Vent: My cheap post hole digger snapped on a Friday afternoon job

I was three holes into a fence install for a client who still owes me $1400 from last spring when the handle just cracked clean through, and now I'm stuck finishing with a shovel and a prayer.

3 comments

3 Comments

black.oliver10d ago

Cheapest post hole diggers are basically just wishful thinking with handles attached. Mine let go right at the worst possible moment, sent me stumbling backward into a pile of wet gravel that my client's dog had been using as a bathroom. Had to finish that last hole with a shovel and a lot of angry muttering about my life choices.

hernandez.gavin10d ago

The bit about "wishful thinking with handles attached" hits hard because that's EXACTLY what those cheap ones are. @black.oliver did you check the ferrule like that contractor said, or were you just grabbing whatever was cheapest? Because I've seen guys snap those handles clean off on their FIRST hole in rocky ground. The metal collar where the handle meets the blade is EVERYTHING on these things. If it's thin or looks like painted aluminum, run far away. Those cheap ones also have handles that splinter right where your hands grip them, leaving you with a handful of wood slivers and a useless tool. Getting tossed into dog waste gravel sounds like the universe telling you to spend the extra 20 bucks next time.

-1

brooke44810d ago

Heard a contractor say you can spot a quality digger by the thick metal ferrule where the handle meets the blade.