Harry Krause wrote:
Don White wrote:
Harry Krause wrote:
Don White wrote:

Harry Krause wrote:

How deep did you bury the sonotubes? I need to dig holes for two
larger ones for a couple of 4x4 posts I want to "affix" to mother
earth. I wonder if I need 8" or 12" sonotubes?

Did you sit them on gravel before pouring in the sakcrete?

Just 3 feet...3.5 would have been ideal here re frostline.
Sure gets hard to dig much deaper than 3 feet if you're using a pointy
end dirt shovel.
We used 8" sonotubes.
Just after setting the sonotubes down into hole and checking alignment
of post along property line...we removed the post and dropped one
shovelfull of gravel into the sonotube, replaced & re-aligned post and
carefully shoveled the concrete mix into the tube. That should keep
the post end off the ground.


I can rent a gas powered post hole digger for $20 for the afternoon.

Those things are great as long as you don't have a lot of large rocks.
Neighbour rented one and it would through the two of us around every
time the auger hit a big enough rock.


Fortunately, the soil in question here is not particularly rocky. I'm
setting posts on which to attach some semi-attractive garden hose
hangers. For some reason, my wife objects to my just dropping the hose
on the ground when I'm finished with it and letting it sit there until I
need it again. Women!

No need for sonotube, unless you are pouring a pier, then placing 4x4's
on TOP of the pier. If you are just encasing the post in concrete, just
dig an 8" hole, put the 4x4 in, plumb it up using diagonal stakes and
wet the sakcrete.