Bought a $90 post hole digger attachment for my drill, it was a comedy of errors

Thought I'd save my back on a small picket fence job by using this auger bit that screws onto my heavy-duty cordless drill. It immediately got stuck in some Georgia clay, twisted the drill right out of my hands, and sent it flying into a bucket of water. What's your best tool for dealing with tough, sticky soil without renting a big machine?

3 comments

3 Comments

oscarthompson1mo ago

So the drill's toast now? What are you gonna try next, just a regular old clamshell digger?

troy9771mo ago

My buddy tried one of those drill augers in his yard and it just welded itself into the ground like concrete. He ended up using a digging bar to break up the clay first, then a narrow trenching shovel to pull the chunks out. It was slow going but it worked without breaking any more tools.

ellis.nina1mo ago

Ugh, clay soil is the worst! I saw a video where someone soaked the spot with water first to soften it up.