c/fence-erectors

7

emery879•2d ago

Called BS on quick-set concrete for fence posts, now I'm a believer

For years I only used regular concrete mix for setting posts. Last spring a guy swore quick-set would save me time on a 20 post job in Austin. I figured it would be weak or cure wrong, but I tried it on the back row. Set 8 posts in under 2 hours, no issues even after a thunderstorm hit the next day. Has anyone else had good luck with quick-set on sandy soil?

14

karen410•3d ago

That time I tried to use a post hole digger on frozen ground in January

Last winter I had a job up near Albany and the ground was solid as concrete. I figured I'd save time by just powering through with the manual digger instead of waiting for a thaw. First swing bounced right back at me and nearly clipped my knee. Second attempt I put my whole weight into it and the handles snapped clean in half. Landed flat on my back with mud down my coat and the customer watching from her kitchen window. Ended up renting a gas-powered auger for $85 that afternoon and finished the whole job in 45 minutes. Learned that pride and frozen dirt don't mix. Has anyone else had a tool fail on them in a spectacular way?

11

victor_carr25•4d ago

Had to choose between driven posts and concrete footings for a sloped yard in Austin

I was putting up a 6 foot privacy fence on a hillside lot last month. The ground was rocky clay, so I figured driven posts would save time. But after hitting solid limestone 18 inches down on the third hole, I switched to concrete footings with brackets. It took twice as long but every post is dead level and the customer was happy. Has anyone else had to switch methods mid job because of unexpected ground conditions?

23

margaret_chen•4d ago

Picked up a cheap laser level from Harbor Freight and it actually saved me time on a long run

I was dead set against those cheap laser levels, figured they'd be junk and just throw measurements off. But on a 300 foot fence job last month near Springfield, I tried one just to see if it could help with that slight slope we were fighting. It got the posts dead level and did it in half the time of using a string line. Anyone else found a cheap tool that worked way better than you thought?

4

skyler_adams•21d ago

Watched a crew dig 6 post holes by hand before I said something at a job site in Tulsa

I showed up to help a buddy on a 200-foot privacy fence last month and his whole crew was using clamshell diggers in rocky clay. After 3 holes took them over an hour I grabbed my PTO auger from the truck and knocked out the remaining 17 in about 45 minutes. Anyone else find it hard to suggest using better tools without sounding like a know-it-all?

19

dakotacraig•22d ago

Bought a cheap auger for setting posts and stripped the gears on the third hole

Lost about 200 bucks on a bargain auger from a big box store that couldn't handle rocky soil here in central Texas, and now I'm stuck hand-digging the rest of this 40-panel job, anyone else had better luck with a specific brand that won't die on you?

7

joelp81•24d ago

Spent $90 on a 'self-leveling' post hole digger that just jacked up my alignment on 12 fence posts

The hydraulic feature locked up after the third hole and I had to hand-dig the rest in rocky clay, has anyone found a brand that actually works without breaking the bank?

8

kareng27•25d ago

Went from a 2-man crew struggling with post holes to 1 guy with a hydraulic auger in 6 months, the difference is wild.

Our old hand digger had us spending 45 minutes per hole on this rocky clay soil outside Austin, but after renting a Toro auger last spring we cut that to under 10 minutes each, has anyone else made the switch and never looked back?

4

joseph932•26d ago

The homeowner in Bakersfield who asked me to pour concrete over a live sprinkler line

I was setting a new privacy fence in Bakersfield last month and the homeowner kept insisting I just pour the posts over his existing sprinkler line. I told him no way, we gotta mark and reroute it first. He got so mad he threatened to take the job elsewhere. I stood my ground, and 2 days later the line burst when he tested it himself. Has anyone else had clients fight you on basic prep work like this?

4

blake_black47•26d ago

Warning: That job on a muddy slope near Pittsburgh almost cost me my crew

We were putting up a 6 foot privacy fence on a steep hill in Oakmont last fall. Ground was soaked from three days of rain. I figured we'd just set the posts deeper and call it good. First big gust of wind and two sections just folded over like paper. Turns out the soil was so loose the concrete couldn't grab. We had to pull everything out and dig down 4 feet to hit solid clay. Now I always check soil composition before I even quote a sloping job. Has anyone else run into this with wet ground on a hillside?

8

uma_webb28•27d ago

Drove 3 hours for a fence post order that was completely wrong

I put in an order for 80 six-foot treated posts at a lumberyard in Springfield last month. Showed up with my trailer and they had loaded up 4-foot posts instead. Cost me $150 in diesel and lost a whole day of work. The guy at the counter just shrugged and said 'my bad.' Has anyone else had a supplier mix up a bulk order and then not make it right?

10

noah880•28d ago

Cast iron post caps changed my mind after 5 years of vinyl

I always thought vinyl fence caps were the way to go since they never rust, but after reading a job report from a builder in Seattle who said his cast iron caps lasted 30 years without a single crack in the rain, I started looking into them. Found out the weight actually helps keep posts straight in soft ground, which I never even considered before. Anybody else switched materials for something as small as a cap and seen better results?

5

paul_owens25•28d ago

Found out treated pine posts have a 15 year lifespan max in Ohio clay soil

I always figured treated lumber would last 20 plus years no matter what. Then I read a study from Ohio State's extension office that showed most pine posts start rotting at the ground line after 12 years in our clay soil. Really made me rethink using cedar instead on my last big job near Cincinnati. Anyone else run into this with their local soil types?

9

wesley_thompson•28d ago

Shoutout to that old timer who watched me dig post holes wrong for 2 years

I was setting a fence line near Huntsville last spring and this retired guy walks over, watches me for a minute, then just says 'son, you're digging backwards.' Turns out I had been digging on the wrong side of the string line for 12 years, making every gate post crooked. Anyone else have a moment where a complete stranger saved you from being a fool?

27

angela_allen53•29d ago

That composite decking bracket cost me a whole Saturday

Bought a bunch of those hidden fastener brackets for a fence top rail job. They claimed they work with standard 2x4s but the slots were off by 3/8 inch and I had to redrill every single one. Wasted about $150 and a full day of labor. Anyone else had trouble with those things?

12

rosek44•29d ago

Tried hand digging vs renting a machine for 8 posts on a big job. Night and day.

Last week I had to set 8 corner posts on a 2 acre lot outside of Austin. Started with a clam digger and after 2 hours I was barely 3 feet deep in rocky clay. Switched to a one man auger rental for $85 and finished all 8 holes in under 90 minutes. Has anyone else hit that kind of soil that makes you question your whole career choice?

10

theawest•29d ago

Power post hole digger vs manual - $700 lesson learned

I dropped $700 on a hydraulic post hole digger attachment for my skid steer last spring thinking it'd save me days of work. First 50 holes went smooth as butter, then the auger hit a buried rock vein and bent the shaft on me. Repair cost another $200 and two days of waiting on parts. My old manual digger with a sharpening stone has never let me down like that, but man it's slow. Any of you guys had better luck with power augers or am I just unlucky?

6

the_sam•29d ago

I quit using pneumatic nailers for residential fences and went back to hand nailing

Everyone in this sub swears by air nailers for speed but I just cant get behind them for cedar picket fences. Last summer I took a job in north Texas and brought both setups just in case. I ended up using a hammer and galvanized ring shanks for the whole 800 foot run. Yeah it took longer but I had zero split boards and zero callbacks. My partner kept giving me grief about it until the heat started causing some of those air nailed boards to warp and pop off. He was replacing his mistakes while my section still looked solid. Has anyone else found that hand nailing actually holds up better in extreme weather conditions?

7

craig.tessa•1mo ago

The day I figured out my string lines were always sagging

I spent five years setting fence posts by eye and wondering why my runs always looked wavy. Then a guy I was working with in Phoenix pointed out I was pulling my string line too tight. He showed me how a slight droop actually follows the ground better for a straight top line. Has anyone else had that "aha" moment with something basic like string tension?

5

michael_craig•1mo ago

Was skeptical of post hole diggers with handles, but changed my mind on a job in Austin

Ngl, I always thought those expensive post hole diggers with the extra handles were just a gimmick. Then last month I had to put in 12 fence posts in rocky Texas soil near Austin and my arms were shot after the third hole. Borrowed a bulb planter style digger from a guy on the crew and it saved me at least 20 minutes per hole. Has anyone else found a tool they slept on that actually works?

12

wesley_thompson•1mo ago

Switched from hand digging to a mini excavator for post holes and I'm never going back

Used to dig every post hole by hand with a clamshell digger, took me like 20 minutes per hole on a good day. Got a Toro Dingo last spring after a job in St. Louis where the clay was so hard I almost quit. Now I can knock out 30 holes in an afternoon with zero back pain. Anyone else made the switch and felt like they wasted years breaking their back?

7

xenawhite•1mo ago

Old timer told me to dig post holes deeper and it saved a job last Tuesday

I used to set my fence posts at 24 inches deep, thought that was fine for most jobs. Then this guy Bob who's been building fences since the 80s watched me for like 5 minutes and said 'son, you're gonna have those leaning by spring.' He showed me how he goes 36 inches minimum, even for shorter spans. Last Tuesday I hit a patch of that sandy soil we get around here, and my usual depth would have been a disaster. That extra foot made the difference, no wobble at all. Has anyone else had a random stranger's advice totally change their setup?

10

victor_ward•1mo ago

The day my post hole digger got stuck on a pipe underground

Was putting up a privacy fence near my garage in Phoenix last Tuesday, and my post hole digger hit something solid about 18 inches down... turned out to be an old irrigation pipe from the 70s nobody told me about. Took me an hour with a shovel and a hacksaw to dig it out and cap it off. Has anyone else ran into random junk buried where you least expect it?

1

the_karen•1mo ago

Am I the only one who sets posts in concrete the wrong way

I keep seeing guys dump dry mix in the hole and add water after, but that leaves air pockets and the post rots faster after like 2 years. I started mixing it in a wheelbarrow first and tamping it down every 6 inches, has anyone else had theirs shift later doing it the dry way?

26

the_emery•1mo ago

Saw a fence in Austin with the posts set in straight concrete, no gravel at all.

The whole line is already leaning after one wet season. How do you even explain drainage to a homeowner who thinks concrete is always stronger?