Post hole digger: Difference between revisions
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A '''post hole clam digger''', also called '''post hole pincer''' or simply '''post hole digger''', is a tool consisting of two articulated [[shovel]]-like blades, forming an incomplete hollow cylinder about a foot long and a few inches wide, with two long handles that can put the blades in an "open" (parallel) position or a "closed" (convergent) position. |
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A '''post hole digger''' is a tool with two handles and clam-type blades used to dig narrow holes to install posts, such as for [[fence]]s and [[signpost|signs]]. |
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The tool is used to dig holes in the ground, typically from a few inches to a about a foot in diameter, for general purposes such as setting [[fence]] and [[signpost|sign]] posts or planting [[sapling]]s. In operation, the tool is jabbed into the ground with the blades in the open position. The handles are then operated to close the blades, thus grabbing the portion of [[soil]] between them. The tool is then pulled out and the soil is deposited by the side. The process is repeated until the hole is deep enough. |
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==Comparison with earth augers== |
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There are also [[auger (drill)|auger]] type post hole diggers. These are generally easier to use, and they can be used to a much greater depth, as the hole can be dug as deep as the entire length of the shaft. More importantly, they form a much neater hole, with a well-defined circumference. However, the very fact that the person doing the digging is [[guarantee]]d a perfect hole with an auger post hole digger is also its greatest weakness: any given auger style post hole digger can only dig one size hole—a hole with the same diameter as the auger's screw. |
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An [[earth auger]] is another tool that is used to dig holes in the ground, consisting of a rotating shaft with one or more blades attached at the lower end. A hand-powered auger is generally easier to use than a clam-type digger, and can in principle dig deeper. It naturally creates a round and straight hole, but only of a fixed diameter. A clam-type digger,in contrast, can be used to dig holes of any shape and any diameter greater than that of the open blades. |
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== History and patent info == |
== History and patent info == |
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Clam-type pole diggers seem to be a relatively recent invention, newer than earth augers. A patent was filed by J. Lawry of Lenior City, Tennessee in 1908.<ref>Jacob H. Lawry (1907) [https://patents.google.com/patent/US884177A/en "Post-hole digger]". US Patent , filed on 1907-06-11, granted on 1908-04-07, expired on 1925-04-07.</ref> The patent has the traditional clam-shell design with an extra spike in the center. |
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Reports of the creation of the first post hole digger/auger can be dated back to 250 B.C in Greece to remove water from large ships. However, it wasn’t until the 19th century that the first patents were being created and factories began to produce these manual diggers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A brief history of the Manual Post Hole Auger|url=https://www.wonkeedonkeetools.co.uk/manual-post-hole-augers/a-brief-history-of-the-manual-post-hole-auger|access-date=2020-09-15|website=Wonkee Donkee Tools|language=en-GB}}</ref> The first patent was developed by a man named Mead M. Hubby of Maysfield, Texas on November 2, 1880.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hubby|first=Mead M.|date=1880-11-02|title=Post-Hole Auger|url=https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth170060/m1/1/|access-date=2020-09-15|website=The Portal to Texas History|language=English}}</ref> This design was made to be used in any soil type by twisting a screw-like blade into to ground to remove dirt and have a uniform hole. The next major patent was filed by Jacob H. Lawry of Lenior City, Tennessee on April 7, 1908.<ref>{{Cite patent|title=Post-hole digger.|gdate=1907-06-11|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US884177A/en}}</ref> His design incorporated the traditional clam-shell diggers bolted together and attached to wooden handles to create an easier way to penetrate the ground and remove dirt to create a neat and uniform hole. |
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Modern post hole diggers/augers can be power by gas or electric motors. The post hole diggers/augers are either hand-driven or attached to machines like tractors or skid steers. These attachments reduce the time it takes to dig post holes. Kansas prairie farmers<ref>{{Cite web|title=Posthole Digger - Kansapedia - Kansas Historical Society|url=https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/posthole-digger/10310|access-date=2020-09-15|website=www.kshs.org}}</ref> claim that the new digger only takes them a minute to dig two and a half foot hole. |
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== Materials and uses == |
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There are two types of post hole diggers, a clam-shell post hole digger, and the auger style post hole digger. Both styles use metal for the head of the tool and bolts that hold it together. Often the shovel-like head of the clam-shell diggers is sharpened at the end to penetrate the dirt and cut a hole that is round and even. The Auger style post hole diggers have metal screw-like heads that cut into the dirt and a shaft that goes up to a wooden handle for turning manually<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-28|title=History of Post Hole Diggers - Who Invented the Post Hole Auger?|url=https://augerauthority.com/history-of-post-hole-diggers/|access-date=2020-09-15|website=Auger Authority|language=en-US}}</ref>. They may also have a steel plate for attaching to a tractors PTO shaft or with a skid steer being attached with pins and hydraulic lines. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 02:59, 24 January 2021
Closed post hole digger
Open post hole digger
A post hole clam digger, also called post hole pincer or simply post hole digger, is a tool consisting of two articulated shovel-like blades, forming an incomplete hollow cylinder about a foot long and a few inches wide, with two long handles that can put the blades in an "open" (parallel) position or a "closed" (convergent) position.
The tool is used to dig holes in the ground, typically from a few inches to a about a foot in diameter, for general purposes such as setting fence and sign posts or planting saplings. In operation, the tool is jabbed into the ground with the blades in the open position. The handles are then operated to close the blades, thus grabbing the portion of soil between them. The tool is then pulled out and the soil is deposited by the side. The process is repeated until the hole is deep enough.
Comparison with earth augers
An earth auger is another tool that is used to dig holes in the ground, consisting of a rotating shaft with one or more blades attached at the lower end. A hand-powered auger is generally easier to use than a clam-type digger, and can in principle dig deeper. It naturally creates a round and straight hole, but only of a fixed diameter. A clam-type digger,in contrast, can be used to dig holes of any shape and any diameter greater than that of the open blades.
History and patent info
Clam-type pole diggers seem to be a relatively recent invention, newer than earth augers. A patent was filed by J. Lawry of Lenior City, Tennessee in 1908.[1] The patent has the traditional clam-shell design with an extra spike in the center.
References
- ^ Jacob H. Lawry (1907) "Post-hole digger". US Patent , filed on 1907-06-11, granted on 1908-04-07, expired on 1925-04-07.
External links
Media related to Post hole diggers at Wikimedia Commons
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