Quick answer: most homeowners need a 2" or 3" auger for bulbs and annuals, run on an 18V cordless drill. Professionals, and anyone digging 7" and wider holes or working in clay and rocky ground, should choose Heavy Duty augers and a 60V cordless drill.
There are many different types of augers on the market. From handheld plant augers to engine-powered post hole diggers, you can find an auger to drill through almost any material you wish – from soil, to wood, to ice, and more.
Here we’re going to discuss how homeowners and professional landscapers can go about finding the right earth auger to satisfy their specific needs.
Part of the trick is to keep in mind what exactly you need the auger for. Are you planting flower bulbs in your yard for spring? Are you running a landscaping business? Do you need to drill holes for fence posts? The answers to each of these questions will lead you to down a different path toward an auger that’s specialized for the job at hand.
Picking an auger means knowing what size you need to get the job done right. Since there are so many different diameters and lengths of augers available, you’ll want to do some research to see what size will work best for what you’re planning to do.
Start with choosing a diameter, which will determine the size of the holes you’re digging, and then find the length that works best for your project.
The rest will depend on whether you’re a professional landscaper or a home gardening guru. Keep reading to learn more.
Homeowner or Professional: Which Auger Setup?
| Homeowner | Professional | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical jobs | Bulbs, annuals, vegetables, small shrubs | Mass planting, gallon pots, 4×4 and 6×6 posts |
| Auger size | 2" or 3"; 4" or 5" for larger plants | 4"–5" for planting, 7" or 9" for posts and big pots |
| Soil grade | Light-Medium Duty for loose garden soil | Heavy Duty for clay, compacted or rocky ground |
| Drill | 18V cordless for augers up to 5" (4"–5" need a 1/2" drill with a larger battery) | 60V cordless for 7" and larger augers or all-day use |
| Drive | 2" and 3" augers: hex formed on the shaft, no adapter needed | 4" and larger Heavy Duty: adapter installed, replaceable tip and blades |
Which Auger Should a Homeowner Buy?
If you are a homeowner or you’re into do-it-yourself projects (or maybe both), we recommend smaller diameter augers. Those who are simply planting annuals – and who are not looking for a large diameter auger – will do well to check out two- or three-inch diameter earth and plant augers.
But what about the length? Good question.
The auger length you choose may depend on a number of factors. For example – how tall are you? People over six-feet tall may prefer a longer length auger to reduce bending and prevent backaches.
Another example – what type of drill do you plan to use? It’s key to keep your drill’s power in mind when choosing an auger. Many homeowners have cordless drills lying around their garages or storage areas, and these are great to use to power smaller diameter and smaller length augers. Just make sure you don’t pick an auger that your drill can’t power! We recommend cordless drills only. An 18V cordless drill runs augers up to 5" for home use, and never use an impact driver. See how much drill power you need.
For homeowners who want to do some soil mixing or tilling, a longer length auger – like this DIY Guru Auger – can be a big win. It’ll save you time and energy not only when you’re planting, but for countless other jobs around the house, too.
Which Auger Should a Professional Landscaper Buy?
Many earth augers marketed to professionals lean towards being post hole diggers. That’s all fine and dandy, but what about landscapers who need to plant a great deal of plants?
Professional landscapers should choose an auger based on how often they intend to use it, what type of soil conditions they will run into, and how tough the job(s) will be overall. Some auger manufacturers provide different length options as well as options to optimize your auger’s performance by choosing a specialized drive and tip.
Here are some examples of options for your auger’s drive and tip:
- 3/8-inch hex drive – Found on our 2" x 7", 3" x 7" and 3" x 12" augers. The hex is formed onto the shaft, so it fits a standard 3-jaw drill chuck with no adapter.
- 1/2-inch Hex Drive – This provides the most surface area and gripping surface for a 1/2-inch drill. The 1/2-inch hex drive prevents slippage when augers encounter harder soils, rockier soils, and soil with small roots. Every other Power Planter auger, including the Everyday Auger, has a 1/2-inch hex.
- 1/2-inch Hex Drive with Heavy Duty Tip – This is designed for professional landscapers and grounds maintenance contractors who are likely to encounter less-than-ideal soil conditions on a regular basis. The heavy duty tips provide longer-lasting power for the auger. On 4" and larger augers, the tip and blades are replaceable.
- Adaptable Tube Drive – Recommended for professional landscapers and maintenance crews, adaptable tube drives allow one auger to fit multiple drills or powerheads easily by using an auger adapter. This protects your equipment in the event a landscaper hits something hard with the auger and strips out the hex. All 4" and larger Heavy Duty augers ship with a ½” hex adapter installed. Should you need to fit a Stihl BT45 you can use our threaded adapter, or a 7/16 Quick attach drill you can use our Quick Attach adapter, or if you have a solid shaft and pinned power unit our direct drive adapter.
- Adaptable Tube Drive with Heavy Duty Tip – These augers combine the versatility of the adaptable tube drive (see above) with the durability of heavy duty tips. They give you the ability to conquer many different soil conditions and tackle bigger, tougher landscaping projects.
Adaptable tube drive augers are your best bet by far if you’re a professional landscaper. These have the ability to fit more than one drill or powerhead – and that’s what makes this type of auger really versatile and handy.
Professional-grade augers aren’t cheap, and adaptable tube drive augers allow you to protect your equipment as well as keep it well-maintained for a relatively low price.
Simply use an auger adapter with the tube drive, and if anything happens to the auger – you can replace just the adapter instead of the entire auger. When compared to how much it would cost to replace your entire auger bit, an auger adapter is well worth the small investment. For spares or other styles (a 7/16" Quick Attach, a threaded adapter for a Stihl BT45, or a Direct Drive adapter for stub-shaft powerheads), see our auger adapters.
For professional use, pair Heavy Duty augers with a 60V cordless drill. See drills for augers.
Compare Auger Sizes
Some augers are taller than they seem. Use our helpful auger size reference page to help compare auger sizes. For a step-by-step pick by hole size, soil and drill, see The Drill Auger Buyer’s Guide.
FAQs
What should I compare before buying an auger?
Hole width, length, soil grade and the drill it needs. Then check the build: our 4" and larger augers have double 10-gauge flighting, and the 7"–9" augers have a 1.25" solid steel shaft. Choose Heavy Duty for clay or rocky ground.
Is a 3/8" or 1/2" hex better?
It isn't a choice you make: the hex comes with the auger. Our 2" x 7", 3" x 7" and 3" x 12" augers have a 3/8" hex; every other auger has a 1/2" hex and fits a 1/2" drill.
Can one auger fit several drills or powerheads?
Yes, our 4" and larger Heavy Duty augers can. They ship with an adapter installed, and other auger adapters let the same auger fit other drills and powerheads.
Which Auger Should I Choose?
Are garden augers worth it?
If you plant more than a few bulbs or plants at a time, or set posts, yes. A garden auger turns the cordless drill you may already own into a hole digger, so each hole takes seconds instead of shovel work. Power Planter augers are hand-welded in the USA.
Which auger should I buy first?
A 3" auger. It handles most bulbs, annuals and vegetables. Add a wider auger later for shrubs, gallon pots or posts.
Which auger should I choose for bulbs?
A 3" auger fits most bulbs, including tulips, daffodils and crocus. Use a 2" auger for small bulbs and plugs, and a 4" auger for large bulbs.
Which auger fits my potted plants?
Match the auger to the pot: a 3" auger fits a 4" annual pot (and up to quart-size plants if you ream the hole, moving the auger around the sides to widen it), a 5" auger fits quart pots, a 7" auger fits 1-gallon pots, and a 9" auger fits 2-gallon pots.
Which auger should I use for fence posts?
A 7" auger for 4×4 posts, like the Gallon Pot & Post Hole Auger, and a 9" auger for 6×6 posts, like the Extra Large Earth Auger.
Which length should I choose?
Choose 7"–12" for raised beds and kneeling work, and 24"–48" standing augers for big beds. A desk or dining table is about 30" tall, so standing next to one helps you picture each length.
Which auger should I use in clay or rocky soil?
Choose a Heavy Duty version. Its reinforced tip handles clay, sand and loose rocky ground. Our 8" and 9" augers come standard with a heavy-duty tip, and on 4" and larger Heavy Duty augers the tip and blades are replaceable. Shop clay & compacted soil augers or gravelly & rocky soil augers.
We hope you found this Auger Buyer’s Guide for homeowners and professionals helpful. Check out our FAQs section to learn more about tube drive augers and auger adapters.