My DH and I went to a Habitat for Humanity dedication this last weekend and people were still working on the landscape before the dedication. Our job was to take pictures so we took about 400. What really amazed me were they were using a jackhammer to dig hole for shrubs. I had never thought of this, we have very hard clay soil here and it was only taking minutes...what a wonderful idea. Has anyone else ever done this? I'm sure we could rent jackhammers.
that sure is an odd method ;-) but hey, if it works...
We used a jackhammer to do the holes for our arched arbors that we put up. Our neighbor suggested he idea. Sure does beat digging those holes 3 feet deep by hand. Just make sure you're not using it where phone lines or other underground lines may be.
Wow, that's a great idea. It would make the sides and bottoms of the holes nice and loose, aerated (as opposed to the smooth-sided ones you get when using a shovel in clay soils). Great thinking on their part!
HEYYYY what an awesome idea, but yeah, as cala said be careful there are no lines.
Yea I use to know a girl that made her Dh dig her pond with one of those things!! Talk about wearing a body out, I bet he was one tired cookie when he got finished!! But it worked I guess!
That'd be awesome for hammering down through tree roots, too...Wow.
Come to think of it, this really seems to be an all-around Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor solution. Argh-argh-argh!
This message was edited Friday, Nov 8th 3:08 PM
LOL If we used a jackhammer here we would be very close to China in a few seconds. We have sandy soil and only a four foot water table meaning that the water level of our soil is only four feet from the surface most of the year! Hey Jianhua, here we come! LOL
What a great idea for "soil" like mine! I have only used a jackhammer once... Last year I closed up my fireplace and installed a highly efficient woodstove in the corner. Most of the stone facing for the fireplace came away easily with a small sledge hammer, but I had to rent a jackhammer for the hearth. Boy, was that thing heavy. Glad I had a young man around to use it, LOL.
Maybe if I'd had a smaller one like the one being used one-handed in the photo above, I could have done it myself. Hmmm... wonder if I can rent a lighter one???
My friends bought a gas powered auger to put fence posts in with, and we have used several times to plant trees and shrubs. It works great the auger almosts acts like a vertical roto-tiller.
Isn't it interesting how different soils are. Instead of a jack hammer, I can dig with a tablespoon. I was raised in an area that has red clay (much like Geargiaredclays!) and I could only dig there after a long soaking rain.
Reporting from my limestone ridge, I think that jackhammer is what I need. Does it come with an operator?
Yes Aimee, His name is Jack. Couldn't resist that one.
Grooooaaaannnnn! How could you!
:)
We're having basement work done in December or January -- Bet they'll have to use a jackhammer to get the crust off the top layer of soil. Want me to send the crew your way when they're done? ;)
Me, me, me! I need the jackhammer with attached Jack for about a month.
Aimee, :)
