How to Use a Post Hole Digger

In this video, This Old House landscaping contractor Roger Cook shows a homeowner how to save time digging fence-post holes with this custom tool.

Steps:
1 Mark the center of each hole on the ground.
2 Stand directly over the hole location with your feet spread shoulder width apart.
3 Squeeze together the two handles of the post-hole digger to open its twin blades.
4 Raise the post-hole digger as high as possible, then drive the blades down into the soil.
5 Pull outward on the handles to close the blades, then left the excavated soil from the hole; deposit soil to one side of hole.
6 Continue driving the post-hole digger down into the soil, until you reach the desired depth.
See products and services from this episode