Dirt Moving minimum auger length?

[pd tractor]

I would like to dig a lot of 4" holes for 3" posts for garden fence
the budget 4" augers are not very long, maybe 36". I was planning to borrow the attachment, then put on my own auger (save $$$)
I know it may vary a lot, but can I expect to be able to get 2' of that auger into the ground, or will there be some sort of minimum distance the auger will stop at.
Thank you!!!

 

[JD 4520]

With most augers you can pretty much go to the full length. The hardness of the ground or positioning of your tractor is the limiting factor. I would expect you can easily get 30" if not more. Clean out the hole with a hand post hole digger.

 

[newbury]

Be sure the auger fits what you are going to borrow. There are at least two types of butt ends on the augers.

 

[Fallon]

You need extra room to tamp around the posts, or they will be forever loose. Also PHDs rarely dig straight, so you need a bit more room to adjust. I had 6" posts & got a 12" auger as the 9" wasn't cutting it. Granted I needed precise distances for mortise & tennon top rails that were exactly 8' long. You still need room to tamp though.

 

[pd tractor]

thanks everyone for the responses!
Sorry I did not reply sooner, for some reason was not getting notified.

 

[pd tractor]

I feel like a PC newbie asking, but how does one get notification when replies are posted?

 

[RaydaKub]

I feel like a PC newbie asking, but how does one get notification when replies are posted?

I am not sure if you can get a notification for every reply. I'm not sure I'd want that regardless of the topic. You could end up with your email being spam city. Anyway, there are settings buried somewhere in your profile. I haven't looked at mine in ages. I currently get, at most, 1 reply per thread to which I have subscribed or in which I have participated, and many times I don't get any. I'd rather read the replies here than in my mail anyway. So my mail selections are set to minimal, but not off.

 

[repete]

I found a hand power auger to work well. Places the hole exactly where you want it and avoids the "tilt" problem stated earlier in another post. Especially on unlevel ground. We made an extension for ours to get greater depth.

Earth Auger - STIHL Augers and Wood Drills | STIHL USA

 

[pd tractor]

great info, thank you!

 

[oosik]

The major concerns I've seen with pto powered augers - keeping the hole vertical and having to move the tractor every time. I have one and a half miles of five strand barb wire fence around my property. I set a few railroad ties on the fence line - just for added strength. 99% of the fence line is T-posts. I had to dig the holes with hand post hole diggers - could not get the tractor to the locations and didn't want to transport a gas auger that far either.

If you have reasonable soil but tough locations - a gas powered auger could be the answer. Be prepared for those few times when the auger will catch on a boulder or root and fling you around like a rag doll on a merry-go-round.