fence post elecctric auger

[Agroshield]

If the ground is hard, maybe a diamond or TCT core bit would cut a cylinder free from the surrounding earth, and it would then be easier to break it up with a bar. Hoover might be an option for removing the debris (vaccum excavation is a big thing these days).

 

[rtcosic]

....

A wet/dry vacuum might work well for dirt extraction, I never tried it.

I use a manual auger and a 'pinch bar' older than I am, courtesy of the NCB, to dig holes through clay and the remains of the old dairy courtyard under my garden.

I then use a wet and dry vacuum to remove the spoil. Those spade things are useless for digging through the stone and clay and equally useless at removing the fine sand.
The wet and dry has enough 'suck' to hold a half brick to bring it to the surface.
Using the extension tubes intended for the floor cleaning attachment together with the flexible hose, I have successfully cleaned out holes 750mm deep.

EtA: Elsewhere, I have used a 1m long 22mm masonry bit in a cheap Screwfix hammer drill to make the initial pilot hole. I ran into issues once when I neatly drilled through a flat stone the size of a car tyre near the bottom of the hole without realising. It took many strokes of the pinchbar before I realised what had gone wrong. I drilled a few more holes and was eventually able to break out a large enough pilot hole, but didn't try the auger!

SWMBO was most impressed and borrowed the drill and bit to make 22mm diameter holes to plant stuff in the border.

 

[Agroshield]

You are correct about the hole diggers I too grab the last bits out by hand.

I wonder if one of those things for cleaning drains would work better - it looks like an ice cream scoop but with a vertical handle.

Drain Cleaning and Rods - Gulley Grabs & Stone Pickers - Wardsflex

www.wardsflex.co.uk

The stone picker might also have some possibilities.

 

[pedrobedro]

The post rammer I made from a bit of circa 5'' dia. pipe,

CO2 cylinder with the valve end cut off

 

[8ob]

No single post hole tool is good for everything, machine mounted auger is great in soft ground, in hard ground they tend to wander off and you then need three times the amount of concrete around the post. A long heavy steel spike and the post hole spades are good for most ground conditions, at least by hand you can minimise spoils and concrete use.

Bob

 

[gaz1]

in rough ground pole and post hole tool is pretty useless

i often use the long drills 1m and 5-600mm long stone bits to predrill the ground why struggle when you can drill the ground

but my advice is multi drill your holes

 

[123hotchef]

in rough ground pole and post hole tool is pretty useless

i often use the long drills 1m and 5-600mm long stone bits to predrill the ground why struggle when you can drill the ground

but my advice is multi drill your holes

what kina diameter drill bits?