TIL using a concrete vibrator on fence posts is a game changer

I was setting 12 posts in rocky clay last week and fighting air pockets like crazy. A buddy loaned me his vibrator to run along the forms and the concrete settled perfectly with zero voids. Has anyone else tried this trick for keeping posts solid in tricky ground?

2 comments

2 Comments

riley_price1mo ago

The "fighting air pockets like crazy" part hit home. I tried that trick last summer on a fence line with shitty clay and rocks. Ran a cheap harbor freight vibrator down each form and the concrete settled way tighter. No voids at all when I backfilled. Took a bit longer but saved me from having to redo three posts later. Definitely a solid tip for anyone dealing with bad soil conditions.

evan_jenkins1mo ago

The "saved me from having to redo three posts later" part is key, but technically you can't backfill with concrete around a post and have that save anything later. You'd have to break the concrete out to reset the post, not just backfill dirt around it.