I used to set all my post holes by hand in Kansas clay, now I rent a hydraulic auger for any job over 20 holes.

For years I thought the extra cost wasn't worth it, but after a project in Wichita where I had to dig 35 holes in that hardpan, my back was done for a week. I rented a Little Beaver one-man auger from the local shop for a job last fall and it cut the time in half. Has anyone else made the switch, and what's your cutoff for bringing in the machine?

3 comments

3 Comments

tara_jones941mo ago

Kansas clay will absolutely wreck your back.

lewis.troy1mo ago

Man, the math on this is wild once you add it all up. That week of back pain after Wichita? That's lost money on your NEXT job, not just sore muscles. I started counting the cost of ibuprofen, extra rest days, and just moving slower. For me, renting the machine for anything over a dozen holes is cheaper than losing that work time. The machine fee is right there on the receipt, but the body tax is hidden.

bettywood29d ago

That "body tax" is such a good way to put it... it's like the hidden fee on everything we do. I've noticed it with yard work too, where I'll spend a weekend doing it myself and then barely move Monday morning.