Showerthought: I used to think a post hole digger was just a post hole digger until I saw a crew in Austin do it different

About two years back, I was helping a buddy on a small residential job, just using the standard clamshell diggers. It was slow, messy, and killed your back. Then last month, I subbed in for a day with a crew on a big commercial line in Austin. They were using a hydraulic auger on a compact track loader for every single hole, even the ones near buildings. The difference was crazy. We set over 80 posts in one day with a three man crew. My old way, that would have taken us three days easy and left us wrecked. The upfront cost for that gear is no joke, but seeing how fast and clean it was changed my mind on what's 'necessary' for a pro operation. Has anyone else made that jump to more machine work, and did the math on jobs actually work out better for you?

2 comments

2 Comments

iris_green8410d ago

Honestly, that line about setting 80 posts in a day is wild. My friend had a similar wake up call. He ran a small fencing crew and always used manual diggers, swore by them. Then he took a job helping a bigger outfit for a week. They used a one-man auger, just a gas powered one, not even the big hydraulic kind. He said it felt like cheating. He came back and took out a loan for the equipment the next month. Tbh the payment stung, but he says he books more jobs now because he's so much faster.

anthony_fox9010d ago

Tell your friend I felt that "feels like cheating" line in my soul, @iris_green84. It's crazy how one week with the right tool can completely wreck your idea of what's normal work. Good on him for biting the bullet on the loan, that's a smart move for the long run even if it hurts at first.