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Post holes with a drill...

Moze

Moze

Active Member
This obviously won't work in every situation, but should do the trick for most installs around here when only needing to dig two or three holes. Anything over that and I'll use a tow-behind auger.

In the video, I'm using a 6" auger with a 24" blade height. If needing a 10" or 12" diameter hole, I would still start with the 6" and just work up to the larger sizes.

The spot I was drilling is pretty close to a couple of large Crape Myrtle trees and it was getting into some of the roots.

Anyway, a 6" x 24" hole in under a minute isn't bad.


20200812_170317.jpg
 
N

netsol

Premium Subscriber
moze, in the realworld this is the minimum
you have fairly soft soil, I suppose
i have tried using my weka drill in a pinch, which can drill 18" concrete cores & it simply doesn't have the power to drill somevof the spots you will run in to

in the mid 1960's some poor fool put a chain link fence around my parent's property

he broke 4 industrial diamond bits, then brought in a crew who spent 3.days hand digging the remaining holes

https://www.harborfreight.com/gas-powered-earth-auger-56257.html
 
Texas_Signmaker

Texas_Signmaker

Very Active Signmaker
I duno if I'd call the dirt around here soft. It hasn't rained around here for a while so the dirt is dry as hell. I wonder how that does in the caliche
 
Moze

Moze

Active Member
netsol said:
moze, in the realworld this is the minimum
you have fairly soft soil, I suppose
i have tried using my weka drill in a pinch, which can drill 18" concrete cores & it simply doesn't have the power to drill somevof the spots you will run in to

in the mid 1960's some poor fool put a chain link fence around my parent's property

he broke 4 industrial diamond bits, then brought in a crew who spent 3.days hand digging the remaining holes

https://www.harborfreight.com/gas-powered-earth-auger-56257.html
Click to expand...

Real world? Minimum? I'm not sure what you're getting at, sorry. This is completely different than core-drilling concrete and there's absolutely nothing soft about North Texas dirt. The dirt I went through is extremely hard and compact. If it looked easy in the video, it's because it did a good job.....not because the dirt is soft.

I started the post by saying this wouldn't be for every situation. But I've dug my share of holes around here and as stated, this will work for most situations.

I'm not running anything gas powered unless, as mentioned, I'm drilling more than three holes. That's my "by-hand" limit.
 
Texas_Signmaker

Texas_Signmaker

Very Active Signmaker
Our dirt is hard, not soft... until it rains and becomes tar... then you can accumulate 50 lbs. of it at the bottom of your shoes.
 
N

netsol

Premium Subscriber
moze
i just watched this video, about the flexvolt system




i am still of the opinion that every tool i own, i should have a corded & a cordless version of

i am willing to be proven wrong, we have quite a few cordless tools, but most of them are something of a disappointment.

i may get a recip saw as a start on a whole new collection of cordless tools, if this pans out
 
Moze

Moze

Active Member
What cordless tools do you have that are disappointments? I'm genuinely curious.

For most corded tools, there is now a better, stronger, faster, lighter, more efficient, quieter, easier to transport (one or more may apply) cordless tool on the market. It's getting to the point that there's really no reason to have a tool with a cord hanging off of it. Yard equipment, construction-related tools, job site lighting, dust management....you name it and there's probably a cordless solution - often one that's superior to corded.

There are obviously exceptions, but for the most part, cordless is king.
 
Texas_Signmaker

Texas_Signmaker

Very Active Signmaker
netsol said:
moze
i just watched this video, about the flexvolt system




i am still of the opinion that every tool i own, i should have a corded & a cordless version of

i am willing to be proven wrong, we have quite a few cordless tools, but most of them are something of a disappointment.

i may get a recip saw as a start on a whole new collection of cordless tools, if this pans out
Click to expand...

If you are disappointed w/ cordless then you have old cordless stuff. The new stuff is just a good.
netsol said:
moze
i just watched this video, about the flexvolt system




i am still of the opinion that every tool i own, i should have a corded & a cordless version of

i am willing to be proven wrong, we have quite a few cordless tools, but most of them are something of a disappointment.

i may get a recip saw as a start on a whole new collection of cordless tools, if this pans out
Click to expand...

I got rid of all my corded tools except for a circular saw which I haven't used since I got the battery powered one. I also got rid of my generator that took an hour to start everytime. There is no need for any of that with what I do.

What I'm really impressed with is the longevity of the batteries. I've had some of the same batteries for almost 5 years and none of them are showing signs of weakness.
 
N

netsol

Premium Subscriber
Moze said:
What cordless tools do you have that are disappointments? I'm genuinely curious.

For most corded tools, there is now a better, stronger, faster, lighter, more efficient, quieter, easier to transport (one or more may apply) cordless tool on the market. It's getting to the point that there's really no reason to have a tool with a cord hanging off of it. Yard equipment, construction-related tools, job site lighting, dust management....you name it and there's probably a cordless solution - often one that's superior to corded.

There are obviously exceptions, but for the most part, cordless is king.[/QUO


you got my attention, i ordered one of those drills

we have the corded/cordless debate EVERY DAY

a long time (50 yrs) friend is working with me setting up the new shop.
he took a few days and helped me build a new deck last year, when i decided i would rather tackle that project than take a week at the shore

the corded/cordless debate started then
Click to expand...
Texas_Signmaker said:
:roflmao: actually yes, with a new york accent
Click to expand...


tex/moze

we are just going to have to agree to disagree on this,
it has nothing to do with the age/quality of MY CORDLESS TOOLS

the manufacturers agree with me, MARKETING VIDEOS ASIDE

your dewalt provides 140 newton meters of torque

my old hole hawg, a milwaukee with a cord, after converting ft/lb to Nm comes in at 623 Nm

compared to the harbor freight (cheap chinese crap) 2 hp gas operated auger, the hole hawg is a childs toy & it has 4 times the torque of your drill



there are no warnings that there must be 2 men holding on to the handles to operate any of these drills, in case they bind while you are drilling


that being said, i did order one from an online dewalt reseller, it really looks like a great piece of equpment (i love my toys)
 
Moze

Moze

Active Member
Not sure what we're even disagreeing on, but ok.

Not sure what cordless tools you have that have been disappointments because you won't say.

Not sure where you got the torque specs from (nor do they tell the whole story of how well a tool performs anyway....) because DeWalt hasn't published them to my knowledge.

Not sure why you would think two people would be needed on the DeWalt drill when one of the key features is the e-clutch which counteracts bind up (and is clearly shown in the video).
 
Billct2

Billct2

Active Member
Digging holes in New England 40 years and it's hardly ever easy, except near the beach or old river bottom. Tried one/two man gas augers but they just want to break your wrist when they hang up. The only sure method is a tow behind auger, but need a bogl job for those. We do have a job right now where we ran into the worst circumstances, old sidewalk/foundation/construction debris a foot below the surface. Renting a jack hammer for this one.
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Well, to each their own and what one feels comfortable using, let alone investing in. However, I would say if you're making a video, you should at least wear proper fitting clothing and shoes. Not to mention safety glasses. Otherwise, you'll be a tool, if seen by the wrong people.
 
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