One of the worst things to do is digging holes lol ugh😝
This thing worked so nice! #thrilled. I had to really grunt and put all my umphf into it to get the last bit down flush with the ground because I didn’t want it sticking up and any metal showing like some review pics… But I was able to do it and it went pretty well even with only with 2 gallons of water poured in place. I could’ve/should’ve done more but I was kind of a trek away from my water source and I was in a hurry with minimal motivation/effort in mind lol.
Details...
Level, drill, drill bit, small tip writing utensil, tape measure, socket/attachments...
So first, when I took this thing out of the box I was shocked at how chunky it is😳
Beyond reading hundreds of reviews and narrowing down the selection....
I had made a mindful effort to find the longest/cheapest/seemingly best quality one I could (on AMZ). There are so many😩
I chose this one because it was slightly longer than my next fave, *the saddle was closest in dimension* for a “4x4” dimensional lumber post (3.5x3.5 actual)- this was important as I wanted it snug & not having a big gap in the saddle for looseness(?)🤔plus having it be able to stand in its own until I could get a fastener in it was ideal for me 😅, hopefully it’s obvious to seek out a rust resistant finish (fully galvanized is the beat you’ll do in this price range) and this one looked pretty good🤷🏼♀️ For w/e that’s worth. Finally, but also very important- I preferred the ‘amount of’ and placement of THESE screw holes; over the others I compared.🤓 Don't bother with a bracket that only allows 2-4 screws in it, and think logically about their placement👌🏼.
and then it seemed kind of stubby when I opened it up & I thought I would be disappointed in my purchase, I was concerned with it not going deep enough to get a really solid bite & be sturdy enough. That was definitely NOT an issue 😌.
-So the inside of the cone is hollow (as it should be)🤷🏼♀️ But I didn’t expect that, and maybe you’d like to know.
-Definitely slowly dump water on the spot where you’re going to do it. I’d say at least soak a 10 inch area and do it slowly- make sure the water isn’t just hitting the surface and then running off the surface somewhere else. Go real slow; letting it absorb. I did 1 gallon and then I used the rod iron that comes with the anchor to hammer into the ground with a small sledge. Wiggle the rod iron around down in there to make your pilot hole bigger/more forgiving. As others said- Be mindful that you make a street and treat that way your post anchor go straight in your post ends up straight. I pulled it back out fairly easily after tht and dumped my other gallon of water in the hole where the where the rod went. Using more water is probably smart, though I wouldn’t make a mud hole.
-Keep pressure as you’re turning it to keep it straight up and down from all sides. It goes fairly quickly and easily until you get down to the bottom where the anchor is bigger around in diameter and it’s taking more force to get into the ground. I was trying to avoid using my little sledge to get it the last bit so that would’ve worked well I didn’t want to shock and disturb the ground too much and make it potentially less solid/tight- So I just struggled through (a few minutes) and really got into it; I kneeled on the [wet] ground & used my foot to push it away, then pull it around with both hands.
-Don’t screw it in too far. You want to keep the big holes that you put the rebar through to screw it IN; keep those just above ground level so water doesn’t just fill it & sit, AND so if you have to take it out of the ground you can still get to that hole to back it out.
-Time for post! ☺️You’re almost there!
I used and recommend 2 composite shims (hardware store) bring something to snap them off because breaking them by hand like you normally would to install a door isn’t going to work as well; they can’t be sticking out AT ALL passed your wood post or your post cover may not fit🤷🏼♀️ at least that’s how mine was🙄[Mayne post: see photo] no room to spare with its round entry hole. “Square Peg Round Hole”. The screws included have kind of a tall hex head on them and they almost stuck out too far for my Mayne post cover, but luckily IT WORKS!😅 and it’s tight- which is good.
*shims...I determined which way my post needed to slightly lean since I wasn’t absolutely straight with my anchor, and that’s where I stuck my shim to hold the post straight/snug while I MARKED ALL THE HOLES. Ex: Mark all your holes WITH your shims in place so your post it straight/level. Now take it out carefully & find the very middle of that hole you marked. Drill your pilot hole put the post back with the shims in place again (I would break them off to the right size at this time then stick them back in there) and screw that ONE screw in your ONE pilot hole. (you can screw through your shim) check your levels & adjust your shims where you need. Now do the opposite side’s hole (which direction does the post need to pull) and check your levels once more. Now drill all the rest of them and screw the rest in while checking straightness. You have to figure out where to screw it first so that you can get that post to pull which ever direction you need it to Remove the post/shims and drill 1 or 2 hole/s for your screw (I only did one at first in the front (where my post needed pulled), and checked it/adjust shims, then do the opposite side (where your other shim likely is) and if everything looks good- drill that hole & screw it so u have 1 in front & 1 back. If it’s straight and level check your marks find the center & drill/screw the rest.
-Obviously when screwing in your anchor make sure it’s square with the road or however you’re going to be facing your post. You don’t want to back it out if it’s not straight where you want it I would just screw it in one more turn. Since I was doing a mailbox I chose to have the saddle plates facing the street since that’s the direction it’s going to be pulled on the most and I need it to be most secure their.
I’m falling asleep 😝 hopefully that was somewhat in order & coherent 🤦🏼♀️
I will likely edit another day
Good luck!!!
A definite buy! Huge time saver
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This item: American Ground Screw U-Model - Easy-Install No-Dig Ground Anchor for Standard 4x4 Posts (Actual 3.5"x3.5") - Durable 27" Screw-in Stake for Mounting Wooden Posts
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