A drill-powered earth auger is a handy tool for professional landscapers, DIY enthusiasts, and anyone who would rather put down the shovel and spend less time and energy digging holes. These high-performance tools have been a game-changer for gardeners for decades, providing a fast and effortless way to dig holes in even the toughest soils, without the back-breaking labor. With Power Planter's augers for drills, planting trees, shrubs, and flowers, or any other digging job in your garden or yard, has never been easier.
Let’s answer a few questions about these tools so that you know what to look for as you shop for an auger:
1. What Is an Auger?
An auger is a tool that looks like a screw and cuts through soil to dig perfectly round holes in the ground with minimal effort. Power Planter augers are designed to be powered by cordless drills to rotate the bit into the soil, kicking out soil and stones up to 5 inches in size.
So, what does an auger do? Our augers are designed for landscaping and gardening tasks, such as planting trees, shrubs, flowers, and bulbs, and for other tasks like aerating soil and fertilizing trees. Smaller gardening augers are great for planting flowers, while larger heavy-duty augers make digging larger holes easier, even in stubborn, rocky soil. With Power Planter augers, you can get your gardening and landscaping jobs done efficiently and effortlessly, without the hassle and strain of digging with a shovel.
2. Why Do You Need an Auger?
In order to understand the benefits of an auger, it helps to learn how augers differ from other gardening tools. Most tools that one might use for digging, shovels, post-hole diggers, digging bars, and so on, require significant arm and hand strength. In addition, these tools all require that the user bend while they work, putting a great deal of strain on the back.
How does an auger work differently? Instead of relying on manual strength, the auger bit stays in place while the drill powers the rotation. As it spins, the bit cuts into the soil and lifts it upward, creating a clean hole with less effort and strain.
For health reasons alone, augers are a worthwhile investment. However, for people who have a lot of digging to do, an auger becomes a time-saving necessity. DIY gardeners planting dozens or hundreds of bulbs, as well as annual and perennial plugs, can turn an entire weekend’s worth of work into an afternoon with a Power Planter bulb auger. On larger jobs, like fencing or tree planting, a powered auger minimizes the time spent digging and the effort required, which offers cost savings to professional contractors and their customers.
3. What You Need to Know About Auger Sizes
Power Planter’s augers come in sizes ranging from two to nine inches in diameter. The 2- and 3-inch diameter augers can be powered by a regular 18V/20V cordless drill. They come in lengths ranging between 7 inches and 48 inches and are designed for planting flowers and creating perfectly uniform holes.
Larger augers (4, 5, 7, 8, and 9-inch diameters) are designed for digging larger holes and require a bit more power than the smaller diameter augers. Refer to this drill power guide to help you pair the right auger with the proper drill. You can also view our auger sizing page for more help deciding what size auger is right for you.
4. What Can You Do With an Auger?
The things you can do with an auger vary depending on the size of the bit. Here is a quick guide to help you choose the tool best suited to your needs:
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2-3 inch augers: Plant bulbs, plugs, and bedding plants, aerate roots, and install small stakes.
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4-5 inch augers: Drill holes for smaller fence posts or plant annuals and perennials in quart-sized gallon pots.
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7-inch augers: Large enough to plant trees, shrubs, and dig holes for 4x4 posts.
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8-9 inch augers: Ideal for planting in 2-5 gallon pots or digging holes for 6x6 posts.
No matter what project you have in mind, Power Planter has an auger to match your needs.
Whether you’ve been wondering what auger bits are used for or how they work, the bottom line is simple: augers make digging more efficient with less strain than traditional tools. Accomplish more in less time with these versatile tools.
Be sure to take our product quiz to find which auger is right for you! If you have more questions about our augers, be sure to check out the FAQ page, which features additional information about choosing an auger, drive options, safety information, etc.
Editor's note: This blog post was originally written on January 26, 2018, and was substantially updated on October 7th, 2025.
