A trick for setting posts in rocky ground without a proper auger

Had a job last month in a hilly part of town where the soil was basically all small rocks and gravel. My normal post hole digger was useless, and I didn't have a power auger on the truck that day. I was about to call it and come back with the right gear, but I remembered an old timer telling me to use a pointed digging bar and a garden hose. I drove the bar in to break things up, then shoved the hose down the hole and turned the water on full blast. The water washed all the loose gravel and dirt up and out of the hole, leaving a clean, deep cavity for the concrete. It took about 15 minutes per hole, but it saved the whole day. Anyone else have a weird trick for dealing with bad ground?

3 comments

3 Comments

logan63224d agoMost Upvoted

I mean, that water trick can really mess with your concrete mix ratio though.

gray_roberts23d agoMost Upvoted

That water trick is a solid save when you're stuck. Logan632 has a point about the mix, but a little extra water in the hole dries out fast in the sun. Better than no post at all.

luna7516d ago

Honestly used to worry about the ratio too. Then I saw how quick it sets up in dry heat, and it made sense. Sometimes a working post beats a perfect mix.