I did that with my parents to install a fence in their backyard. We had to digl 36" to 48" deep for the frost if I remember correctly. We also hit bunch for tree roots, rocks, and all types of bricks and stuff from previous renovations they used to fill up the land. I found that adding water in the hole with a hose really helped when it was stuck, but you'll end up covered in mud. Great work bud!
this post was submitted on 05 Jun 2025
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Remember to cover the holes or you might get the excitement of having to somehow recover a hedgehog from the bottom of the hole
I did the same thing once and damn if the kickback from a tree root didn’t almost break a rib.
How deep can you go with a 12" auger?
I need to set a ~20' pole for a bat house and I get depth recommendations all over the place.
Was it entirely by hand, i.e., not handheld but still motorized?
Were you able to rent it?
I went down 4 feet with one once. It was meant for 2 people and we only needed to do 8 posts. It is not light duty work.
Turn out I might have saved money renting the walk-behind because it would have been a half-day rental instead of waiting for my second to recover after each post. Guess it gave me time to dump a sack of concrete, wet it, and nail up the brace to keep them straight while it set. Still there after 15 winters last time I drove by too.
The one I rented could go about 4 feet. It was handheld with a motor, basically had an engine on top of an X shaped handlebar so two people could hold it. It probably weighed about 90-100 pounds with the auger bit attached, more with dirt weight.
Don't mean to hi-jack this post but I am getting good advice.
I feel 4' x 18" hole, for a 20' (above ground height, so 24' overall) x 3" pole, backfilled with cement, should be good enough to support 40 lbs of bat house + bats and not worry about winds.
(North of Houston so sometimes tornados, but not the Dorothy going to Oz kind, just little 5 minute ones that blow fences down and the occasional roof.)
Does this give anyone heartburn?
If you were in sandy soil you might end up with issues with wind. Depends how much of a sail the bat house makes. You might end up guying it if it starts to lean.
Thank for taking the time to respond.
It's not that big, as far as surface area goes and our soil is claylike.
Guying it is a great idea, thank you.