Found a trick for setting posts in rocky soil without a digger

Been working a job up near Flagstaff last week and the ground is basically solid rock mixed with gravel. My normal auger kept bouncing off and I was getting nowhere. Tried filling the hole with water and letting it soak overnight before digging, and it softened the clay enough to get through. Has anyone else used this trick for tough soil or do you just switch to a different method entirely?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_amy22d ago

I used to think soaking the ground was just for farmers or something, totally different from our rocky mess. But after fighting with a post hole near Sedona where the auger just smoked and bounced, I tried the overnight water trick and it was a whole different world the next morning. The clay turned into almost like a thick mud and I could actually get a shovel in there without wanting to throw it. It's not magic for solid rock but for that hard-packed clay mixed with gravel, it's honestly the only way I'll do it now without breaking tools.

ryan65322d ago

Damn, just dumping water in and waiting overnight actually works? I've been out there cussing at rocks for hours like an idiot.