Fiskars 60" Steel Posthole Digger, Long-Handled Construction and Yard Tool, Digger Tool and Garden Tiller for Soil for Fence or Post Installation

This is the first time I have used this post hole digger design and I must say it works very well for my current post hole digging project (32 holes at 4 feet deep and 10 inches in diameter - no more or less. In the past I have been able to get away with the tried-and-true conventional post hole digger-style boring holes no more than 2 feet but with my current project's diameter constraint of 10 inches and 4 feet deep the conventional style diggers just won't cut it as the hole diameter would obviously have to be much wider to accommodate the spread of the handles while 'trapping' dirt.~ The pivot is completely welded to the handle so no dealing with loose bolts/nuts which is a nice change! However, for me I immediately put my digger in the ground from taking it out of the box and realized that it was extremely difficult to move the handles to dig - very stiff! After about 15-20 minutes of continuous use it loosened up nicely (NOTE: obviously this is highly subjective. I'm a big guy so what I find as being suitable in terms of how 'difficult' it is to open-and-close this digger may not work for you. It is still slightly stiff for me to use but I find it suitable). If you would rather start your digging with a conveniently usable digger I highly recommend spending a few minutes opening and closing the digger to wear it in so hopefully it is much easier to use. I will say that opening and closing will still require more 'work' than your typical nut-and-bolt hinged digger so be prepared to exert more energy when using this!~ Another great thing about this digger design is the fact that the handles do not come together; I have experienced no knuckle-smashing with this one. That's great seeing as I have a huge tendency to bring the handles together aggressively and bash my knuckles while digging with the conventional digger design.~ With the all-steel construction this digger is much heavier than my conventional fiberglass-handled digger! I'm not complaining but just something I personally noticed. It may be a little heavier as mentioned but I'll take the quality of the construction over the fact that I have to take an extra break here-and-there. I have read old reviews of their Fiskars diggers bending and breaking but I can at least say that after digging 3 holes to 4 feet deep I haven't experienced this. Did Fiskars update their design to accommodate for this? Not sure. If I experience any of this I will update my review to let others know.~ Lifetime warranty~ This obviously has the same straight-blade design as with many diggers - the ends of the blades leave an opening when fully clenched which means dry, loose soil will be difficult to grab and retain. Not sure why I have read other reviews of people complaining about this when this has been the case for decades. For my projects and if your project permits just add a little water to the hole.This digger has performed well for me thus far. If I experience any issues I'll update this review accordingly. I highly recommend this digger if you are particularly in need of digging deep holes and don't feel like renting/buying a motored post hole digger.------------------- UPDATE 10/22/14 ------------------------I dug 22 holes at 4'+ deep in very rocky ground and this digger took a beating let me tell you! The digger looks like it went through a war zone. After using the digger for awhile the 'stiffness' of opening and closing it became MUCH easier over time; it even now squeaks when I open and close mine - no big deal. The 'stiffness' of opening-and-closing the digger does have an advantage in that you don't have to aggressively keep the blades together when trying to bring your payload up from 4' deep! Just close the blades and bring up the digger from the hole. After having completed 22 holes, how it stood up to a beating and how it made my life easier I highly recommend this digger!------------------ UPDATE 11/25/14 ---------------------------I have completed my project; 32 holes each 4' down and ~10" in diameter in very rocky ground. This post hole digger stood up to a huge beating. Everything about this digger is in good shape and is still working. Very impressed!

Like all Fiskers products...it is a high-quality tool. I have a large, heavy-duty tiller and a smaller one I use in the main garden, but this device is excellent in the raised garden boxes. ! Be careful unpacking (wear gloves) as the tines are very sharp.

I purchased to help keep the weeds down in my garden. While it works great when there was enough moisture in the ground, the weeds do get stuck into the blades but were decently easy to pull out of the blades. My only complaint is it doesn't work well when there is a bunch of weeds and the ground is dry.

This seems like it's a pain to work with, but for installing posts, it's 100% worth it for most post-setting jobs. It makes the hole symmetrical and compact. It makes the rest of the job of setting the post easier and the end product is more durable over time. On more extensive jobs or when the hole must be 4 feet deep, you have to go with the powered auger, which usually entails renting.

Comfortable handles. Heavy enough to break rocks but not so heavy as to wear you out. Allows you reach 18 inches deeper than regular digger. Only disadvantage is the blades do not mate closed as normal digger, consequently, in dry powdery dirt it is hard to clean the hole

These are reasonable quality and dig a slightly bigger hole than my old traditional ones, which I like. Allows the perfect amount of room to pack concrete around a 4x4 post. However, after someone else used them, apparently aggressively, the poles bent and the blades were splayed out (see photo).I contacted Fiskar via email with a photo and receipt. Heard nothing back, but the website said could take up to 6 weeks. Maybe 3 weeks later, I received a new one in the mail.Update: just used them in very sandy soil and they are not good for that use. The blades are not "pointed" so the sand just sifts right through them when closed. Lost another star for that, though the do work well if the soil has any moisture or body to it.I don't like that they bent in the first place, but would definitely will buy Fiskar products in the future given this no-hassle customer service.These work well in normal dirt but if you're in rocky conditions, maybe use something tougher.

of small jobs.I'm 5'5" on a good day with a medium to small build, and have a host of skeletal issues, including arthritis; yet I can use this tool. That's a plus.For roots that go 6 - 8" deep, and that are a bit lightweight, this is my go-to tool. For things like thicker and more rigid roots I have to find something else. Like my husband, lol. Jokes aside, this will make quick work of dandelions, weeds, and small brush or trees (trimmed to the stump, that is). If the roots go much deeper than 8" I find I do struggle to pull them free so I just clip them off with my pruning shears and wait for them to come back, but hope for them to die off.For loosening soil this piece of equipment is sure to make the task a simple one. If you're smaller like me, you might find that standing on top of the claw and hopping a bit, or even rocking back and forth, may be in order. I've gotten pretty violent with my sheer will to power through. Not to fear, because this thing is rugged and will stand up to the abuse. I have even used my full weight and treat this as a lever for some of the tougher roots - I'm sure it's quite the spectacle for my neighbors.Rinse this guy off and keep it in a dry storage area to ensure it has a long life. Do wear thick shoes, just in case. If for nothing else, wear thick shoes so you have a solid surface to stand on as you're driving the claw into the ground.I used this, along with a pole saw, mini chainsaw, shovel, and rake to make trails along the perimeter of our yard where we left about 10' from the fence uncleared. The claw helped me significantly in my tasks.