Hole augers vs post hole diggers

Post hole diggers focus on one task – they dig holes for posts, whereas a hole auger is suited for a wide variety of tasks around the garden.

Post hole diggers rely on more work than a hole auger, these heavy hand tools are basically thrown hard into the soil with force then lifted out. The harder you throw them, the deeper and faster you dig – but it’s also harder to prise the digger out. Simply dropping the post hole digger into the ground and scraping the surface of the soil out is inefficient and time consuming. A hole auger with wide handles can be operated simply by rotating the top with much less work and is less jarring on your joints.

A post hole digger can go potentially dig deeper than the typical 3 feet depth of a hole auger, but due to the plier design of a post hole digger it may create wider holes at the top. If the diameter of an auger blade is 9 inches wide then it will always create a tidy 9 inch wide hole, whereas a post hole digger with a 9 inch footprint may end up disturbing a much wider area of garden, plants and landscape around the hole.

Before choosing a hole auger or post hole digger evaluate the potential depth of posts, number of holes, if comfort is important, the size of holes, types of soil and if this will be the only task you want to do.