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Ok, it's not a joke. I'm actually trying to install a chain link fence.

Anyone else out there done this? I dug about 7 holes so far, with a manually operated posthole digger. I'm not using any concrete but I am using the 2/3rd's rule. The fence fabric is 4', so the 6' & 7' poles get 2' plus buried in the ground. I've got another 9 posts to set, possibly 10 depending on my second gate.

So here's the problem: I put about 6 handfuls of gravel in the bottom of a couple of the holes, and then backfilled them with dirt. Now, the poles are wobbly and I can hear the bottoms grinding on the gravel. One of them, of course, is the post for the gate. The rest of them are really steady, but I only put a little gravel in those. I don't want to have to pull them out unless absolutely no other option exists. It does freeze here, but not very hard, and not very often.

Any suggestions to fix this?

Can I put sand inside the pole and add some water and see what happens?

I could use concrete on these, but I may have to move the fence at some point (city will be installing sewers in the next 18 months). My neighbors across the street have a 4' chain link also, and I know it was just moved, w/no concrete. Just sticking them in the dirt seems to work fine for our climate.

This was a lot of work for a 40 something year old, semi-hippie, and I know lots of you have skills. Ideas appreciated.

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"If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison

I used a post driver to put my chainlink post in. No diging, no concrete, no gravel and no wobble. Driver only cost about 20 bucks and is a lot better than manual posthole diggers.

X2. And the wire if stretched to the right tension will steady them a good bit...

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FIAA!

SFPP!

I'll call around for rentals. I've never even heard of such a thing being available for a DIY'er. Thanks!

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"If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison

This is the type driver I am talking about.

Ebay Item number: 360093690986

I rent one in my store for $5 a day, should be pretty common in most rental stores.

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RIP R.J.B.

i've done this before for customer years ago. the gravel and dirt is cool but you still need cement to make things stable. pack em down extra tight and put cement in the top six inches of the hole. that will keep them stable enough to hang a gate on and be able to keep tension on the fabric and you'll be able to stick a digging bar under the concrete later to just pry the footing loose.

if you have rocky soil and can't drive the bottom of the post deep enough to be solid lateraly pack a foot of road base type sand and gravel mix to keep the bottom of the posts from moving around and isn't too hard to pull the post out of.

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The soil I have is packed clay, and it's a mother to dig after the first foot or so. The slider/hammer thing might work, but I'm leaning more and more towards renting either a two-man punjar, or an engine driven post hole digger.

I've just about got the project in front (along side?) of this one done, and then it's full tilt on the fence. It's finally begun to rain, so hopefully things are a bit softer than they were last week.

Thanks for the ideas on this.

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"If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison