Where to find manual post hole auger

[babbabooey]

Hello. I'm about to put up a fence and I am looking for a manual post hole auger. Oddly, I can't find one anywhere. Every hardware store sells the inefficient clamshell post hole digger, but doesn't carry the manual post hole auger. Anybody know where to locate one other than renting it from a tool rental place?

[lefty]

Whether an auger or clamshells work best depends a LOT on the soil you are dealing with. Here, I deal with clay and hardpan. An auger is pretty useless. Clamshells (with the help of a digging bar!) work fairly well.

If you find one at a rental yard, ask for the name brand and search on-line for the co.

[em69]

I rented a manual auger at Home Depot to dig 48" deep holes and it worked great.

[lefty]

Another thought -- if you have access, simply call a post hole driller in. Look in the Yellow Pages or the service directory of your local newspaper. Some have mini excavatators with augers, and some have augers mounted on Jeeps.

I just had 8 holes for a carport done that way -- 18" diam. and 30" deep. Cost me $160. To pay the crew to dig them by hand would have been close to a GRAND!!