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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Slipus on October 27, 2013, 08:34:07 PM

Title: Easiest Way to Dig post holes
Post by: Slipus on October 27, 2013, 08:34:07 PM
Hey All,

My Son showed me the easiest way ever to did a post ... a pressure cleaner (Gerni)

All you do is use the wand and just press it in to the dirt and repeat, then scoop out the slush.

I have clay soil, but with my small cleaner takes 5 - 10 minutes to dig a post hole and I didn't even raise a sweat.

cheers

Pete
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Did post holes
Post by: Socks on October 27, 2013, 08:37:04 PM
3 weeks too late fir this info. We battled with the clay and a post hole digger for about 40min I reckon lol


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Title: Re: Easiest Way to Did post holes
Post by: Brumbypt on October 27, 2013, 08:52:07 PM
what a great idea..

I know up north the ground is so hard that you have to soak the area just to pound in a star picket. And the same if you wanna get it out, if you can.

down here I usually start the hole, then let is soak over night half filled with water..

thats in the summer anyway.


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Title: Re: Easiest Way to Did post holes
Post by: Beatle on October 27, 2013, 09:07:44 PM
That might come in handy Pete.  I blew up my ebay post hole digger, luckily just after completing my 90M of fencing.  But I still have retaining walls to install.  I just bought a good used professional grade Karcher so maybe I don't need a new post hole digger!!     I'm thinking I'll need a raincoat though......

I recall digging a hole to relocate my letterbox when we lived in Katherine.  No word of a lie, the crowbar left black marks on the clay soil but barely took a handful of soil each strike !!!  I was pretty fit back then and digging a 300mm deep hole bloody near killed me >:(
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Did post holes
Post by: austastar on October 27, 2013, 09:13:47 PM
Hi,
  Our local council had to dig down to repair our water pipe in clay soil.
One chap had a mega powerful water jet, the other had a huge suction hose to a vacuum truck.
It did the job so easily, and no risk to the pipes.


Slightly different.


A friend tied the motorised hole digger to the tynes on his fork lift. He had to tow the forklift into position with a 4wd, but that just added to the fun.


cheers
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Did post holes
Post by: Rumpig on October 27, 2013, 09:18:51 PM
Hi,
  Our local council had to dig down to repair our water pipe in clay soil.
One chap had a mega powerful water jet, the other had a huge suction hose to a vacuum truck.
It did the job so easily, and no risk to the pipes.


the local power company does the same thing here in Brisbane also, i watched them replacing power poles in the street outside of work earlier this year, and that's exactly how they did it aswell.
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Did post holes
Post by: dooguss on October 27, 2013, 09:20:40 PM
Every hole we dig at enoggera army barracks is done that way massive vaccum trucks. Truck comes in with a powerful pressure washer and a large vacuum hose on it, 1 bloke blasts the ground while his mate sucks out the mud. Dirty muddy wet job but it saves machinery breaking important communication lines on base.
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Did post holes
Post by: 2003gxl on October 27, 2013, 09:57:34 PM
I'll have to remember this, had to dig 3 holes today for plants and used crow bar , then soak with water then manual post hole digger. I might even get the gernie out tomorrow just to try it out  :cheers:
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Dig post holes
Post by: Steffo1 on October 28, 2013, 08:06:56 AM
What a great idea, if you're on reticulated water!
Unfortunately some of us aren't & the tanks are getting down. :'(
Steve
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Dig post holes
Post by: GGV8Cruza on October 28, 2013, 08:09:28 AM
Most of the power companies are installing the poles the same way in the city. We had one installed on the last project and its quick and easy and there is also less damage to the remaining infrastructure, excavators and post diggers make light work of any cables or pipes in the ground

GG
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Dig post holes
Post by: sparksy on October 28, 2013, 09:23:20 AM
We are getting underground power in our area, the contractors are using a large truck mounted "super sucker" Vacuum and hose to dig out the pits. Sucks out the sand so no damage to existing pipes and cables then dumps sand out into neat pile.
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Dig post holes
Post by: Steffo1 on October 28, 2013, 09:55:14 AM
"Potholing" I think the term is!
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Dig post holes
Post by: Pipeliner on October 28, 2013, 12:00:33 PM
In the pipeline industry this has become the standard way of exposing existing infrastructure (pipes, cables, etc) using a high pressure water jet and a vacuum truck to expose the buried services:  that way you ensure that no-one with a backhoe or and excavator (or even a sharp shovel!) is going to damage your asset.

I've also seen it done using high pressure steam instead of water - in Canada in temperatures of -30C!
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Dig post holes
Post by: edz on October 28, 2013, 07:28:41 PM
Just dont be temped to get heavy handed and jam the nozzle in the bottom of the hole too hard, lots of fine grit / sand  clogs up the nozzle adjuster  ;D .. took me a while to get it to work again after puting in the hills hoist .
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Dig post holes
Post by: Dion on October 28, 2013, 07:34:07 PM
May put a few cable locators (backhoe operators) out of business ...
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Dig post holes
Post by: GGV8Cruza on October 28, 2013, 08:13:50 PM
And one more trick in case your putting posts in for a pier, compressed air will sink a post into sand under water

GG
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Dig post holes
Post by: Barrabart on October 29, 2013, 08:45:20 AM
Just go down to Bunnings, they sell pre dug post holes............................. normally they are near the left hand screwdrivers.  ;D
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Dig post holes
Post by: Burga on October 29, 2013, 09:57:03 AM
Just go down to Bunnings, they sell pre dug post holes............................. normally they are near the left hand screwdrivers.  ;D

Is that in the same aisle as "a can of compression", "pound of emery" and a "long weight"  ;D   ;D
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Dig post holes
Post by: Barry G on October 29, 2013, 10:57:05 AM
Is that in the same aisle as "a can of compression", "pound of emery" and a "long weight"  ;D   ;D
Just look for the polka dot paint, post holes are in the bay immediately to the right.
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Dig post holes
Post by: Alan Loy on October 29, 2013, 11:06:07 AM
Just look for the polka dot paint, post holes are in the bay immediately to the right.

I thought that that was where they kept the striped paint  >:D
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Dig post holes
Post by: Burga on October 29, 2013, 06:25:16 PM
I thought that that was where they kept the striped paint  >:D

the striped paint in on the other side of the "bottle of sparks"   ;D
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Dig post holes
Post by: oldmate on October 29, 2013, 06:35:32 PM
Is that in the same aisle as "a can of compression", "pound of emery" and a "long weight"  ;D   ;D

Nope. You can get the long weight at any of the registers.  ;D
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Dig post holes
Post by: Rumpig on October 29, 2013, 06:39:26 PM
Nope. You can get the long weight at any of the registers.  ;D
that's why you use the tool counter to pay for stuff there.  ;)
Title: Re: Easiest Way to Dig post holes
Post by: oldmate on October 29, 2013, 06:58:14 PM
that's why you use the tool counter to pay for stuff there.  ;)

Yeah, ok when you have a small amount of items with barcodes, but go there and tell the person, oh yeah. Have 3 70 35 @ 5.4 and 3 gyprok 24 12 10 and they look a you like you talk another language  ;D ;D