Auger Rental

There's no doubt about it - auger rental is something you should definitely consider if you have more than a handful of post holes to dig.  Think I'm wrong?  Well, you're more than welcome to go and try digging your holes by hand.  Whether it be with a clam shell digger, a shovel or whatever means you can come up with.

Then, when you've come to the conclusion that digging post holes (or deck holes or whatever types of holes you need to dig) is too darn much work then you can come back and finish the rest of this article.

But, if you are one of the unfortunate ones whose "been there and done that" then pay attention to the rest of the article and save yourself some grief, misery and maybe even a little money when you run to the rental store.

First things first...

Come Up With A Plan

What are you building?  A fence, a deck, a tree house or a hundred other things.  The point is, before you go reaching for any tools you need to know what it is that you are trying to build.  And then, make up a plan for that thing.

How many holes do you need?  Auger bits don't come in only one size.  Often times you'll have to start with an 8 or 12 inch bit and then move up to the next size depending on the condition of your soil.

Have you called the utility company?  This one is huge.  While common sense says that I shouldn't even have to list it here - I'm going to list it anyways because too few people today use common sense.  Sorry, but you and I both know that is true.

Have you marked your holes?  OK, you know what it is your trying to build.  You know what size holes you need to drill.  And you know where (if any) your utility lines are running.  So the next step is to get each and every hole that you want drilled marked.

Now, there are a couple of ways you can do this and both have their upsides and drawbacks.  The first one is to simply pound a wooden stake where you want your post holes.  While you'll be able to see them they can also get bumped and (if you aren't real popular or someone wants to mess with you) pulled out.  Actually, there's a third way that can happen.  Do you have kids?

The other method is to mark the holes with orange or green marking paint.  While it's definitely very visible be sure that you are going to dig in the next day or two because if you don't remember that grass and weeds grow quick and it takes no time at all before you marks simply vanish and you are set to line them up all again.

The biggest takeaway for you is to have all the prep work done before you even call the rental company for your auger.  Because far too many times I've seen people with good intentions decide that they'll just go and rent their auger and think it will only take a few minutes to fine tune their layout and mark their holes out.  Remember Murphy's Law.  If something can go wrong it usually will.  And it will usually happen while you are being charged $20 an hour for your auger rental.

The Type of Auger You Can Rent

There are 3 basic types of augers you can rent:

• One Man

• Two Man

• PTO or Hydraulic Driven

A one man auger basically looks like a big teeter totter with an auger on one side and a counter weight on the other with an engine in-between.  While they can certainly get the job done they can be a little tricky to get into place because they are so long.  So, if you have any slope or a tight area that you need to dig holes this is probably NOT the option for you.

The two man auger is built with the auger bit in the center of a set of two handles with an engine directly above the auger bit and between the two operators.  They are fairly heavy, a bit unwieldy, and - if you should be so unlucky as to hit a rock, root or snag - hold on because it's going to twist you.

Two man augers work well as long as the soil is forgiving (sandy).  But if you have rock or clay you better make sure you are in shape because you'll likely be sore by the end of the day.  Also, where gloves.  You may think your hands are fairly tough but, the last time my wife and I dug nine 8-inch holes on a two man auger and we both had at least two blisters a piece.

A PTO driven auger is, frankly, bluntly, the cats meow.  Not only does it take all the grunt work out for you, but it also allows the auger bit to be reversed should you hit a snag.  Now, for those of you who don't know, PTO stands for Power Take Off and is present on tractors and allows the torque of the diesel engine to be transferred to the auger bit.  This is many times the amount of torque that a small engine can produce.

Also, there are some augers than run off hydraulics.  Again, a tractor or skid steer is required for their operation.  And, also again, they are the cats meow.  Very little work for you, reversible and, did I mention - less work for you?

But keep in mind, these units are much more expensive to rent than the one or two men auger rentals.

So you can see that you have plenty of options depending on the equipment you might have as well as how many friends you have.  And, you will find out how many true friends you have at the end of the day if you rent a two person auger.

But, whatever you do, if you plan ahead and get everything laid out renting an auger can be one of the best time-savers you've ever come across.