Anyone use a manual post hole auger?

[Big T]

Hiya,

 

Im looking at more efficent ways at digging post holes. At the mo I use a narrow drain spade and shovholers but been looking at the manual type of Auger, are they any good?

[humpo48]

If you can afford one the stihl petrol augers are good but the bits are quite pricey and I bent one of mine! But saves so much time

[onyx landscaping/fencing]

hand augers are one of the slowest most painfull things I have ever used

[eagleye]

get a bulldog rabbiting spade and a pair of shoveholes

smash the hole in with one dig it out with the other

petrol augers are ok but once you hit a big bit of stone game over

[elfinwood saws]

Got a stihl petrol one, the two man one. Does a 8 inch, by a metre deep hole in 10/15 seconds, you are better off with a spit than a hand auger.

[humpo48]

get a bulldog rabbiting spade and a pair of shoveholes

smash the hole in with one dig it out with the other

petrol augers are ok but once you hit a big bit of stone game over

 

 

Agree or roots that's how I bent mine and nearly my wrist but are great when they go in all the way

[White Noise]

Hey Ant Petrol Augers are ok on Farmland / Woodland areas . Although they are crap on dometic jobs as the tend to find gas pipes , water pipies and even cables ?

[littlerob]

you can get some petrol auger Chinese ones from ebay Germany delivered to you with 3 bits 100mm 150mm and 200mm bits for around 100 euro's even if it olny lasts say 10 jobs its only then 10pound a job couldn't hire one cheaper

[hedgesparrow]

depends what part of uk in Hampshire the petrol ones are nasty bit of work hit a flint and it will have you. saw a chap who does hedge planting and he had a sthil petrol driller with the auger bits but that i can see twisting when it hits stones. as said rabbit spade /newcastle. and a shoveler and a heavy duty pointed bar. can get a lot done with just those tools in a day.

or if you have one a mini digger with a auger on. but ned to be doing a lot of holes. there was a bever power pack with a auger had a solid metal bar to stop it twisting did a good job but was a pain trying to pull it over anything soft

[Big T]

Cheers for the replies guys! I used to have a petrol one before I really got into alot of fencing, I remember it was a pain on most jobs but just wanted to make sure I wasnt just unlucky the few times I used it! I have shovholers and a drain (rabbit?) spade and it does the job, was just curious if there was a quicker way! Oh well, thats another reason to buy a mini digger;)