Debate: predrilling post holes vs just using a digger in rocky soil

I spent 4 hours on 3 posts last week near Springfield because I refused to predrill in gravelly clay. My partner swore it would save time, but the digger just kept bouncing off rocks. Would predrilling have been faster or just added another step?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_fiona22d ago

Dropped my coffee when I read that you spent 4 hours on just 3 posts. That's brutal. I hit a similar patch of bedrock up near the lake last spring and my poor old digger just screamed at me for 20 minutes. Ended up using a manual post hole digger and a shovel for two of them because the rock kept throwing the machine around like a toy. Predrilling might have been smart but honestly who wants to haul another tool out there

abby_king2222d ago

Take the drill every time in rocky soil. I spent two hours last month trying to muscle posts into a hillside full of chert and ended up burning out my digger's clutch. After that I went back with a rented rotary hammer and a big bit, drilled eight holes in under an hour, and used a bar to break up the worst spots. That extra step is annoying but it beats wrecking your machine or your back.