Warning: I tried using a cheap post hole digger from a big box store for a job in Phoenix

I had a big job out in Phoenix last month, about 200 feet of fence line on hard, dry ground. I grabbed one of those two-handle manual post hole diggers from the local hardware chain because it was only $30. After about six holes, my arms were done. The handles felt flimsy and the blades just scraped the dirt. I switched to the heavy-duty, solid steel one I keep in my truck, the one that cost me $120. The weight alone helped it punch through the caliche layer, and the sharpened blades actually cut and lifted the soil. The difference in speed and how tired I got was night and day. That cheap tool cost me more in time and effort than it saved in money. What's your go-to tool for rocky or super hard soil?

3 comments

3 Comments

gavinlopez2mo ago

You said the weight of the heavy-duty digger helped it punch through. Honestly, I find it's more about the blade design and steel quality than just weight. A lighter, well-tempered blade with a sharp bevel will cut through caliche better than a heavy, dull one. The cheap ones just fold over on a hard layer.

the_hayden2mo ago

Yeah, my cheap one folded like a lawn chair. Should've spent more on steel, less on coffee.

lewis.troy2mo ago

@gavinlopez Not sure I totally agree there. I get what youre saying about blade design mattering, but weight still does a lot of the work when you hit that hard pan. My heavy $120 digger has a thick blade and a sharp edge for sure, but its the extra mass that lets me dump my body weight into it without the handles bending. @the_hayden learned that the hard way too when his cheap one folded. A thin sharp blade just bounces off caliche if you cant get any force behind it.