Firepit - Dug Post Holes
2010
Saturday, September 25
At about 4:30 pm Tim and I had gone to Home Depot and rented a 2 person auger. For all those who don't know what an auger is, it's a giant drill used to dig post holes in the ground. A 2 person power auger has 4 handles, 2 for each person.
We rented it cause I figured it would be a lot faster than digging 18 holes manually. It had taken 4 adults, switching off, and an entire day and part of the next day to dig 16 holes, for the deck, with a manual antique ager. Because I just wanted to get it done, I figured a power auger was the way to go.
Well, let me tell you about our experience....lol. First off, they did not build those things for small people, such as myself. Second, one person had to pull the cord, while the other turned the throttle handle. It wouldn't start unless the handle was turned, which meant that it started drilling right away. Before Tim and I knew it, that auger bit was 2 feet in the ground and stuck in the dense clay. When it got stuck, the torc from it cause Tim to fly one way and me the other....lol. Now I can laugh about it....at the time both of us were frustrated.
To our surprise, it did not have a locking mechanism, so that you could lock the bit and spin it out of the hole. It did not have a reverse either....so that auger bit was stuck.
After admitting defeat, I called my Dad for help. He came with a pile wrench and Tim slowly turned it manually out of the ground.
From that we learned very quickly that # 1 - you have to lift the auger a bit when starting so it doesn't catch and drill right now.....# 2 - You need to put it down maybe 8-10 inches and then lift it out of the hole to unplug the drilled earth out of the way....and # 3.....it's starts to become very heavy and daunting after about 2 holes of dense clay.
After Tim and my Dad started most of the holes, my Dad called my bother and "fatherly" asked him to come help his sister....lol. Tim and my Brian then were doing it for a bit, then my Dad had a plan. He said "hey...there are 4 handles...and there are 4 of us.....everyone grab a handle". So, that's how we finished it....all 4 of us had a handle and finished the rest of the holes together.
Saturday, September 25
At about 4:30 pm Tim and I had gone to Home Depot and rented a 2 person auger. For all those who don't know what an auger is, it's a giant drill used to dig post holes in the ground. A 2 person power auger has 4 handles, 2 for each person.
We rented it cause I figured it would be a lot faster than digging 18 holes manually. It had taken 4 adults, switching off, and an entire day and part of the next day to dig 16 holes, for the deck, with a manual antique ager. Because I just wanted to get it done, I figured a power auger was the way to go.
Well, let me tell you about our experience....lol. First off, they did not build those things for small people, such as myself. Second, one person had to pull the cord, while the other turned the throttle handle. It wouldn't start unless the handle was turned, which meant that it started drilling right away. Before Tim and I knew it, that auger bit was 2 feet in the ground and stuck in the dense clay. When it got stuck, the torc from it cause Tim to fly one way and me the other....lol. Now I can laugh about it....at the time both of us were frustrated.
To our surprise, it did not have a locking mechanism, so that you could lock the bit and spin it out of the hole. It did not have a reverse either....so that auger bit was stuck.
After admitting defeat, I called my Dad for help. He came with a pile wrench and Tim slowly turned it manually out of the ground.
From that we learned very quickly that # 1 - you have to lift the auger a bit when starting so it doesn't catch and drill right now.....# 2 - You need to put it down maybe 8-10 inches and then lift it out of the hole to unplug the drilled earth out of the way....and # 3.....it's starts to become very heavy and daunting after about 2 holes of dense clay.
After Tim and my Dad started most of the holes, my Dad called my bother and "fatherly" asked him to come help his sister....lol. Tim and my Brian then were doing it for a bit, then my Dad had a plan. He said "hey...there are 4 handles...and there are 4 of us.....everyone grab a handle". So, that's how we finished it....all 4 of us had a handle and finished the rest of the holes together.
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