I was sure my old fence was fine until last Tuesday

We got that heavy wind storm in the afternoon and a whole 12-foot section just tipped over into my neighbor's yard. It was the original cedar from 1998, and the posts were completely rotted below ground. I spent the next three days digging out concrete and setting new pressure-treated 4x4s. Has anyone had luck with those post hole digger attachments for a drill, or is a manual clamshell still the way to go?

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3 Comments

the_thomas7mo ago

That drill attachment is a total waste of money for fence posts. It just spins and makes a mess in anything but perfect sand. I went back to my manual clamshell digger and got the job done right.

8

blake4287mo ago

Used to swear by those auger attachments until I hit rocky clay. Total disaster that cost me half a day. The old manual digger is slow but it actually works.

3

the_james6mo ago

Man, that "spins and makes a mess" line is too real. Everyone forgets about the cleanup. Those augers leave the hole walls slick as glass, so your concrete doesn't bond right. With a manual digger you get rough sides for a way better grip. I'd rather be slow and steady than have a wobbly post in two years.

6