Hello all,
Has anyone ever used a one man post hole auger? If so, can you tell me your experience with them? I am looking at buying the Ardisam earthquake 9000 series. I prefer not to rent as I will be using this auger for many projects throughout the next 5 years. I am in pretty good shape, but by no means, I would say I feel like I am in my 20's again. Will I be able to handle the auger without killing myself?
Secondly, I will be using the auger to dig 4X4 post holes. What size bit should I use, a 6, 8, or 10 bit?
Thank you,
Boomer2
A lot will depend on the soil in your area - sandy, clay, black dirt, rocky, etc. The harder/rockier the soil the harder it will be using the auger. I've used a 1-man several times in sand/dirt type soils and you'll survive but feel it. If the soil is real rocky or heavy clay you'll be looking for friends to come take turns real quick.
Not sure what size would be best depends on how much concrete you want to put around the post - probably 8-10.
I'd recommend 10. It gives you more room to make minor adjustments when aligning the posts. I suppose if you were on level ground and were very careful drilling, you could get away with 8. But on sloped ground, I found I had better luck with the 10 holes I drilled.
I rented something called a little beaver - it was a one-man auger where the engine was on a rolling base. It was still physically challenging.
I also think if you get an auger with hydraulics you are better off. That way you have a reverse gear. The one we rented did not - when we wrapped around a root I had to use a pipe wrench to back it off.
Good luck,
Gerry
Thank you both for the tips. I looked at the little beaver and it was pretty pricey. The Ardisam seems like the best deal going. I will be digging in heavy clay but the ground has very little rock. Since my land is flat, I think I will try and start off with an 8 auger bit.
If anyone else has any experience pr tips with a one man auger please let me know.
Boomer2
It might be worth it to rent one for an hour or find a place that will let you return it. With heavy clay you might find a one man auger a lot of work.
I used a one-man hydraulic auger to dig 8 posts for our fence. We have clay soil in our area and I have to say there is no way it could have been done with just one person.
The size of hole is determined by the size of the post. You want your hole to be at least 2x the size of the post.
Ok, I am getting the feeling that the one-man option is out of the question. This is a bummer as my property is located in another state from where I am currently living and I do not know anyone up there to help me. My only option is work at the gym for 3 months and go from there. Does anyone know of any good back exercises
I know I am going against everyone's advice, but if I had to buy a one-man auger what model should I buy. A hydralic model is out of the question as they cost $1500 minimal used. Has anyone ever used the Ardisam Earthquake? They seem the most reasonable.
Boomer2
Well,this is a year late but I hopeyou didnt buy the earthquake auger.its cheap but you get what you pay for.Its gear driven and the gears dont last long.
Just rent a one-man hydraulic or a dingo with an auger attachment? I was able to dig 45 holes in an 8 hour day with the Dingo and could have gone faster if I had more carefully marked the hole locations ahead of time.
Tags: post, hole, auger, heavy clay, will using, with auger, anyone ever, anyone ever used, could have, ever used
