c/fence-erectors

Hot take: concrete anchors for chain link are a waste of time on sandy soil

I tried gravel bags instead of wet concrete on a job in Florida last month and the posts held better after a hurricane scare, has anyone else switched to dry-set methods on loose ground?

Had to choose between a manual post hole digger and a powered auger for a big job last spring

I took on a 600 foot fence line in rocky soil up near Albany. The powered auger was way faster but it kept hitting rocks and bouncing around. I ended up switching to the manual digger for the last 200 feet. Took twice as long but I had way less frustration. Has anyone else found that the old hand tools work better in certain ground conditions?

Hand dig vs power auger for a 200ft run in rocky Ohio clay

I tried using a power auger on a job last month near Akron and it bounced off rocks like crazy. Took me 3 hours just to get 10 holes started right. Switched to hand digging with a clamshell and got the rest done in a day. The auger just kept walking sideways every time it hit a stone. Anyone else deal with rocky ground like that? What's your go to method?

Vent: A client asked why I charge more for chain link than wood panels

I was setting up a quote for a backyard in Newark last Tuesday, and the homeowner saw the line item for chain link and said, 'Isn't that the cheap stuff though?' I had to explain that between the posts, the tension bands, the wire ties, and all the hardware, chain link actually adds up fast with labor. Plus you have to stretch it right or it sags within a year. Wood panels come in pre-made sections and go up quicker if the ground is level. Has anyone else had customers assume chain link is always the bargain option?

Finally stopped setting posts in concrete after talking to a guy in Flagstaff

Ran into a contractor who told me he's been using crushed stone and gravel for 15 years on all his fence jobs. Said the drainage is way better and you can actually pull a post out later if you need to. Anyone else switch away from concrete or am I the last holdout?

Watched a crew in Austin use string lines on a 300 foot sloped run

I was on a site in Austin last Tuesday helping with a gate install and saw this crew setting a fence on a steep hill. They had a string line pulled super tight and were using a line level to check the grade every 8 feet. Blew my mind how straight their posts came out compared to my usual eyeballing method. Has anyone else tried string lines on a slope like that or do you just wing it?

Rented a power auger vs digging by hand for a 200 foot run last month

I had to set 30 posts for a privacy fence and figured I'd save money by digging the holes myself. After the first 5 holes took me almost 4 hours in this rocky clay soil here in Ohio, I gave up and rented a one-man auger from Home Depot for $65. The auger finished the rest in under 3 hours total - has anyone else found that the rental cost is almost always worth it compared to the back pain?

That job on a ranch in Laramie back in 2016 showed me why you never skip concrete anchors in rocky soil

Wind took out 80 feet of brand new panel fencing after three months because we used standard posts instead of drilling for the 6 inch auger bits and setting them in real concrete mix.

Stepped on a level at a job site in Boise and it changed how I set posts

Was working a residential job over by the river last Tuesday, setting posts for a cedar privacy fence. I put my foot on my 4-foot level to brace it against the post, and it slipped on some mud - caused me to lean the whole thing crooked by about half an inch before I caught it. That little mistake added 20 minutes of re-digging and tamping to fix the plumb. Now I always wipe my boot soles clean before stepping near the level, saved me a headache twice this week already. Anybody else got a small habit tweak that saved them time on site?

That Tuesday in July where everything went sideways with a rock

I hit a buried chunk of granite slab about 2 feet down on a job near Lake George, broke two auger bits and bent a third before I finally gave up and hand-dug the damn thing out. Took me four extra hours and I was covered in mud and sweat by noon. Has anyone else found something ridiculous underground that just wrecked your whole day?

Talking to an old fence guy in Spokane made me rethink my whole post hole approach

Just realized my fence post holes have been too narrow for years

I was watching a fence building video from this old timer in Texas last night, and he mentioned that most people dig post holes barely wider than the post itself. He said your hole should be at least three times the width of the post. I've been doing it wrong for like 6 years, digging holes maybe 8 inches wide for a 4x4 post. No wonder some of my fences have sagged or shifted over time. The wider hole lets you get concrete packed in there good and gives the post more stability underground. I checked a few of my old jobs and sure enough, the ones that held up best were the ones where I accidentally dug a bigger hole. Has anyone else measured their hole width and found out they were skimping without realizing it?

Spent 2 years setting posts with wet concrete before a job in Austin exposed my mistake

I was on a commercial fence job in Austin last July, setting posts like always - dumping dry mix in the hole and adding water. The foreman walked over and asked why I wasn't using a wheelbarrow to pre-mix. I thought I was saving time but he showed me the posts were shifting after 3 days because the mix wasn't consistent. Now I pre-mix everything in a wheelbarrow with a measured amount of water and my posts haven't budged. Has anyone else had a similar moment where you realized your whole method was off?

Visited an old job site from 15 years ago and the fence I built still stands

I was driving through Brookfield last week and passed by a house where I put up a cedar privacy fence back in 2009. It was a 6 foot tall job with 8 foot posts set in concrete. I pulled over and walked up to it. The pickets had some gray weathering but not a single board was loose or warped. The gate still swung smooth too no sagging. Makes me wonder if the wood they sell today would hold up the same way. Has anyone else gone back to check on their old work and been surprised?

Tried concrete anchors vs wood posts on a job in Columbus last month

I was putting in a 200 foot privacy fence and decided to use concrete anchors instead of setting posts directly in concrete. The anchors saved me about 3 hours of digging time but the whole fence feels way less solid when the wind picks up. Any of you guys ever switch back to concrete after trying the anchor route?

That time a retired guy told me my post holes were way too shallow for a 6ft privacy fence

This old timer walked up to my job site in Nashville last month and said I needed 36 inch minimum for a 6 footer. I told him I had been doing 24 inches for years and never had a problem. Then we got that big storm last week and three sections of a fence I built in March are leaning bad. Now I'm gonna have to go back and redo them at my own cost. Has anyone else had something like this backfire on them?

That time my foreman swore 6-foot spacing was fine for a chain link fence in high wind

He told me to save time and skip the extra posts on a 150-foot run near the coast. After the first big storm, three sections buckled and I had to redo them solo. Anyone else have a boss push bad advice that backfired hard?

Watched an old timer at a job in Tulsa use a string line instead of a laser level and I almost laughed until it worked perfect

I was setting posts for a 200 foot privacy fence last summer and my battery died on my laser level halfway through the morning. I'm standing there cussing and this guy on the crew two lots over walks over with a ball of mason line. He showed me how to pull it tight between two stakes and use a bubble level to set the posts. I felt like an idiot but it was dead on accurate and I didn't have to wait for a charger. Has anyone else gone back to an old school method after being let down by new gear?

That cheap auger bit from Harbor Freight cost me a whole afternoon

Picked up a 12 inch auger bit for $18 last week thinking I'd save a few bucks. First post hole in rocky soil near my place in Nashville, the thing twisted so bad I had to dig it out by hand with a shovel. I ended up going back for the $45 one from the rental place, and it chewed through the rest of the holes in under an hour. Anybody else had luck with budget auger bits or am I just jinxed?

Serious question, is mixing concrete by hand still better than using a mixer?

I just put up 300 feet of post and rail near Albany and my buddy swears hand mixing gives a stronger cure, but my back is killing me from doing it that way. He says the mixer beats the air out wrong or something, but I used a rental mixer on my last job and the posts are holding fine after 4 months. Who's actually right on this, or is it just old timer stubbornness?

Had to choose between full steel posts and wood for a 400 ft run in Ohio

I was putting up a privacy fence last month on a farm just outside Columbus, the owner wanted something that wouldn't rot after a few wet seasons. I went with the steel posts even though they cost about 30% more because digging in that clay soil was a nightmare. What do you guys usually pick for wet ground like that?

Best week I ever had was up in Vermont last fall

I was working a job up near Burlington putting in a cedar split rail fence for this old farmhouse. The weather was perfect all week, like mid 60s and not a cloud in the sky. I got into a rhythm where I was setting posts in like 10 minutes each, no rocks or roots slowing me down. The homeowner brought out fresh lemonade and sandwiches every afternoon, which never happens in my experience. By Friday I had the whole 500 feet done two days early and the guy tipped me an extra $400. I remember thinking I should just quit while I'm ahead but I knew the next week would probably be a nightmare. Has anyone else had a job that just clicked like that?

Had a conversation with a old school fence guy about post hole diggers

He told me he still uses a manual digger for every job even on big commercial projects. Said power augers mess up the soil too much and make posts shift later on. I been using a power auger for 5 years and never thought about that, am I missing something?

Drove through rural Vermont last weekend and saw a fence line that made me question everything about how we set posts.

Some farmer had his posts set way deeper than usual with what looked like crushed stone instead of concrete and the whole thing was still straight as an arrow after what had to be 20 years, so has anyone else tried skipping concrete and using gravel packing instead?

That old timer who told me to dig post holes 6 inches deeper than spec was right

A retired fence guy named Dale warned me at the supply yard that 24 inches wasn't enough for our clay soil in mid-Missouri. I ignored him and saved time on a 200-foot run last spring. Three months later the whole section shifted after a heavy rain. Now I always go down to 30 inches. Anyone else get schooled by an old pro?