I'll be honest, that thing you said about soaking the ground overnight with water - I used to think that was a waste of time because I figured it would just turn the top into mud while the clay underneath stayed hard. But after fighting with this one spot in my yard for three days straight, I finally tried it and it made a huge difference. I mean the clay actually softened enough that the manual digger could bite in instead of just bouncing off. Idk why I was so stubborn about it for years, but now I kick myself for all the time I wasted with dry clay and a sore back. You're totally right that it saves you from that pickaxe work, which is the worst part of any digging job in my experience.