# Digging post holes around roots



## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

Inner10 said:


> You are a bigger man than myself, but lifting a 90 pound pneumatic hammer out of the clay would be real tiring real fast.


Better than a 110 pipe driver. Or the 2 7/8 steel drill stems it drives for boat docks


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

Inner10 said:


> I pay others to run wires...just like I'd pay too see your sorry butt try and pull a 90# hammer with an asphalt chisel back up after sinking it into the dirt.


When my old man needs the jobsite table saw, he uses a ramp. 

I lift it.

Same result. 

My old man is Grizs size. 6'6" 275 pounds. I bet he could still lift it. Only difference is I'll be fine tomorrow :clap:

Like Toby Keith says. Im as good once as I ever was :whistling:

I dont know that id put money on it at this point. But I bet the old man could keep up with me for ONE day anyway, and id probably learn something


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Jaws said:


> Better than a 110 pipe driver. Or the 2 7/8 steel drill stems it drives for boat docks


A post driver sits nicely on top, sure it's a wrestling match to get it there.

I don't know if any of you guys have dug a hole with a hammer, but every 2 seconds of hammering is followed by wrestling that bastard back out and re-positioning the tip. Even on flat concrete a 90# will turn your arms to jelly in no time flat, leaning over in a hole trying to lift it from the dirt would be impossible.


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

Inner10 said:


> Even on flat concrete a 90# will turn your arms to jelly in no time flat,


Negative, Hoss. I would know. 


I've used the smaller one's sideways, in a trench, cramped by the shield, 8' below grade, hotter than chit and not much air. Yeah, it's not as easy as scratching your ass, but if it was easy work, we'd have women and children doing it. 


:thumbsup:



Delta


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Inner10 said:


> Even on flat concrete a 90# will turn your arms to jelly in no time flat, leaning over in a hole trying to lift it from the dirt would be impossible.


Legs and body - arms don't do much, but my hands went tingley after doing it all day for a few days.


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## Seven-Delta-FortyOne (Mar 5, 2011)

hdavis said:


> Legs and body - arms don't do much, but my hands went tingley after doing it all day for a few days.


Anti-vibe gloves help alot.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Seven-Delta-FortyOne said:


> Negative, Hoss. I would know.
> 
> I've used the smaller one's sideways, in a trench, cramped by the shield, 8' below grade, hotter than chit and not much air. Yeah, it's not as easy as scratching your ass, but if it was easy work, we'd have women and children doing it.
> 
> ...


You must be a bigger man then me, it was the lifting and re-positioning the bit that is murder. Hell even a 60 pound is a bastard to work with.



hdavis said:


> Legs and body - arms don't do much, but my hands went tingley after doing it all day for a few days.


The lower back gives out pretty quick when working in a hole.



Seven-Delta-FortyOne said:


> Anti-vibe gloves help alot.


You pussy.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

Inner10 said:


> I don't know if any of you guys have dug a hole with a hammer, but every 2 seconds of hammering is followed by wrestling that bastard back out and re-positioning the tip. Even on flat concrete a 90# will turn your arms to jelly in no time flat, leaning over in a hole trying to lift it from the dirt would be impossible.


I've done quite a few holes in clayey soil and shale that way. Beats the daylights out of a digging iron. But I agree, I'd much rather use one on concrete. :laughing:


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Seven-Delta-FortyOne said:


> Anti-vibe gloves help alot.


Back in the 70s I pretty much worked barehanded for everything.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Inner10 said:


> The lower back gives out pretty quick when working in a hole.


Flat ground or a hole, lift and twist at the same time gets mine, but that's from an injury maybe 10 years ago. Now I alternate forward and reverse grip on a shovel, and left and right handed, so it's 4 different motions instead of the same one all day. Rotator cuffs like the reverse grip.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Inner10 said:


> You must be a bigger man then me, it was the lifting and re-positioning the bit that is murder. Hell even a 60 pound is a bastard to work with.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Don't try and run with the big dogs if you pee like a pup..:laughing::thumbsup:


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## Rio (Oct 13, 2009)

For lots of roots a 60# will work as well as a 90# and sure is a lot easier on the body, especially by the end of the day.


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## pappagor (Jan 29, 2008)

cut the hole with a concrete saw with a demo blade in it then dig it out :whistling:whistling


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## Pie (Apr 13, 2014)

Thanks everyone for the replies. Yeah a chisel tip digging bar is the best method I have found. Never tried the hammer. The few times I have used one in rock or shale and got it buried in the clay kinda turned me off of the idea. I was hoping there was a nifty invention I hadn't discovered yet. Thanks again!


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## Smittle Ex (Apr 14, 2012)

When I was just out of high school, we used to take out lots of tree roots. Few tons of fertilizer and ****** then blasting caps with radio control..... But then again we were strip mining for coal and limestone... LOL


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## EricBrancard (Jun 8, 2012)

Pie said:


> I was hoping there was a nifty invention I hadn't discovered yet.


Techno metal posts.


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## JFM constr (Jul 26, 2014)

was the question answered . i use a demo hammer now .love it .recently had deck peirs to do in an area with lots of roots .client did not want them cut and watched that i didn't .she eased up as we went along . used demo hammer and a shop vac .put a cyclone before vac to catch the dirt so as to save filter .removed a lot of dirt but it worked . moved the roots around the best i could to the out side of the hole before pouring concrete . took a bit longer .


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## jimwalter (Apr 7, 2012)

I did a project where the homeowner contacted an arborist and he layed out many specifications making sure that we didnt kill the tree. If you want to save the tree maybe consider working around the bigger tap roots.
sawzall worked well.


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## Quizative (Mar 14, 2021)

Pie said:


> I have to set some 6 x 6 deck posts and footings close to a large maple tree. The tree is coming down so damage to it's health is not a concern. The problem is the huge roots I know I'm going to encounter. Has anyone discovered a good way of dealing with this? I'm going to go about 14" wide and 24" deep. I would rent an auger but I know hitting a root will just send me sailing off somewhere. And I don't think the tractor attached type will do anything with roots either. I thought about just going with dekbloks on top of the ground since it's going to be freestanding but I don't think I could get by with that on a 40 foot deck.


I have a kobalt 40 Volt battery operated pole saw I use for this kind of thing. Buy several extra chains at about $15 @. Whole kit with battery is about $160. Re-sharpen chains at about $8. Extra battery is nice too for longer jobs. Just the tool is $90. So even if you ruined it. Not super expensive. You could also look for 2nd hand. Pole keeps it at arms length so if you get a kickback. But my kobalt takes a lot of abuse and keeps going. Hope it helps.


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## JFM constr (Jul 26, 2014)

demo hammer really helps .break up the dirt around the root .remove dirt . cut offending root .
i have aged out of this so - get a helper with enthusiasm . oh and i love a sharp shovel for this .just bring a 4" grinder ,your digger bar with a sharp edge does great .demo hammer tends to bounce ,sharpening it seemed a waist due to the rocks destroying the edge so fast . this tree sounds like it has left huge roots .


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