Hand dig vs power auger for a 200ft run in rocky Ohio clay

I tried using a power auger on a job last month near Akron and it bounced off rocks like crazy. Took me 3 hours just to get 10 holes started right. Switched to hand digging with a clamshell and got the rest done in a day. The auger just kept walking sideways every time it hit a stone. Anyone else deal with rocky ground like that? What's your go to method?

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2 Comments

victor_butler2mo ago

Sheared off the teeth" is wild. I've broken auger bits before but never had them just get shaved clean off like that. Your uncle must have been cussing up a storm.

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milap352mo ago

My uncle gave up on power augers entirely after a job near Dayton where the ground had these flat limestone layers that just sheared off the teeth. He started using a digging bar with a sharpened chisel tip to break through the rock first then a hand auger for the rest. Worked better than anything else because you can direct the force exactly where you need it instead of letting the machine decide where to go. If you catch the rocks early with the bar you can save a lot of frustration and time later.

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