Auger Sizes

[SpaceRage]

I will disagree. 9" & 12" are so close to each other I wouldn't 't buy both unless you are planning on a ton of digging or just have excess money to spend. If you plan on using something larger than a 4x4 then get a 12" but if not get a 9". I have a 9" and 18". The 9" has worked for the hundreds of fence post holes I have dug and the only time I have used the 18" on fencing was for setting some 6.5" pipe for an entryway. Other times it just gets used for setting sono tube footings, I-beams, planting trees, etc.

Don't misunderstand me 9" and 12" have their place and if you were doing a ton of fencing with a lot of small and larger fence posts then buying both might make sense but from what I gathered from your post the wasn't the case.

Good point, luckily I haven't ordered anything yet. Do you think 20hp PTO is capable of running a 18" auger though? That was my concern....

 

[bdog]

I don't know. I run mine on a 100hp skid steer with a hydraulic auger. 20HP is probably on the weak side depending on your soil. With an extension I have dug 8' deep holes with my 18" auger.

I wasn't necessarily recommending an 18" for you, I was just saying there isn't a lot of difference between a 9" & 12" for infrequent use. I wouldn't want to dig 500 12" holes for 2-3/8" pipe fence posts but if you only had a few to do it will work fine. I would rather spend my implement budget on other goodies than both a 9 & 12 unless you had a specific need.

 

[Scrambler82]

I was just going to post a question: "Will a 6" Auger work for 4x4 Posts ?
Assuming the surrounding material is solid !
Also, I assume a 6" Auger will actually end up cutting a larger hole than 6" !

A second question: "If... the 6" Auger cuts a larger hole than 6", can we also assume a 6x6 Post might work with this sized Auger ?

Reading all of these "postings", is there an accepted standard for the size of the hole vs the post size !
My first Auger will be the 6", seems like most things I do should work with it !

 

[yooperdave]

Hey folks,

Planning to buy a post hole digger in the next few weeks

What size augers are worth buying with the implement? It will just be used for lifestyle property on a Kubota B26, so nothing too extreme or high powered.

I also figures the 'hydraulic assist' post hole digger might not be worth the extra $ in this case as I only have a small tractor.

Options are: 6 inch, 9 inch, 12 inch and 18 inch.

Also considering getting a few spare blades / tips for the augers.

Cheers!

I bought a 24" diameter auger for my 25 hp CUT so I could plant several trees.

I learned to attach a hand winch to the ROPS to get the auger out of the ground if I dug too deep.

Regards,

Yooper Dave

 

[radios1]

here's something you can rent if you need it. it only goes up to 14 foot diameter though. Soil Auger | Earth Drill | Dirt Auger - Champion Equipment Co.

 

[CobyRupert]

I bought a 24" diameter auger for my 25 hp CUT so I could plant several trees.

I learned to attach a hand winch to the ROPS to get the auger out of the ground if I dug too deep.

Regards,

Yooper Dave

Yikes!
I guess it works.
Until it doesn’t.
Man, I’d be very careful you don’t torque those ROPS too much.
I’d imagine a stuck auger could win that battle on some days.

 

[kantuckid]

I bought a 24" diameter auger for my 25 hp CUT so I could plant several trees.

I learned to attach a hand winch to the ROPS to get the auger out of the ground if I dug too deep.

Regards,

Yooper Dave

I need to use a 24" auger if I avoid hiring a backhoe to dig some piers for a cabin I'm building. Obviously the auger could be a less messy hole too.
I can rent the 24" auger bit for $100 weekly and already own a PHD with a 12" bit.
The ground involved will have some "casual" rocks but no rock shelf present. The rocks that show up on the surface there are sandstone and sedimentary, having dropped in from a cliff maybe 100' above this bench in the woods and deposited when Fred Flintstone lived nearby.
My tractor is a Kioti DK35SE with nearly 40hp. IMO rocks may stop some holes, not all in the 9 I need to dig.
i gotta say I'm a bit nervous on that large of a auger! With the 12" I used a spud bar for leverage thus two people involved.
I'd like to hear others comment on the use of that tractor and a 24" auger bit? Me thinks a backhoe may make sense?

 

[3Ts]

I run an 18" auger with a 50 hp tractor in clay soils. I do have to be careful I don't screw it into the ground because it is a b___h to get back out, but otherwise there's plenty of power and probably more than I need. Be sure it's in contact with the ground before you start to turn it of course. The 10 hp difference between your tractor and mine isn't that big of a deal (for 18" auger) - another 1/3 (6") is a lot, but for $100/ week I'd give it a try. If it doesn't work out, then go the backhoe route. BTW, 9 holes isn't that many and you should be able to dig them with a PHD in a day or two even with occasional rocks.

 

[goddom]

I have a 9" auger for 4x4 posts and I find that either I am not good at measuring or that sometimes the slight angle I get from the auger, the post won't sit centered that I need to have some wiggle room for the posts. I think I am going to go with a 12" auger inthe near future.

 

[SmallChange]

Does anybody know where to get an auger smaller than 6"?

My soil is often so hard I can't even get the tip started - I mean the casting that looks like the end of a wood screw. I have round river gravel cemented together by clay. Many years ago I did a painfully big project with a 4 handle handheld auger and 3 of us, and we were actually using a masonry bit to drill pilot holes to get it started.

I'd like to find a 2" or so drill bit long enough to penetrate a couple feet into the ground. A masonry bit might work, or perhaps a drill bit intended for metal.

Another possibility would be more weight on the assembly. I haven't had a convenient point for hanging weight so perhaps that what I should try next.