Post Hole Diggers & Augers
Post hole diggers and augers are used to create narrow holes in the ground. They are commonly used for placing signs, gates or fencesand by electricians or cable installers. While they have the same purpose, augers and post hole diggers work very differently.
The difference between diggers and augers
- Shape – Post hole diggers are for manually digging narrow holes. By thrusting the blades into the ground, the soilgets looser and allows you to gradually dig deeper. They can shift into two positions: open and closed for both digging and easily removing the tool from the soil. Meanwhile augers look more like a large corkscrew, which you twist or drill to make a narrow hole in the ground.
- Ease of use – Because augers have a fixed shape, they tend to be easier to use than post hole diggers – especially when going deeper into soil or other surfaces, although this does vary by model
- Size of hole - With an auger, the size of the hole is restricted to the pre-set width of the screw. Post hole diggers can be adjusted as you dig
Types of diggers
- Manual auger - Additional options for the non-mechanised auger include comfort grips and detachable handles for easy storage. This works by rotating the handle and manually drilling the blade into the ground
- Mechanised auger - These tools take the manual work out of digging a small hole, and are typically powered by petrol engines. Many of the mechanised augers are available with a variety of different size drills for different uses
- Post hole digger – One of the best options if you want some variation in the size of holes you dig
- Post pounder – With a similar purpose to both post hole diggers and augers, this tool involves driving a fence post into the ground with a heavy steel pipe.