post hole digger

andrewf75

I need to put up one 6ft free standing trellis panel so need to sink 2 posts, which will be concreted in. Is a post hole digger absolutely essential or can I dig a 2ft deep hole with a normal garden spade?

Cheers!

Dan-Dan

Personally Andrew , i always use a hole digger, less mess , tidier and just less aggro for the back!

andrewf75

I know its going to be easier, I just want to know if I can get away with it for 2 holes!

MX5huggy

You'll get away with it the holes could end up bigger than needed using more post fix, hope your using postfix it really is a time saver. I would also kneel down with a simple garden hand trowel to get the depth without the width getting too big.

andrewf75

MX5huggy wrote: »

You'll get away with it the holes could end up bigger than needed using more post fix, hope your using postfix it really is a time saver. I would also kneel down with a simple garden hand trowel to get the depth without the width getting too big.

Good point, yep using postcrete so I'll get some extra. I think the soil is pretty easy so should be OK and I'm not in any rush.

andyhop

Post diggers are great . I normally knock them in with a lump hammer . Can get down 600mm in less than 5 mins

Ectophile

If the soil's OK, it's certainly possible to dig a 2 foot hole with a normal spade. It's slow work, and you'll most likely end up laying on the ground scooping out soil with your hands at the end. But I've done it for posts in the past.

wrightk

youll be fine i once did a 60ft run of closeboard with just a spade (10-11 posts,rails,around 150 fe boards) took me 4 days :P now i know better and can do it all in 2

srm1

Not sure how this fits in with your plans....

I would suggest using concrete posts and a concrete gravel board.
This lasts far longer than softwood posts and the fence panel resting on the soil.

Davesnave

andyhop wrote: »

Post diggers are great . I normally knock them in with a lump hammer . Can get down 600mm in less than 5 mins

I presume you mean the middle one of these?
http://www.screwfix.com/search?search=post+hole+digger&cm_mmc=Google-_-Landscaping%20and%20Outdoor%20-%20Gardening%20Hand%20Tools%20and%20Grow%20Your%20Own%20-%20Generic-_-Garden%20Hand%20Tools%20-%20Post%20Hole%20Digger-_-post%20hole%20digger&gclid=CMuP0OCOgMgCFUsYGwod7lYD1w
People who Google may only get the other ones, which I've found pretty useless

andrewf75

srm1 wrote: »

Not sure how this fits in with your plans....

I would suggest using concrete posts and a concrete gravel board.
This lasts far longer than softwood posts and the fence panel resting on the soil.

Its actually just a trellis panel to be a sort of divide at the back of a flower bed. Plan is to have a gap underneath anyway, no need for a gravel board.