How do I use a post hole shovel?

So you have decided to get your hands dirty and tackle some real work in the yard. Whether it is a picket fence, a pergola or a few trees going in, you have probably picked up a tool that looks like oversized salad tongs and wondered what to do with it. That is the post hole shovel, and it is the difference between a neat hole and an afternoon of swearing at a spade.

What a post hole shovel actually is

It is built to dig deep, narrow holes rather than wide ones. Two long handles, a pair of curved spade ends, and the whole design is about slicing straight down and lifting the soil back out without widening the hole on the way. Fence posts, clothesline posts, pergola uprights, that is what it is for.

A regular shovel digs a crater. This digs a shaft. That difference matters, because a post sitting in a narrow hole with firm undisturbed sides is a lot more stable than one sitting in a wide pit you have backfilled loose.

How to use one

1. Prep the area

Check what is under you before you start. Pipes, cables and big roots are all things you would rather find on a plan than with a blade. Mark where each post goes with marking paint or a stick, and keep the spacing consistent, because uneven spacing shows up in the finished fence and cannot be hidden afterwards.

2. Loosen the soil

Do not go straight into full digging mode. Break the top up first with a garden fork or the tip of the shovel. If the ground is dry and compacted, water the spots lightly the day before and it will come out far more willingly.

3. Dig

Drive the tips into the ground on your mark, put a foot on the shoulder of the blades to push them deeper, then squeeze the handles together to clamp the soil between them. Lift straight up and the dirt comes with it. That is the whole action, and once the clamp and lift rhythm clicks you will move quickly.

Post holes usually want to be somewhere between 600mm and 900mm deep depending on the job, and the general rule is a third of the post in the ground. Check the depth as you go rather than at the end.

4. Stack the spoil

Pile the soil neatly beside the hole instead of flinging it about. You are going to want some of it back for backfill, and the rest is a lot easier to barrow away when it is in one place.

5. Check the hole

Keep them uniform. Smooth sides, consistent depth, and wide enough for the post plus the concrete around it. Around 300mm across suits most jobs. If it has gone more crater than cylinder, tidy the sides with the edge of the blades.

A few things worth knowing

• Wear gloves. Blisters turn a two hour job into a two weekend job.
• Take breaks. Post digging gets sweaty faster than you expect, and rushing it is how people end up with holes at four different depths.
• Rocky or clay ground. A mattock earns its keep here, and for a long run of holes a hired auger is money well spent.
• Cover open holes. If rain is coming, put something over them, because a hole full of water is a hole you dig twice.

Shop related products

• Adbri General Purpose Concrete Mix 20kg. Made for paths, post holes and small slabs, and it saves mixing from separate bags.
• Adbri Speedset Cement 30kg. Goes in dry and sets fast, which is the easy option for a run of posts.
• Adbri Premium Cement 20kg. For when you are mixing your own concrete rather than using a premix.
• Dunnings Galvanised Fence Plate. For the join between post and rail once the posts are set.

Did you know we also keep post hole shovels, mattocks and work gloves in store, and they do not all make it onto the website. Give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what is on the shelf.

If the holes are going in for a Colorbond fence, Splinter will price the panels, rails and posts for you before you start digging, which is a better order to do it in.

Keep reading

• How do I plant a tree
• Setting up dripper irrigation, a beginner's guide
• What is the cardboard weed barrier method

Cheers,
Candeece

My first fence has one post that is definitely not as deep as the others, and I know exactly which one.