2 smoke hole borer

[Kram]

I need to make 10-15 deep holes in the garden for concrete fence posts, and we have hard clay soil. I dont think it will be very easy with just one of these www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272779405831 so I looking at a powered option.

Are these any good? www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301858429008 LTS are the cheapest but I wont buy from them again after the spool gun rubbish www.ebay.co.uk/itm/382238919764

I need 8" holes for 4" square posts?

Im thinking the engine might also be good for other things, like core drill in concrete or large hole saws? so I don't mind buying a more expensive one. I've never used 2 stroke before, not even a bike so anything I need to be aware of, other than oil?

 

[ratherbewindsurfing]

Never used a petrol borer but I would think they would take some hanging on to if the ground is hard or you hit a root.

For 10 to 15 holes I'd go for:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wooden-Ha...570612?hash=item2a8545ccf4:g:wZQAAOSw8d5ZRPtp


Don't forget to check for cables and pipes before digging

 

[Luke]

My experience of hanging on to one with approx 3' handles with someone else means that I wouldn't consider anything with shorter handles. They take some hanging on to!

 

[angellonewolf]

I need to make 10-15 deep holes in the garden for concrete fence posts, and we have hard clay soil. I dont think it will be very easy with just one of these www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272779405831 so I looking at a powered option.

Are these any good? www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301858429008 LTS are the cheapest but I wont buy from them again after the spool gun rubbish www.ebay.co.uk/itm/382238919764

I need 8" holes for 4" square posts?

Im thinking the engine might also be good for other things, like core drill in concrete or large hole saws? so I don't mind buying a more expensive one. I've never used 2 stroke before, not even a bike so anything I need to be aware of, other than oil?

there has been a few people on hear ask about these before and a few video of people using them and flying around if you hit a stone or very hard ground your the one that goes flying

thought about a spade depending on how meny you got to do

 

[pedrobedro]

I've got one of those manual post holers and if your ground is hard you need to loosen it up and just use the post holer to lift the spoil out. Get a proper posting spade if you are only doing 15 holes they are not hard work even in rough ground.

 

[angellonewolf]

15 holes they are not hard work even in rough ground.

i beg to differ on that if you are used to manual laber you will be fine if not you might have a few sore mussels for a few days but better than being hit by a petrol borer at high speed

 

[Shox Dr]

I'd hire Hire one. You'd have it done in a weekend going easy.

 

[tom 748]

hire one ,will save you a lot of time,got a petrol one and can dig a hole ,fit post in 5 mins

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

By a graft and post shovel and crack on. Clay is far easier to dig holes in with a graft than hole borer. Half hour a hole if you've got the knack.

http://tate-fencing.co.uk/product/griffin-fencing-graft/

 

[angellonewolf]

i got a post hole digger thats quite good

https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p5...MIhbvf36XN1gIVzLztCh3YrgRVEAQYAiABEgIuP_D_BwE

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Always known the above as a hole/post shovel. Graft to break it up. With good technique you should be able to pull big chunks out with it as it sticks to the blade and the post shovels to clean it fully.
Dug 4' holes with the above method in clay.

 

[steveo3002]

i used the manual corkscrew type jobbie earlier this year , along with a narrow spade its no real bother at all , also have a hefty bar for breaking stones etc

 

[Windy Miller]

I dug 2 holes today about 8" square by about 2 foot deep using a long heavy breaker bar, a trenching shovel and a post hole digger to lift out the spoils. Took about 20 mins each and that was without rushing. No bother at all.

Personally I'd not want to use a petrol powered auger thing - they look well scary when they dig in! I found it quite refreshing doing a bit of graft!

 

[GW8IZR]

The title of the thread had me thinking of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels which I now plan to watch tonight ;-)

I do believe the grafter is a safer tool than a powered auger unless its a stuffing great big one mounted to a tractor, I have been flung about by one.

However unless this is a regular job in which case you need a better one than the ebay ad, I would just hire one.

 

[slimjim]

I always use a shovola, with a spit to break the clay loose.

 

[addjunkie]

A 2 m pinch bars is also a good help with the post two handed job, just drive it in an wiggle breaking up stones etc to get you initial hole to depth. Then you know the post will go in before you start digging.

 

[jordan1]

Just get a decent Grafter spade, don't get complicated and make a big job of it.
I would also get a 5ft chisel & point steel bar for any stone you may come across.

 

[Kram]

For the price of hiring may aswell just buy, its almost the same price. We want to do the job over several weekends too.

I tried to dig a test hole with a normal 6" wide shovel. Seems good enough, then I hit brick. Im told the original builders dumped a load of half bricks but should only be near the first hole.

Couldnt find any fail videos on yt worth watching, but lots of people riding hire machines and getting thrown off.

 

[Kram]

We got the hole borer and a decent grafter spade. Spade is pretty useless when we hit the clay. The drill goes through it like butter! Good fun to use and perfectly safe, just takes a few pulls to start.

We cant get the old metal post spikes out! They are 30" long. Drill goes only 24" deep. We have drilled and dug all around, smashed, turned and pulled on them with sledge hammer and a long pry bar. The first finally fatigued about 12" below the surface, but after half a day there are 4 more. And a small stumpy tree.

Any ideas?

 

[Robotstar5]

We got the hole borer and a decent grafter spade. Spade is pretty useless when we hit the clay. The drill goes through it like butter! Good fun to use and perfectly safe, just takes a few pulls to start.

We cant get the old metal post spikes out! They are 30" long. Drill goes only 24" deep. We have drilled and dug all around, smashed, turned and pulled on them with sledge hammer and a long pry bar. The first finally fatigued about 12" below the surface, but after half a day there are 4 more. And a small stumpy tree.

Any ideas?

I've used a hi-lift (farm) jack with a chain wrapped round stubborn sapling/shrubbery roots to pull them out.