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Drill Assemblies, Replacement Blades and Extensions
About
Portable Earth Augers
Whether
you are planting trees and shrubs, erecting signs or installing
fences, the correct one to two man auger can make light work
of any size project. Owning and Earth Auger allows you let
the machine do the digging for you and frees up your valuable
time and energy needed for other tasks.
Augers
are available in many shapes, sizes and configurations. For
small jobs, one and two person operated augers are most common
and most practical. For larger jobs, augers can be attached
on skid-steers, front-end loaders, backhoes, tractors and
cranes.
Alta
Power, specializes in one and two person augers for the home,
garden, leisure or commercial use.
Auger
Components
You
can customize your auger to fit your application by choosing
the correct power head, overall length and cutting diameter
of the drill assembly. While a complete auger system is made
of many smaller components, the main components, which make
up an auger are the power head (engine) and drill assembly
(drill bit).
Power
Heads
Power
heads can be divided into two categories: High Speed and High
Torque.
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One
Man
Single
Man Augers operate at a high rate of speed with less
torque. Torque is generally minimized to accommodate
single person operation and to maximize safety. These
power heads are typically used with drill assemblies
from 2-inches to 10-inches in diameter.
Two
Man
Two
Man Augers operate at a high rate of speed with greater
torque. These power heads are typically used with auger
bits from 10 inches to 14-inches in diameter, however
can be used with drill assemblies as small as 2-inches
in diameter.
The wider your auger bit, the more torque you will need.
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Overall
weight of the unit plays a role in what type of power head
you should choose. You will only be able to press down with
half the weight of the unit you're digging with
Drill
Assemblies
The
Drill Assembly consists of a shaft, flite and cutting blade(s).
The flite is the metal component that wraps around the shaft.
The flite is designed to assists the earth out of the hole.
The
size of the hole you need to make will dictate what size of
auger bit you will need. Bits range from 2-inches in diameter
to 14-inches. The size of the auger you select per project
is a matter of preference and some applications may be dictated
by local building codes.
The
most common length for portable earth augers drill assemblies
is 36-inches. Extensions are available from 6 - 18 inches
and can be linked to extend your overall drilling depth to
6 feet total.
Soil
Conditions
Sandy
soil offers augers less resistance than heavy clay soils.
In fact, when digging large-diameter holes with mounted units,
heavy clay can bog down augers to the point where they won't
work.
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Sand,
Silt and other Soft Soils
If
you're digging into soft soils such as peat moss or
clear soils, then torque is not as big an factor as
speed. High Speed augers are adequate for these soil
conditions.
Clay
If
you are digging into clay, you are going to need an
auger with more torque. Heavy clay soil can bog down
an auger's motor, sometimes to the point where the machine
will stall. With a large-diameter bit in heavy clay,
you may find that your auger can only dig part of the
hole. In these situations, you may need to hand-dig
the remainder of the hole.
Generally
the larger the auger bit, the more resistance encountered
in clay, even for powerful mounted augers. In clay soils,
augers tend to "glaze" the side of the holes.
This glazing seals the sides of the hole, trapping water
and creating a "clay bathtub" effect that
impedes percolation of water and may lead to rootrot
of the transplant. To minimize this glazing effect,
score or hand cultivate the soil on the sides of the
hole with a shovel, pitchfork or hoe.
Rock
Hard
clay and rocks are the archenemies of augers. With portable
hand-held augers, you must take extra care. If they
hit obstructions, they can have the potential to send
the power unit spinning.
When
dealing with a subterranean obstruction, remove the
auger from the hole and hand-dig the area to remove
the offending object. Then continue drilling the hole
to the proper depth.
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Care
and Maintenance
Like
many pieces of equipment, extended use and misuse can push
your auger to the limit. These machines can work hard for
many uninterrupted hours, but abrupt surges are bad for them.
Avoid trying to make a 12-inch auger dig an 18-inch hole by
shifting the machine back and forth. Doing so stresses the
engine and may cause damage.
When
using a portable earth auger, it is important to sharpen the
auger bit's flighting blades regularly. It is a good practice
and common to keep two sets of auger blades for each drill
assembly available so you can rotate and sharpen blades regularly
with little or no downtime.
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