I have a lowe brand auger on my new holland l775 skid steer, and having trouble making any real progress drilling 18" x 4.5ft deep holes without a helper on standby to scrape clay out of the bit with a shovel.. even with a helper it is VERY slow.. in sandy soil or topsoil it is not a problem. but in clay, even if i wet it down etc the bit gets clogged with clay quickly and i have to get out and scrape the clay out, then can drill another 2-4" before it happens again. the teeth are sharp on the auger bit, and i was told by the shop i got the auger bit from it was a good one for clay & rock. it doesnt seem to matter if i put downforce/weight on the bit, go slow, go fast, etc. temps are in the 50s and the ground is pretty wet, but once you get into the clay layer it is dry. if i pull the auger up out of the hole and spin it fast both ways the clay wont come off. I dont have water hose on site, but can haul buckets of water. any tips or thoughts greatly appreciated.
auger in clay (18") having trouble without a helper, bit "clogging"
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When dry, it should be pretty easy to drill, it just turns to powder, i'd avoid wetting it or else it becomes really sticky.
What is the main issue with it clogging? does it stall the auger drive? Even when a bit wet and sticky, it should self clear.
If the auger drive is stalling, the auger you are using may be too big for the drive unit?
What is the main issue with it clogging? does it stall the auger drive? Even when a bit wet and sticky, it should self clear.
If the auger drive is stalling, the auger you are using may be too big for the drive unit?
beefriendly
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Thanks for the input. The auger drive does not stall (at least not often, I have been able to get it to stall occasionally). The main problem is that once the bottom 6in-1ft (or so) of the bit is clogged with clay, the bit just spins and will not dig in/down any further. This happens even with the front wheels off the ground /full downforce on the auger, engine revved up, and full flow to the attachment. It definitely won't self clear, pulling the bit out of the hole and spinning it fast forward/reverse does nothing to clear off the stuck clay. Wet or dry doesn't seem to make a difference, although have been trying mostly with dry holes. The stuck clay is also fairly hard to knock out of the bit with a shovel, wet or dry. thanks again
SkidRoe
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Unfortunately, in these kinds of conditions it is down to experimentation. More water may help lubricate the digging, but in my experience, clay generally repels water, so you would need an almost constant stream of water.
Another thing that may work is painting the auger with graphite paint, so that the clay releases easily. No guarantees on this one... May even try cooking spray (Pam or similar)...
I generally have a helper standing ready with a shovel when this kind of thing happens, but I agree, with an 18" auger, it can be time consuming to clear the bit.
HTH - SR
One other thing you could try is to put a jack under the rear of the machine to give more down force, see if the extra pressure can give it enough force to keep cutting and clearing the clay. I have done this while digging through rock, it was hard going, but without the jack, i'd still be drilling
Is this auger new? If it's used, could it be worn enough to not be sharp and basically dig it's way down. The points should be positioned so it more or less tries to pull its self into the ground like a cork screw.
Hotrod1830
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This may be of no use, but I will say it anyway.One other thing you could try is to put a jack under the rear of the machine to give more down force, see if the extra pressure can give it enough force to keep cutting and clearing the clay. I have done this while digging through rock, it was hard going, but without the jack, i'd still be drilling
Is this auger new? If it's used, could it be worn enough to not be sharp and basically dig it's way down. The points should be positioned so it more or less tries to pull its self into the ground like a cork screw.
Several years ago I rented a hydraulic post hole digger to install a fence. It was REALLY dry here, and it is mostly clay or loomey soil here. I noted that I was having to literally put my full body weight on this machine to get it to dig. Even then, it didnt seem to want to cut thru the clay. I couldnt understand why a auger bit with a carbide tip couldnt cut thru clay.
Mind you, it was HOT and in the middle of a drought here that weekend. So I was taking a break between attempting a hole and luckily the auger head was out of the ground when I was looking at it, and it hit me. Either the carbide bit was on wrong, or someone sharpened it wrong. The blunt side of the bit was making first contact. I tried to remove it, but the bolts where covered in dirt and rust. So I just got out the cut-off wheel and created the correct angle on the carbide bit.
Sure enough, that was all it took. Bored right into the clay like it was butter after that.
In normal soil, it probably did fine. But in drought ridden clay soil, it actually took a sharp edge to cut it and dig a hole.
It may or may not help you, but it is worth a look. Don't assume wet clay is easy to cut.
