Power Planter Termite & Tree Auger 2"x24" with 1/2" Non-Slip Hex Drive - Auger Bare Root Tree & Shrub Planting, Irrigation or Bait Stations Install - Works in All Soil Conditions - USA Made

Fall of 2016 I decided to plant 3 large areas I had prepared for flower bulbs. I wound up planting 2,220 bulbs all together. If I didn't have this tool, I would have never got them in the ground in a timely fashion. I used an old Dewalt 18v XRP drill with a 1/2" chuck and a set of brand new batteries. My other standard dewalt cordless did not have enough torque to drill many holes without killing the battery. The XRP drill with a fresh battery could drill about 90-105 holes on one charged battery. I averaged about 500-600 bulbs per day working around 4-5 hours per day at a slow pace. I laid out all the holes in each row by poking a dimple in the soil with a 3/8 diameter metal rod, then drill 90 to 100 holes at a time and plant...then proceed to the next row.I agree with other reviews that it does require a bit of a learning curve when first using the tool. The more you use it, the faster and better you will get at the technique.At times, some of the dirt falls back into the hole, it has a hard time getting past small rocks at times, and gets caught on roots real quick so watch your wrists...but this is to be expected with a hand auger and a cordless drill with different soil conditions. I was mostly drilling into areas that were prepared with 7-9" of fresh topsoil that had not fully "settled" yet...so I could drill much faster with less interference from rocks and roots. The solution to the dirt falling back into the hole in fresh topsoil is to dig a an inch or two deeper than your recommended planting depth, and whatever small amount falls back into the hole will get you around 5-6" in depth for most bulbs. Another trick that works if the dirt keeps collapsing back into the hole, drill 6-7" deep, then put the drill into reverse and drill for a few seconds. Any loose dirt that fell back into the hole easily became compacted at the bottom of the hole with the auger running in reverse. Most of the bulbs I planted were tulips and daffodils which required 5-6" planting depth.When drilling into areas around the yard with mostly compacted topsoil and clay conditions, the auger would frequently get caught on rocks and roots. The solution to this is to move over a few inches and try again, eventually you find a clear pocket between the roots and rocks where you can drill a nice hole, especially around the base of a tree.All in all, it works great after using it for a while and I'm glad I purchased the auger. It does get straining on the hands and wrists at times, but it saved a considerable amount of time. After planting the 2,220 bulbs, the tip and auger doesn't show much wear at all. Most of the paint was wore off, but I cleaned it up when finished and gave it a quick rattle can paint job to keep it from rusting.

I tried cheaper versions, but the were easily bent and performed poorly. This one is solidly built and seems like it will last a long time, Central shaft is thick and the screw blades are solidly welded; does well in our clay soil. Just note 2” is not a very large hole, works well for smaller bulbs and helping aerate clay soil, we backfill with compost to add organic mater.

Amazon shipped what was shown in the photograph on the website...but it was a Power Planter brand, model 224H. It is well constructed and has a 1/2 inch hex drive. I was concerned it might not make it through tough adobe clay--but it took right off. The limiting factor was the power capability of the drill used. I used a heavy duty electric drill, but an even larger gasoline powered drill would work better. I added a 24 inch extension so I could drill 4 foot deep holes for setting heavy-duty duck-bill type earth anchors. This product is listed on the Amazon website as a bulb planter....I am not sure why someone would want to plant a bulb 24 inches deep. Power Planter recommends this be used for installing electric and water lines under sidewalks, deep feeding trees with fertilizer pellets or spikes, but it also works great for setting earth anchors!

First Amazon Review. I am in the midst of a big planting project - 5,200 plants, mostly landscape plugs. I had bought a 3” bit for the job, which works great, but I wondered if a 2” bit would make for a snugger fit and less work backfilling each plug. This bit is fantastic!! It is solidly built, and was able to dig effortlessly (rocks and roots can be a problem). For my project, digging 2” hole about 5 inches deep, it is perfect. The plugs fit snugly, and I can simply push the residual dirt around the crown of the plug. I was able to plant the plugs in about half the time of the 3” bit because I didn’t have to backfill as much. The only negative is that it’s only 24” long. I’m 6’1”, so I’ve had to bend over for an extended period (600 plugs today, 3,000 more to go). If you’re not as tall as me, you probably won’t have the same problem, but I wish they had a 30” model. But I really like the size for planting landscape plugs.

Yes, the price is more than I wanted to pay, BUT I consider it to be worth it. I used the auger to create holes around the drip line of a maple tree that is suffering from Iron Chlorosis, to apply Ironite directly into the soil. The soil is clay and was compacted, but had sufficient moisture to not be rock solid, so, some of the holes were made like going through soft butter, other holes I hit some small rocks. The key is to go slow enough that it won't bind WHEN you hit something hard.This was definitely the right tool for this job!

I used this to aerate my hard clay yard. I've drilled at least a thousand or so holes with it and it has held up well. One of my best yard tools.

Well made item. Used with large 1/2 inch drill. In hard clay soil, the drill would spin but not bite into soil and drill down. Had to get out my Mantis tiller to complete the job. Granted the item description says it is for planting bulbs (assume soft soil) but it says it can be used in any kind of soil. I think it would work good in soft soil but unfortunately my project needed something for hard clay.

Wasn't quite a rugged as I expected.

Pose de poteau en bois pour signaler un sentier. Poteaux d’acier et bois 2 pouces. WoW. Fonctionne très bien. Un peu chère mais excellent.

Perfect tool for the job. In this case, drilling down to put up metal fence posts for deer fencing. For the big job I rented an hydraulic fence post digger. Unfortunately, there were a number of areas within the garden where this would not work. The auger worked like a charm attached to my hammer drill. After maxing out on the depth (2ft.) I was able to clear the hole and drop down another 8 inches for a solid footing. Note, without an adaptor, this will only work with a 1/2 inch chuck.

works well could be a little stronger