My dad's hand-dug post holes versus today's auger rigs

I've been putting up fences for over twenty years, and I've seen a big change in how we do things. Back then, my dad taught me to dig each hole by hand, feeling for rocks and roots with the shovel. We mixed concrete in a wheelbarrow, and it took all day to set a few posts. Now, with gas augers and ready mix, a team can zip through a whole yard in half the time. I get why it's done this way, but something feels lost. You used to know the ground under each fence, you know? Now it's all about speed. I just hope these new fences hold up as well. What's your take on the old ways versus now?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona7398d ago

You dug every single hole by hand? For real? That sounds like torture, especially if you hit a big rock. I get why you'd feel connected to the ground after all that work. Now with augers, it's just zip, done, move on. Makes me wonder if we trade knowing the job for just getting it done.

grace_perry448d ago

My buddy Jake spent last summer digging post holes for his fence by hand. He said hitting clay felt like a personal fight, which really gets at what @fiona739 said about feeling connected. Now he rents an auger and misses the dirt under his nails but not the back pain.