Post hole borer

[don1thedon]

Hi I have a lot of country style fencing to do over the next few weeks and was considering hiring a powered post hole borer - I understand that you can get 1 man or 2 man machines.
Does anybody have any experience with them or recomendations of what is good or bad? I would prefer the 1 man option as it is unlikely I will have another pair of hands available all the time & someone I spoke with in a hire shop said the 2 man would throw a single person to the ground!

Any thoughts comments welcomed.
Thanks
Don

 

[breezer]

these is easyonly ones i have seen are like giant auger bits, two man operation much easier.

mind you, one of

these makes life easy

 

[2scoops0406]

You need one with a clutch, I'm sure you seen the "you've been framed" video of the two hapless guys spinning around in the air after the auger has jammed most amusing

 

[don1thedon]

Thanks Guys,
Yeh I guess I'd better make sure the other half hasn't got the video camera set up ready to catch the hapless DIY enthusiast!

 

[chappers]

In my limited experience the two man job is too powerful for one man to handle and the one man jobs are too feeble, mind you I have struggled in clay with the two man one also.
If you have loads to do consider hiring a mini digger with an attachment.

 

[Dewy]

Screwfix sell a Makita one man post hole borer for £280 plus £100-£110 for each auger bit.

 

[don1thedon]

Thanks. I've been trying to decide whether to hire (about £80 - 90 for a week) or buy. That's why I was looking for any experiences.
Cheers
Don

 

[werealldoomed]

We used to hire these 2 man borers quite often. When going into soft or sandy soil they can't be beaten. When you hit a rock though, it nearly wrenches your arms out of their sockets trying to stop the handle spinning. Unfortunately this means that every time you use one you are completely tensed up both mentally and physically waiting for the b*stard thing to hit something.
We were once digging a hole on the Royal Cornwall showground and about 2' down it wouldn't go any further in. We figured we were right on top of a rock and so put all our weight on it to try and break or dislodge the rock. After about 30 seconds drilling we noticed the earth around the auger was changing colour so we pulled it out of the ground, thus allowing a jet of water from a punctured main to shoot out of the hole.

I would think a one-man tool would be ok as long as the ground is soft and rock-free. I agree with chappers that you shouldn't use a 2 man one on your own as they are both heavy and powerful.

 

[Dewy]

For manual post hole digging see the post hole digger from Screwfix or double shovel holer &
Post hole rammer at MachineMart.
Even with manual digging you soon find trouble if you hit a rock or tree roots.
MachineMart also sell 2 Clarke earth borers + auger bits although more expensive than the Makita from Screwfix