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Self-Tapping Fence Posts

no more post holes
  (+7, -2)
(+7, -2)
  [vote for,
against]

Post hole digger got you down? Shovel too short? Sore back? All these problems and more are gone for good with E Z Post Self-Tapping Fence Posts. Simply place the post where you want it to go, attach the post wrench and screw that post straight into the ground. E Z Post’s patented thread provides a swift and secure installation without the need for digging or pre-drilling.
nuclear hobo, Apr 19 2007

illustration http://aycu12.websh...167212494303_rs.jpg
[nuclear hobo, Apr 19 2007]

Screw Piles http://www.instant.com.au/
Great moments in advertising copy: "What could be more simple than a circular hollow section of steel (shaft) with one or more tapered steel plates (helix's) strategically welded to the shaft which is in turn wound into the ground using rotary hydraulics for the purpose of compression piles and tension anchors." [jutta, Apr 21 2007]

Corkscrew anchor http://reserveameri...kunum=7140&src=ctcs
Related product [csea, Apr 21 2007]

[link]






       This sounds good but I'm having trouble picturing it. Is it like a combination of a fencepost with a corkscrew?
phundug, Apr 19 2007
  

       [link]
nuclear hobo, Apr 19 2007
  

       looks good. I would suggest a courser thread and I think that rocks could be a problem with this system.   

       Rocks are a problem with *any* fence post.
nuclear hobo, Apr 20 2007
  

       Some of us have almost no rocks. (riparian plain)
Galbinus_Caeli, Apr 20 2007
  

       Is the bottom made of metal, or is it wood?
nomocrow, Apr 20 2007
  

       If it were easy, I think we would have screw-in fence posts already. In my experience with the ground, however, very few portions of it would be amenable to screwing things in, with or without pre-drilled holes.
DrCurry, Apr 20 2007
  

       I suspect the hardest part would be getting the damn things straight. Probably need a gigantic drill press to install these.
Galbinus_Caeli, Apr 20 2007
  

       There could be a couple of spirit level bubbles installed in the post to assist with setting them plumb. [link]
nuclear hobo, Apr 20 2007
  

       Just get a level and some duct tape. That way you don't have weird bubbles in your fence posts for all eternity. +
shapu, Apr 20 2007
  

       Man, I dunno. Grew up ranching cattle and that entails a TON of fence building. I'm not sure that a screw in post saves that much labor. If it's operated by a piece of equipment, like an auger off of a tractors PTO, then you might have something. But if I gotta twist a big corner post 3-4 feet into the ground, I'm not sure that's easier than just digging the hole. So, I vote neutral: bun if there's power equipment involved, but bone if it's strongarmed.
Noexit, Apr 20 2007
  

       I think you're going to need some kind of lever to get enough moment to screw those posts in.   

       Apart from soil containing rocks, you may also find it isn't suitable for damp soil (carved wooden end rotting off too quickly), and perhaps dry soil (too hard to screw into).
Loris, Apr 20 2007
  

       Screws would be metal or plastic and specifically designed for different soil conditions. Posts would be wood, metal or plastic (insulated for electrifing) and would be replaceable, making repairs fast and easy.   

       For manual insertion two people would use a long, double-handled wrench. A truck or tractor mounted drill would speed up the installation process.
nuclear hobo, Apr 20 2007
  

       Professional fencing companies use small Pile drivers and actually pound the posts straight into the ground with no holes or anything. On rock they would pre-drill a hole then pound the post in.
jhomrighaus, Apr 20 2007
  

       "Apart from soil containing rocks" What about rocks containing soil, or rock with a layer of dirt, etc?
BJS, Apr 20 2007
  

       When I was a kid, my family had a bunch of these devices [link]. We used them for temporary dog leash anchors, rowboat anchors in sandy or gravel beach, etc. Very handy!   

       I seem to recall reading about a construction technique that uses screw anchors to anchor heavy cable, for giant tentlike structures. Probably in "Popular Science."   

       + for "not widely known," despite [BB]'s and [jutta]'s products.
csea, Apr 21 2007
  
      
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