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Anybody use this stuff for line posts? Sounds nice and easy (no premixing) and stronger than just backfilling, but I've only seen it in 40-50# bags for $5 a bag, which is way overpriced.
Can I mix this myself from separate dry ingredients? Is it strong enough to use for corner and end posts?
For what it's worth, I just heard a radio ad for Sakrete in sixty pound bags for something under $2.00 per bag.
Norm, of Yankee Workshop fame, says to use fine crushed rock to backfill. OK, he was refering to a PT wood mailbox post at the time. His story is that it drains and the post lasts longer. When it fails it's easier to rplace than if it were in concrete.
That doesn't sound like a bad idea for the line posts. The driveway could use some anyway.
Norm is the greatest. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
I'm just finishing up a horse fence around a 2 acre pasture now. The guy that does my excavator work told me that he backfills with tamped stonedust. I tried it with this fence. It's certainly easier to backfill than using the rocky dirt from the hole (at least with the rocks I have). It tamps nicely, just bring a bucket of water along with you and dump in about a quart as you backfill. The only hassle is removing all you little piles of dirt, but you get pretty good at cleaning the holes with the loader. This would go a lot quicker with 2 people. It's a lot of on & off with one.
I'll let you know in a couple years if I'm still happy with how the posts are sitting [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
I only use the stone dust on posts that take no significant load. For gate posts and corner posts on tension fences (like the one I'm doing now) everything is set in concrete.
Yeah, I'm certain that it wouldn't take too much side load. But I plan to use stone dust or fine crusher run for my new mailbox post.
That $5 stuff is what I used to set my 3 posts for my tractor shed. It sets up in about 5-10 minutes and you don't have to use braces to hold the posts upright. But, then again, I only had 3 posts.
Lowe's has the regular Sakrete for $1.77 per 60# bag.
I'm in the process of adding a 20 x 30 foot barn addition and the contractor, who I've been VERY happy with, only uses running crush to backfill the posts, not the dirt taken out of the hole. He used 6x 6 posts, drilled an 18 inch hole with a skidsteer loader on an 81 hp bobcat (awesome machine). Tamps the bottom, puts in an 80 lb bag of sakrete then puts in a solid 3 x 8 x 16 inchconcrete block. Sets the post on that, then dumps in another bag of sakrete and backfills the whole thing with running crush. Don't think that things going anywhere!!! While stone dust packs pretty well too I still think running crush packs better due to the different size stones in it. I wouldn't set fence posts in concrete only because getting them out is a pain in the a*%, and you MAY have to get them out one day. (One of our colts bolted through our fence and snapped the 4x4 corner post like a twig. Easy replacement. Would not have been so easy with concrete. You're better off bracing both line and corner posts and then you don't need concrete.
BTW: Stone dust is about $8.50 a yard (+ delivery).
All posts on my barn are back-filled with fine stone - it's referred to as "bugdust" around here. Many contractors do it that way instead of sakrete. By the way you should be able to buy it for less than $2 per bag at most lumber yards. The idea that it allow water to soak away from the post which in turn leads to longer post life makes sense to me... but alot of nonsense makes sense to me [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]