My old foreman swore by digging post holes dry, not wet

At a job outside Topeka, the ground was so dry and hard I couldn't break through. Old foreman told me to soak the ground for an hour before digging, said it saves hits on the shovel and your back. I tried it and popped through in 20 minutes flat where I was stuck for almost two hours before. Has anyone else found a good trick for breaking up packed clay?

3 comments

3 Comments

jana8811mo ago

Buddy of mine tried drilling wet clay and the auger just kept packing up solid.

jamie_webb671mo ago

Man, is it really that bad? I've drilled wet clay plenty of times and yeah it packs up a bit but you just pull it out and knock it clean. Sounds like your buddy was either using the wrong bit or just didn't want to deal with it.

sage_moore371mo ago

Oh man, that takes me back. I tried drilling wet clay once and my auger ended up looking like a giant brown tootsie roll on a stick. I thought I was being smart by just pushing harder and it just made it worse. I ended up spending 20 minutes chipping that mess off with a hammer and a screwdriver. So I feel your buddy's pain deep in my soul. It's honestly one of those jobs that makes you question all your life choices right there on the spot.