Post hole diggers

Gateway Student · 04-01-2008, 07:28 AM

I am in a class in college where i have to improve or create a new product to solve a problem in the world. Me and my partner chose to improve upon the post hole digger (the manual kind). Now in order for us to keep rolling with this idea we need justification. Thats where your help comes in, if you could please post or message me if you have had any experience with manual post hole diggers and tell me what the kind you used and what you liked/disliked about it and how well it worked, maybe even the type of soil you were digging in because that makes a difference. Thankyou.

sunroom wizard · 04-01-2008, 07:36 AM

Hmmm... interesting thought. How to improve manual post hole diggers?

Ergonomic handgrips on the handles for better impact resistance.

Serrated teeth on the shovel end to chew through roots and clay.

Resistance springs between the handles to ensure a better hold on the dirt you are removing. (It tends to drop out if you release pressure while pulling up.)

Other than that the best improvement i've ever seen with them is the fiberglass handle. Weathers so much better than the old wooden handles.

I hope this gets ya an A+, If not make ya a million.

glennjanie · 04-01-2008, 12:51 PM

Hello Gateway Student:
I have experienced two types of post-hole diggers. The split handle type and the 2 round handle type; I wouldn't give a dime for another split handle. The soil here is loam with a low content of clay, which becomes very sticky when it is the least bit damp.
I would like to see some sort of foot pedal to help push the dirt out of the diggers. It could be spring mounted to return and stay out of the way when not needed, but would always be handy for use when the dirt sticks. It sure would save a lot of banging and jerking around.
Glenn