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If you were digging in sand, I'd say go ahead and use a three point digger and finish by hand. But if your clay in NY is anything like this stuff in Michigan, don't do it. I dug my holes with a three point unit, and I'll never try that again. It took me several days, since I was using a worn-out 8 inch auger (closer to a six than an eight) and I needed holes 60 inches deep by 18 inches in diameter. (For the pads under the posts.) Also, the three point units are bad about drifting off, so some of my holes were over two feet wide by the time I was done. To top it all off, I had to replace the cutters on my neighbor's post hole digger because the clay ate them up. There are several options on the rental side. As someone suggested, a digger on a skid steer loader is a good, but expensive, choice. Around here, Home Depot rents out a big trailer-mounted unit. It looks like it might be a good choice, although I've never used one. I have rented portable units: the "Little Beaver" diggers work well and can be handled by one person; it would be possible, but not easy, to dig pole barn holes with one. The Little Beaver design uses a cart-mounted motor connected to a separate auger, which makes them fairly easy to handle. If you have a neighbor with the right equipment, hiring him to dig your holes may be the best money you ever spent.
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