c/fence-erectors

Just realized I've set over 500 posts by hand this year alone

I was adding up my invoices and it hit me, that's a lot of holes dug with a manual post hole digger. It made me wonder if I'm just being stubborn avoiding a power auger for smaller jobs. Do you guys think a manual digger is still worth the effort, or am I just wasting my own time?

Hit a massive rock shelf on a job in Boulder that turned a 2-day vinyl install into a 5-day nightmare

We were setting posts for a 150-foot run and the auger just stopped dead. It was solid sandstone about 18 inches down. Had to rent a demo hammer with a spade bit to break it up, which added three full days of work and cost an extra $800 in tool rental and labor. The client was not happy about the delay. Anyone else had a geology surprise totally wreck your schedule?

Tbh I just lost a full day's pay on a cedar fence because I trusted the client's property line.

They pointed to an old stump and said 'it's right there', so I set the posts without a survey. Turns out we were a foot over and I had to pull three posts and reset them on my dime. How do you guys handle line checks when the markers are gone?

Finally gave in and tried that new composite post driver

I've always sworn by my steel driver for setting posts in our rocky Colorado soil, thinking anything else was just overpriced junk. My crew chief bet me a case of beer it would cut our time on a 200-foot run last Thursday, and honestly, the vibration reduction alone saved my shoulders by the end of the day. Anyone else made the switch and noticed a real difference on tough ground?

Honestly, I lost a full day's pay trying to save $50 on a 'universal' post driver from a discount tool site.

The thing bent on the second cedar post, and now I'm out $400 for the wasted labor and have to buy the proper driver anyway, so has anyone found a truly solid driver that won't fold on hard ground?

Finished a tricky cedar fence in Boise last week

The grade dropped a full 18 inches across the back lot line. Ended up stepping the panels and using a string line for three hours to get the top rail perfect. Anyone have a better method for a steep slope like that?

Just realized my old truck's winch could pull a 40-foot section of fence line straight in under an hour when the ground was too wet for the skid steer.

I was stuck on a muddy job site in Springfield and a farmer watching me said, 'Why don't you just winch it from the other side,' so I hooked a cable to my anchor posts and it worked perfectly, saving a whole day's wait for things to dry out.

PSA: I thought those post hole digger attachments for skid steers were just a gimmick

Had a job last month in Springfield with 80 posts to set in heavy clay. My partner brought his Bobcat with a Danuser digger head. I figured it was overkill and we'd be fixing it all day. We finished the holes in under four hours with perfect, clean sides. Has anyone else switched to using one regularly, or do you still stick with the two-man auger?

After setting 400 feet of cedar pickets, I'm convinced a cordless nailer beats a hammer for speed and wrist strain every time.

Has anyone else made the switch and found a different brand that holds up better in the rain?

Finally gave up on my old cordless drill for setting posts and switched to a proper impact driver. The difference in a full day's work is just crazy.

A homeowner in Denver told me his fence posts were 'good enough' after 18 inches

I was giving a quote on a cedar fence replacement and saw his old posts wobble. He said the original crew only went down 18 inches because the ground was hard, and that was six years ago. Half the line was leaning into his yard after a windy spring. I had to dig out three posts that were just sitting in loose dirt with no real concrete base. Has anyone else run into a job where the old depth was just plain wrong for the soil type?

A guy in Boise told me my post hole depth was a joke

He saw me setting 4x4s for a ranch fence and said, 'You're only down 24 inches in this clay, that whole line's gonna heave next winter.' I switched to a full 36 inches for frost line and haven't had a call back since. How deep do you all go for corner posts in heavy soil?

Had a post hole collapse on me in wet clay last week

Was setting a 6-foot cedar fence line in Springfield, got about 8 holes deep when the sides of the ninth one just slumped in. The clay was like soup after the rain. I had to stop, dig out the whole mess, and line it with a sleeve of heavy-duty landscape fabric before I could set the post. Added maybe 45 minutes to the job, but it held solid. Anyone have a better trick for wet soil that doesn't involve buying those plastic forms?

A customer's simple comment about my post spacing made me rethink my whole layout.

I was finishing a cedar privacy fence in Springfield last month, and the homeowner came out to check the work. He just stood there for a minute and said, 'Looks strong, but the posts feel a bit crowded on the west side.' I had them at my usual 8-foot centers, but he was right. The property line dipped in a weird way, and keeping that rigid spacing made the last section look squeezed. I went back the next morning and pulled two posts, resetting them at 7-foot and 9-foot centers to follow the land's curve better. It took an extra hour, but the flow of the fence looks so much more natural now. I was so stuck on the 'rule' I forgot to actually look at the space. Has anyone else had a client point out something obvious you totally missed?

Used a 4-inch auger bit on a cedar post in clay soil and the hole just collapsed in on itself...

I figured a bigger hole would mean easier setting, but now I know you need a proper bell-bottom or at least a wider base in that kind of ground, or the concrete has nothing to grab onto.

I used to set all my corner posts first, but a job in Bend last month showed me why that's a bad plan.

I was putting up a cedar fence on a slope, and I did my usual thing: set the two end posts, ran a string line, and started filling in. Halfway through, I realized the line was way off because the ground dropped more than I'd eyeballed. Had to pull three posts. My helper, this older guy named Ray, just shook his head and said, 'You fight the ground, you lose. Set your high point, then walk the line with a level every 8 feet before you dig anything else.' Took an extra hour to re-set, but the whole run went in straight. It seems so obvious now. How do you guys handle layout on uneven ground?

My old boss in Denver told me to always use a 6 foot level for setting posts, and I finally get why.

He said 'a 4 footer will lie to you on a long run' and I brushed it off for years to save time. Last month I was putting up a 200 foot cedar fence and my posts were just slightly off with the shorter level. After the third panel was a nightmare to fit, I went and got the big level. Sure enough, every post I'd set that morning was leaning about a quarter inch. Had to pull three of them and reset. Has anyone else had a tool tip that seemed like overkill but saved your butt later?

Hot take: I was setting my post hole digger handles wrong for 8 years

A guy I was helping in Spokane asked why I didn't flip the handles up so the dirt falls clear, and it clicked. Anyone else have a basic tool trick they missed forever?

I put up a fence during a rainy spell and it's holding strong, so maybe we worry too much about waiting.

My turnaround on using metal accents in wooden fences

Used to avoid them for rust concerns. A treated steel insert project changed my view.

That lean in my backyard fence revealed a simple truth

It's all about the base... pack it tight or pay the price.

Changed my mind on post levels after a client complaint

I always thought post levels were extra hassle for no gain. Then I installed a fence that started leaning within a week. The client called, and I had to redo several posts in the rain. Now, I check every post with a level before moving on. It might slow me down a little, but it saves me from callbacks. My work is more consistent, and I sleep better at night. Sometimes, the old ways are the best for a reason.

Swore by wood for decades, but composite fencing is winning me over.

Used to think wood was the only real option, but composite saves so much time on upkeep. Which side are you on?

Clay soil had my posts leaning. Fixed it for good.

Always fought posts tilting in muck after rain. More concrete just made big cracks. Noticed a neighbor packing gravel around his base first. Tried that mix with my concrete. No more leans, even in spring thaw.

Hot take: My fence posts set in gravel have outlasted the ones in concrete here in Arizona.