My old foreman swore by digging post holes dry, not wet
At a job outside Topeka, the ground was so dry and hard I couldn't break through. Old foreman told me to soak the ground for an hour before digging, said it saves hits on the shovel and your back. I tried it and popped through in 20 minutes flat where I was stuck for almost two hours before. Has anyone else found a good trick for breaking up packed clay?
Man, is it really that bad? I've drilled wet clay plenty of times and yeah it packs up a bit but you just pull it out and knock it clean. Sounds like your buddy was either using the wrong bit or just didn't want to deal with it.
Oh man, that takes me back. I tried drilling wet clay once and my auger ended up looking like a giant brown tootsie roll on a stick. I thought I was being smart by just pushing harder and it just made it worse. I ended up spending 20 minutes chipping that mess off with a hammer and a screwdriver. So I feel your buddy's pain deep in my soul. It's honestly one of those jobs that makes you question all your life choices right there on the spot.