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Totally lost on a good hand held posthole Auger...

F

Fargo

Member
Hi - Need to dig only 8-10 holes 8x36. Went on Internet. Amazon, Home Depot, Harbor Freight all have these dirt cheap augurs made in china with less than stellar reviews. I like cheaper but $125 seems too chintzee to me.

What is a good quality auger at a good price that will work reliably till I croak. (10-15 years)

Kind regards and happy Thanksgiving to all on the board here...
 
Try the second hand market, good used ones sell for $5 to $50 on Face Book Market Place and Craig's List. At that price they can be disposable, but are often better than some of the new ones available. Local auctions can also sell common tools at low prices.
 
Have you ever used a handheld post hole auger before?

You're in for a rude awakening, especially if you have rocks.

If all goes well, running a handheld post hole auger is 15-30 seconds of sheer terror. Hit a rock, and it'll tear out of your hands if you're lucky. Sometimes you can't let go and it'll try to tear your arms off. There's nothing you can do about it. It happens faster than you can react. There's no feathering the throttle either; it's all or nothing.

10-15 years means you're somewhere between 65 and 75 years old. I was 32 when I had my first last and only experience with a handheld post hole auger. In my sandy soil I thought I could get away with a hand-held, until it twisted my arms into a pretzel and pinned me so I could not let go of the throttle.

Next time I need to punch a bunch of holes, I'm renting one of those towable hydraulic post hole augers.
 
My dad has one, I think he still has it anyway. It had a 2 cycle Clinton engine if I remember right and a big gear reduction box on it. He tried it out and about got wrapped around it when he hit a rock or something. So he fastened about a 6 foot pipe to one of the handles and had someone hold onto that while he ran the throttle. It worked, but was a bit sketchy! I think it's still in his shed and hasn't been used in at least 20 or more years.
 
If I ever get the desire to use a handheld post hole digger all I need to do is take a drill and and a 2 inch bulb planter out in the yard to quickly remove the post hole idea out my mind.

My soil in clay with no rocks. The bit will grab and screw into the clay without breaking it free from the soil around it. Then get ready because the ride is fixing to start. As said you can not let go fast enough.

No way Im using any type of auger not mounted to something heavy like the back of a tractor. And then even a tractor has problems with an auger if it doesnt have reverse to unscrew the auger.
 
I think Barnyard engineering has the right idea. Rent something to do the job. If I read your post right, going 36 inches deep is going to stretch what a handheld auger can do anyway. (And is probably beyond what an old guys back can easily stand.)
 
As noted in other replies, get ready for a man-killing job. My son and I dug 12 holes with a two man version. Never again. I weighed about 140 and my son about 115.

Ken
 
As always, when it comes to digging post holes I STRONGLY recommend renting a skid steer with a PHD. Im not sure of your age but unless you are in top physical condition, 10 holes 3 feet deep will kick your donkey. Especially as others have said in rocky, hard ground or wet clay.
 
If you have a tractor, buy a used 3 point post hole digger with auger and use it for your job, then turn around and sell it for what you paid for it. If you buy it right on the used market you should be able to sell it for what you paid for it and its better than renting because you don't have to return it in 24 hours.
 
I agree mostly with JimPA. If you have the time to wait for it a used 3 point PHD can be had fairly cheap. I would keep it though as they come in handy. A few years ago I was able to pick up an older Ford PHD with 9 inch auger for $120. I purchased a 12 inch auger and adapter to go with it and still use it today.
 
I was at a garage sale years ago. Found out they are called a Seymour
manual post hole digger. There was a 6" and 8". I bought both of them.
Something like this from Walmart dot com....
Seymour-21306-AU-S6-Iwan-Auger-with-Hardwood-Handle-6-Diameter_d18d1ed2-eca0-4ee7-a69d-c4fa1d369be0.89a7cc0443e93853709cfadbe684f0f9.jpeg


They work much better than clam shell diggers until you hit a rock,
root or such. Both of mine have a metal vs. wood handle. Both are
2 piece, fits a standard 1" pipe for additional length.

HTH...Don.

This post was edited by cityboy on 11/25/2023 at 04:30 am.
 
I agree especially when you are talking the dimensions you listed. My first auger on this newly acquired farm was a rented hand held
with an X handle arrangement. My wife, 2 kids, and I tried to dig holes (with all hanging on....or trying to) with that thing and it beat
us to death. Found a used 3 pt mounted and haven't looked back....that was 1979 and I still use it....doesn't look like much but it
works and works well with my 12x36 auger too.
 
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