What is the best tool for digging post holes?

You can use a post hole digger or power auger to dig the hole. A post hole digger is a manual tool and will get the job done in average soil. If you have hard, rocky soil or a lot of roots – you may want to opt for a power auger.

Is there a manual auger? Spiral manual augers The manual augers of the second style have a head that is a spiral type drill and works like a screw. Typically, manual augers with a drill head have a shaft that has only a length of 2 feet.

How deep can a hand held auger go? An auger can drill holes as deep as 95 feet and as shallow as 3 feet. However, once the depth goes beyond 95 feet, you can add an extension rod to the auger.

Do manual post hole diggers work? For long swathes of new fencing, manual post hole diggers are a lot of work, but they are much more efficient than digging holes out with a spade and also give you neater edges so if you decide to use cement to set your fence posts, you’ll have a better set a the base as a result with less soil dilution on the edges.

How big of an auger do I need? To choose the auger that best fits your needs, consider how you’ll use it. If you plan on only using your auger to plant plugs, for instance, then a 2- or 3-inch auger will fit your needs. If you anticipate the need to bury stakes or set small posts, then you may prefer a 4-inch auger or another, larger size.

What is the best tool for digging post holes? – Related Questions

How do you use a manual soil auger?

Can you use an auger in wet soil?

Especially if conditions are wet, the grass and vegetation may clog the end of the auger, sticking in place and making it impossible for the blades to get a grip on the soil below. Save yourself some time (and your auger a little trouble) by using a shovel to remove sod before you drill.

Can one person use an auger?

What is an auger used for? A small auger with a 2- to 3-inch diameter bit can be used to plant bulbs or install small poles. A one-man auger with a 6-inch auger bit can be used to dig holes for steel fence posts.

Will an auger go through rock?

Augers are very powerful machines with a lot of torque that can throw you like a sack of potatoes if the auger bit encounters a rock or a root. If your soil is loamy or sandy, you too can drill 30 holes in a day’s worth of rental. But rocky ground or heavy clay can stymie even the most powerful auger.

Whats the difference between a post hole digger and auger?

Q: What is the difference between an auger and a post hole digger? The difference between the two is in how they dig holes. You thrust a traditional post hole digger into the ground and remove the soil between the scoops. An auger “screws” into the ground and transports dirt along the blade up to the surface.

What’s the difference between post hole digger and auger?

Post hole diggers focus on one task – they dig holes for posts, whereas a hole auger is suited for a wide variety of tasks around the garden. Post hole diggers rely on more work than a hole auger, these heavy hand tools are basically thrown hard into the soil with force then lifted out.

How do you dig a deep hole by hand?

What is the best size auger for a 4×4 post?

Post Holes- If you plan to secure your posts with cement or by tamping dirt, you will need spacing around the post to do so. For example: A 4×4 post (actual size 3.5″x3. 5″) has a maximum width of just over 5″ (diagonally). Therefore, the 4×4 post will likely fit into a hole drilled by a 6″ diameter auger.

How do I choose an auger?

Anything smaller than 4 inches in diameter is typically used for planting seeds, bulbs and smaller plants, with mid-sized blades up to the 9-inch diameter more suited for larger plants, shrubs and small trees. An auger blade larger than 9 inches is most suited for structural work such as digging holes for fence posts.

Is an 8 inch hole big enough for 4×4 fence post?

The diameter of your post hole should be three times the diameter of your post. So, if you’re planning on using a four-inch round or 4×4-inch square post, your post hole will need to be 12 inches in diameter. For a six-foot-high fence post, we would need a hole that’s 36 inches deep and 12 inches in diameter.

What is the fastest way to dig a hole in a shovel?

How deep should a 6-foot fence post be in the ground?

The depth of the hole should be 1/3-1/2 the post height above ground (i.e., a 6-foot tall fence would require a hole depth of at least 2 feet). Add about 6 inches of QUIKRETE All-Purpose Gravel into the bottom of the hole. Then compact and level the gravel using a post or 2×4.

What is the easiest way to dig a hole?

Can an auger go through tree roots?

The most effective method of installing a post through a root is to drill through it. There is a power tool available known as an auger that will drill through the root, and allow you to put the post right where you need it.

Can an auger go through clay?

Augers are also great for soil that is tough to dig. Heavy clay soils, which tend to clump and stick to shovels, are no problem with an auger.

What are the two types of drilling technique for soil?

Direct air rotary drilling and reverse air drilling are the most common types. This method penetrates the ground quickly and can penetrate hard formations easily. Air rotary drilling is good for setting monitoring wells at specified layers as well as taking good representative samples of soil at different layers.

Should you wet the ground before using an auger?

Soften the soil Any tough, hardened soil can be softened prior to digging by soaking the area with water to prevent the auger getting stuck in the ground.

Is it worth buying an auger?

An auger gets the job done quicker than a shovel while allowing the operator to stand upright. Because the auger is meant to be held stationary as the hole is bored, there is less stress placed on the hands and arms, as well. For health reasons alone, augers are a worthwhile investment.

Should I wet dirt before digging?

Soil that’s turned over when wet will form clods that will be very difficult to break apart later, Trinklein said. This is because wet soil is more easily compacted than dry soil. He recommends the “baseball test” before you start digging.

How long does it take an auger to dig a hole?

Power augers can dig as many holes in an hour as a post hole digger can dig in eight hours, with hole sizes ranging from 6” diameter holes and up.

How do you unclog a drain with an auger?

How do you get a stuck auger out of the ground?

Can I use an auger in rocky soil?

For drilling in rocky soils, always recommend heavy-duty augers to avoid damage. These augers are equipped with a more durable tooth and side cutting blades as well as heavy-duty flighting.

How deep should fence posts be?

As a general rule of thumb one-third of your post should be underground, the other two-thirds above. Let’s take a standard 6foot (72 inches) fence as an example. You will need a 9foot (108 Inches) post so that 3ft (35 inches) can be underground and 6ft can be above ground.

How do you auger through gravel?

Hold the auger firmly with both hands. Press the trigger throttle slowly to start the auger turning and to begin drilling through the gravel and soil. Apply downward pressure as the auger turns.

What is a hand auger?

A hand auger is a versatile tool used to carry out a range of shallow digging necessary in obtaining soil samples, making postholes, drilling fishing holes in ice, environmental construction, mining, opening clogged drains and locating underground materials that may potentially halt drilling and damage powered tools.

How do you snake a manual drain?

What does a toilet auger look like?

Can you drill a well with an auger?

Drilling a shallow well is a pretty simple task, going down about 25 feet or so when you hit first water (at least in my location). This type of well could be drilled in a weekend by hand using a general purpose, extendable post-hole auger. This type of well can be cased off with a manual pump and used for irrigation.