5+ Best Post Hole Diggers To Buy This Year

Finding the best post hole digger will ease an inevitably difficult and messy task, from installing a fence to planting a tree, stubborn earth is an unavoidable frustration. 

Both professional construction workers and DIY handymans could benefit from a good quality post hole digger, making your project easier to accomplish. 

As with most products, there are numerous types and models to choose from, varying from manual to powered, it is up to you which model suits your project and process the most.

While they may not be inundating the market, post hole diggers are a worthwhile investment and can be tricky to pick, thankfully, below are 5 viable options with great features. 

Best Post Hole Diggers

1. VidaXL Auger Ground Drill 52cc

  • Drill a 72cm deep hole
  • 52cc 2-stroke engine
  • Air forced cooling system
  • 0.9L fuel tank

This versatile auger from VidaXL is suitable for a range of jobs including road construction, fence making, tree planting etc.


It will handle most ground conditions including wet, stony and even rock-hard dirt areas. It may not do the job quickly every time but it will do it, and in-ground that is not too challenging the auger can drill a complete 72cm deep hole in just a few seconds once the motor has warmed up.

Incorporating a 52cc 2-stroke petrol engine the machine is very powerful (up to 8000rpm) but features an anti-vibration handle to reduce the impact on the hands and arms when it’s drilling holes. It’s also very accurate and a good robust weight to keep it in the one place without skipping across the terrain.

The motor has a fuel tank capacity of 0.9 litres and an air-forced cooling system. It employs a recoil start system.

The auger is made with a commonly used Chinese engine and spare parts are easily found in Australia if needed.


The digger comes with 3 x 72cm iron drills (100, 150 and 200mm), a ratio bottle, a drill fix set and a toolset.


2. Giantz Post Holder Digger 88cc

  • 2-stroke petrol engine
  • C.D.I starter system
  • 1.2L fuel tank

Designed for all hole-boring work the GIANTZ 3Kw 88cc post hole digger features a strong 2-stroke petrol engine which has a maximum output of 9000rpm for quick and easy digging of holes for fencing, tree planting, roadside works etc.

The motor is air-cooled and features a unique vertical gearbox design which increases its efficiency and dependability. The starter system is C.D.I. which is both fast and responsive. And the fuel tank is a large 1.2 litres.

The sturdy 20mm borer mount means that the drills and extensions can securely attach to the ground being broken without any slippage across the surface.


The speed of the drilling depends very much on the terrain you're digging in – if the drill is fighting rocks and other hard ground it will skip around and take longer to complete the hole. But in looser soils, the holes can be completed very quickly, sometimes in just a few seconds.

The supplied 200mm drill and 80cm extension pole allow you to drill down to a depth of 1.8 metres, easily meeting most user’s needs.


The whole auger is made from heavy-duty steel for durability and strength. An ergonomic rubber hand grip minimizes vibration and makes the work as comfortable as possible.

With purchase, you receive the auger motor, a 200mm drill, an 80cm extension pole, a mounting kit, a safety pack, a replaceable blade and User Manual.


3. Ryobi Easy Start Post Holder Digger 43cc

  • 2-stroke petrol engine
  • Easy starter console
  • 18kg device

Powered by a 43cc 2-stroke petrol engine with Easy Starter compatibility, this post hole digger from Ryobi makes drilling holes around the garden quick and easy. Use it for fencing, stumping and tree planting.

The Ryobi ONE+ Easy Starter console is sold separately and is compatible with all Ryobi petrol motor-driven implements. Attached to the tool you’re using it enables an easy press-button start rather than the sometimes back-straining wrench and pull of a cord.

The motor is a powerful 1.25kW for strong rotation of the drilling part. The auger (drill) rotates at 200-230 rpm.

The auger features a patented safety bar to minimise the risk of kickback injury. It also has a structure designed to reduce the effects of vibration during operation.

The machine weighs a solid but not too heavy 18 kg, providing good traction with the ground to minimise slippage, especially when first starting a hole.

It’s important to understand that augers will react to different soils and terrains being dug. Good deep friable soils are a breeze and holes can be dug in a few seconds.


Heavy clay or hard rocky areas take more time and may need some hand removal of stones or rocks mid-operation.


4. Cyclone 200mm Post Hole Digger

  • Manual post hole digger
  • 20cm wide, 99cm tall
  • Weighs 4.8kg

The Cyclone 200mm post hole digger is ideal for use around the garden for fencing, posts, tree planting and stump removal.

This is not an electric or otherwise powered tool – it is entirely hand-driven. So be prepared for some hard manual labour. The handle has a rubberised grip for comfort.

The tool is cleverly designed with four cutters which are spaced to cut at a distance of 12mm from the central drum, eliminating drag and generally making digging easier in tougher conditions.

The tool also has four claws at the base of the drum to cut and draw the drill into the ground, again making the digging easier.

The tamper located within the drum compacts the earth within the drum and when pulled from the hole brings the earth with it for emptying before the next stage of digging. This reduces the need for hand shovelling of earth from the bottom of the hole being dug, especially when the holes are deep.

The digger is an all-steel rust-resistant construction for extra strength and weighs 4.8kg for easy lifting and carrying around the garden. The auger itself has a diameter of 200mm. It doesn’t have any extensions. It is 985mm tall. 


5. Ryobi One+ 18V Blushless Digging Tool

  • Electric digging tool
  • Weighs 6.2kg
  • Rechargeable battery

The One+ 18V brushless digging tool from Ryobi is a handy lightweight tool to have in your shed or garage for helping when planting trees and shrubs in the garden or undertaking DIY projects such as putting up small fences, post boxes and on.


One user even suggests it be used to turn over compost or veggie garden beds. The tool is designed for use in light reasonably friable soils, not hard or rocky terrains.

Weighing only 6.2kg it is extremely easy to carry but not large or heavy enough to tackle difficult terrain.


Despite this consumer reports indicate that the tool does have a good torque and digs extremely well and without much effort all on the user’s part.

There is an electronic kickback protection function for safety so the machine won’t jump if it should hit an unexpected root, stone or rock.

The cordless motor is operated by a rechargeable 5.0Ah battery (neither the battery or charger is included with purchase).


Verdict

When it comes to choosing the best post hole diggers, there's a wide variety of options available to you. The VidaXL Auger is one of the highest rated, most sold products in this space and comes at a budget friendly price. It's not the lightest of the bunch but will make drilling deep holes a breeze. 


Skip the manual labour and a whole lot of digging by buying yourself a post hole digger with fast shipping direct to your door. 

Caleb McLaughlin

Last Updated: April 28, 2020 by Rhys