Ep. 67 - Review Post Hole Diggers | Why Danuser | Blackacre Ranch

There are a number of tools you can choose to use when digging holes, especially for fence posts. I review 4 common post hole digging tools from the manually operated post diggers to hydraulic augers like the Danuser EP615. A lot is out there from cheap and simple to the expensive and easy. I tell you some pros and cons to each to help you decide what is best for you. The options include:

1) Mechanical post hole digger - This is simple and basic. It is the cheapest of the bunch and is the best at getting into tight spots on any terrain. However, it has a limited depth which will depend on hole size. It is greatly affected by the hardness of the soil. It is 100% manually operated so it is the hardest to get through the soil. For smaller posts on decently soft soil it is great, but not deep and hard soils. Recommend for small scale use.

2) Gas powered auger - This is very portable and is an improvement to the post hole digger. It is a little more expensive but not unreasonable. It can handle bigger holes and uses a motor to rotate a screw auger to pull out the dirt. It is faster to do holes than the prior digger but not super fast. It can tackle harder soils on a limited level. A disadvantage is that it only goes about 32 inches deep unless you tediously install extensions. I had it overheat a couple times and stop working. It is held onto by you and you take the brunt of all vibrations. It really gives your arms a beating especially when you hit roots and rocks. It handles larger number of posts than the post hole digger and the harder soils but it can really take a toll on the body and has limited depth. Very much a manual auger still in a lot of ways.

3) 3-point auger for tractor - If you have a tractor and use it to do hole digging this is the basic tool most people use. Because you have a tractor you obviously out perform the post hole digger and the gas auger. You control it from the driver seat. However, when thinking in terms of a tractor and its capabilities, this has disadvantages. It is centrally mounted at the back of the tractor. You will find yourself continually looking backwards all the time. It is more difficult to position along the fence line with the central position causing you to swing the back end around more. Additionally, there is no downward force applied on it making it less effective on harder soils. It is gravity only. Also a key is that it only rotates one direction meaning sometimes you might have to pry or pull it out of the ground if it gets suctioned in the hole. This is a big step above the manually operated options but not the best. It is still relatively cheap for what it is.

4) Front end loader auger (Danuser EP615) - This system is the best I know of and it is also the most expensive by a wide margin. It is mounted to the front end loader of the tractor which allows the tractor to apply down force to get through tough soils and also have great breakout strength to pull the auger out if it gets stuck. It doesn't really get stuck though because it works off a diverter valve with the hydraulics to permit rotation of the auger in both directions so if it is suctioned in the hole you only have to rotate it the other way and it lifts right out. This model was mounted off center to one side of the tractor allowing me to see when and where it hit the ground. It also made following fence lines easier without having to swing my front end around to the property line all the time. Lastly, I look forward on the tractor and not backward. This is the best of the 4 options here. It is the most expensive but can get to extreme depths (48 inches without extension), most capable, and very functional. I'd use this if you have a lot of holes to do and a tractor big enough.

Here on Blackacre Ranch we are weekend ranchers living in the big city during the week and ranching on the partially off grid property on the weekend. We are a family with 6 kids. Our goals are to homestead the property, grow healthy food, and build good character along the way. We are new to homesteading and don't know much about it, but we are willing to share our struggles and journey as we learn how to homestead together. Think of this as homesteading for beginners where we are the beginners.

We found the cost of an urban farm too expensive and went rural to find enough acreage to do what we wanted. We wanted larger animals such as bison and highland cattle. We are game for other animals with one requirement, they have to be sufficient enough to be handled only once a week. We found an old camp property that was run down and are remodeling or fixing it up to be a working and profitable ranch.

Now we can play with guns, blow stuff up, build what we want, and do what interests us. We are located in East Texas. Come with us as we enjoy the ranch life, even if only one day a week.

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