What is best size auger, 9 or 12", for farm use

   / What is best size auger, 9 or 12", for farm use #1  

Ramon

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Farmall 100
What is best size auger, 9 or 12\", for farm use

What is the best and most all around useful size auger to use on a farm, 9" or 12" for a PHD? I'll be setting a lot of different posts from cedar trees I cut down. Mostly fence sized although I'll probably be doing a building soon. I set some in concrete, some just in dirt.
Thanks
Ramon
 
   / What is best size auger, 9 or 12", for farm use #2  
Re: What is best size auger, 9 or 12\", for farm use

It all depends on the size of the posts you will be setting and if you are using concrete. I have set up to 4" posts with an 8" auger and concrete and it works fine. If I went much bigger on the posts I don't think there would be enough concrete in around the post to do much good. On the other end if you got a 12" auger and were setting 2-3/8" pipe you would be buying a lot of concrete to fill in the holes.

I have been watching the neighbors build fence the last month or so. They have about 2000 acres. They are using telephone poles for posts and are digging the holes that appear to be very close to the same size as the poles. They are drilling them deep and setting the posts in the hole with no concrete. Seems to be working fine.

For what I do the 9" auger I have now is perfect. The majority of the posts I set are 4" or smaller and really most are 2 3/8". I am setting metal pipe though and have never set a wood post. If you were setting a lot of wood posts I could see the diameter getting much larger.
 
   / What is best size auger, 9 or 12", for farm use #3  
Re: What is best size auger, 9 or 12\", for farm use

I'm using a 9" for 4x4 posts.

If I ever switch to pipe posts, I think I'll buy a 6" auger.....

ron
 
   / What is best size auger, 9 or 12", for farm use #4  
Re: What is best size auger, 9 or 12\", for farm use

Just for posts I would use the 9" but for plants and such I woud go with a 12". I have 8 and 12 six would be nice too /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
   / What is best size auger, 9 or 12", for farm use #5  
Re: What is best size auger, 9 or 12\", for farm use

I'd go with the 9" auger. There really isn't a need to put fence posts in concrete -- they will rot much faster in concrete anyway. The smaller hole means less dirt to tamp.
 
   / What is best size auger, 9 or 12", for farm use #6  
Re: What is best size auger, 9 or 12\", for farm use

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ...They are using telephone poles for posts)</font>

That must be one TALL fence! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
   / What is best size auger, 9 or 12", for farm use #7  
Re: What is best size auger, 9 or 12\", for farm use

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( </font><font color="blueclass=small">( ...They are using telephone poles for posts)</font>

That must be one TALL fence! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )</font>

They say they grow 'em big in Texas. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
   / What is best size auger, 9 or 12", for farm use #8  
Re: What is best size auger, 9 or 12\", for farm use

"That must be one TALL fence!"

Maybe they have a giraffe they want to keep from nibbling on the neighbors apple trees... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 
   / What is best size auger, 9 or 12", for farm use #9  
Re: What is best size auger, 9 or 12\", for farm use

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( That must be one TALL fence!)</font>

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( They have about 2000 acres.)</font>

And LONG too! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Oh, 9 or 12"? For fences, I would probably go with the 9" for the reasons already mentioned.
 
   / What is best size auger, 9 or 12", for farm use #10  
Re: What is best size auger, 9 or 12\", for farm use

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue"> That must be one TALL fence! </font> )</font>

Hey, knock it off with the Texas jokes. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

At the farm we use the 9" for any post up to about 6". For cross-ties and telegraph poles (cut to 8', for all you comedians) we use the 12" auger. Overall, the 9" is far more useful.

As someone else said, there is no need to use concrete on fence posts. It's just more work and slows things down. Dig the hole down at least 3', tamp it in good and it's not going anywhere. I have used concrete around the base of cross-ties used for gate posts and the like but for no other reason than that's how my F-I-L did it.
 
 
 
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