Tips to Extend the Life of Your Auger and Hole Digger

If you have been in a situation in which you had to replace your auger or your hole digger often, you know this is an expensive piece of equipment and it is worth it to keep it the best way you can in order to extend its life.

The best way to go is to prevent damage by maintaining the auger properly on a regular basis, but if the worse happens, depending on the damage it might be possible to repair the auger, instead of replacing it. That being said, repairing the equipment takes time and you may not afford the downtime of the auger, so it is something to keep in mind.

So what can you do to get a longer life out of your auger? If you need to repair it, what are your options? Let’s have a look!

1- Use adequate equipment - If you need to make holes in your garden to plant a few trees, all you need is a garden auger for drill. However, if you need to dig a hole, or a few holes to set up meters of fence, you need more than that, and a proper auger and hole digger is necessary to get the job done. So make sure the gear is up to the job. Under sizing the equipment might seem like a good idea, but it will likely cost more down the track.

2 - Roll Bars - By using roll bars, the auger will be protected from flighting, consequently the equipment will be protected from unnecessary wear and tear. 

3 - More resistant materials - Changing from the traditional carbon steel to a stainless steel auger may also improve the auger's lifespan. The new material must be abrasive and wear resistant. This might be more expensive upfront, but it can allow you to save money along the way due to low maintenance and low replacement rates of the augers. 

4 - Hardfacing - By hardfacing both the auger and the flighting, it is possible to improve the lifespan of the equipment by 50%. If the auger is often used in normal operating conditions, in other words within its limits, the improvement can be as long as 10-year to  15 years.

5 - Repair - Repairing is not that common nowadays. However, for a robust equipment like an auger, it can be an option. As explained before, you might need to cope with the downtime while the repair is being carried out, but depending on the defect it might be worth it. If applicable, you can replace certain parts, like the drill, to a better material one that will last longer.

An expert in augers and hole diggers can walk you through protection and best practices to keep your equipment in good shape. They can also offer repair services as well as sales of new equipment.