Midwest Auger
Never use a post hole digger again
I bought a house a few years ago that has a cheap fence. Rather than putting posts in at the edges where the neighbor’s fence had already been installed, they tacked my fence directly to the rails of the neighbor’s. So a few years go by and the nails are rusted and the rails are rotting and the dogs have figured out that they can push their way out of the yard. I either need to put in a new fence (and do it right) or I can add a couple of posts and buy myself another year or three before buying a new fence. Guess which I picked?
I had resigned myself to buying a post-hole digger and suffering through when my co-worker mentioned a tool he had – the midwest auger. It’s a manual auger with two blades that form an open bucket. He brought it in the next day. It was old, covered in rust, and showed signs of long use combined with neglect. I brought it home anyway and to give it a shot. I started the hole with a couple of turns and dumped the bucket. Each couple of turns made the hole 6″ deeper. I ended up digging two post holes in under 15 minutes and even had to backfill one of them because I made it too deep. A couple of clicks on Amazon and I am now the owner of a brand new midwest auger… I’ll never use a post-hole digger again.
03/18/22(This is a Cool Tools favorite from 2017 — editors)
Auger with Hardwood Handle, 6" Diameter
