I bought this auger at Lowe's, asked about the return policy after reading the reviews here, and after the associate told me to bring it back for any reason if I am not happy, I promptly bought it.

I have about a hundred holes to dig. I am not looking forward to it. Tree holes 4 foot wide and 4 foot deep. 4 foot deep footings, fence posts, and others. I also planned on loosening the soil to a depth of 3 feet. Lots of work.

My soil is river bottom, with smaller rocks about 1-2". Smaller roots and not many trees (which is why we're planting them). I thought there was a chance it could handle the soil, as it is very rich, with some black mud. But with that said, it has a good amount of clay. It had just rained, and after reading that it might be easier to dig after a rain, I gave it a shot.

I mixed my fuel, and gassed it up, and it fired right up, and worked for about 5 holes. Then it shut off, and would not start again. After I had fiddled with it for about an hour, I just gave up. There was no starting it up again. I wondered whether or not I should break it down and adjust something, but I decided against it.

The reason I decided this machine was junk, was because it couldn't really handle my dirt. I can post hole a 3 foot hole quicker than this machine by hand. I'll try to explain how it works so you can get a better picture. First, it cuts through sod without a problem, but it just quits turning once the auger is about half way into the earth. With these types of augers, you need to lift the machine out and spin to get rid of the dirt, as it won't just bring the dirt to the surface and make a nice mound.

But the problem is that when you get it about halfway, it is screwed into the ground. It could not turn to loosen my soil, just screwing itself into the ground like a display tent stake. Needless to say it is extremely hard to pull this thing out once it is screwed into the ground. After about five holes, and after it quit, I gave up.

In my dirt, it is easier to use a post hole digger, which I never thought I would say. If I had not read the other reviews, I would say I got a bad unit, but I'm not wasting any more time here. I am renting a Dingo, and just going to tear up my ground. The rental is going to cost me almost as much as this auger, but I just cannot waste time messing around with the auger.

As other reviewers noted, the exhaust blows right in your face. I felt sick after using it for an hour, and then just started to get dizzy. The exhaust is on the other side of the unit, but it somehow makes its way right into your face as you are using it. It's absolutely terrible, and hard to breathe if you are near a wall, like the side of your house. The fumes just have nowhere to go. This is a huge negative for me, but I am not sure how I would fix this if I was an engineer.

What I did not notice was any breakage, no danger from the machine, and the parts looked ok, not the most solid, but solid enough. So that was my take from it. The engine just isn't strong enough. This motor is so weak, that I could not imagine it posing any danger to someone. I am a 31 year old male, and I had no problem overpowering the motor. I actually wish it was much stronger, maybe twice as strong.

Some tips for those still using the machine, or thinking about using it:

- When you are digging, lift it up and down continuously so it doesn't catch in the soil or the motor will stop turning. This makes it somewhat useable, but is hard to do, as the weight of the machine and soil makes it pretty heavy.

- If you manage to get a good depth without it quitting, try to pull it out, and spin the dirt off. It is very messy, but you will get a nice plug of dirt, and a nice hole. I put a tarp, with an 8" hole down over where I was digging.

- Like I mentioned before, use a tarp to catch all the dirt you bring up, and then have a wheel barrow handy. Should make your job easier. Have a shovel, breaker bar, and post hole digger handy also.

So there it is, 1 star for being a wimpy auger which died on me. If this were twice as strong, I would pay more. I could not imagine having to deal with roots or rocks larger than a few inches with this machine.

Some suggestions for Ardisam (hopefully they read these reviews): Make a much stronger unit, with some sort of support that will keep it from spinning out of control (maybe two legs on either side that can lift up and down). I am betting a guy my age with no health problems could handle a 75 cc motor without it being too dangerous. Anything bigger than that would need a support of some kind, as it could break an arm, rib, or when you are down lower, a knee cap (ouch). Also, please do something about that exhaust! It can make you seriously dizzy!
I bought this auger at Lowe's, asked about the return policy after reading the reviews here, and after the associate told me to bring it back for any reason if I am not happy, I promptly bought it. I have about a hundred holes to dig. I am not looking forward to it. Tree holes 4 foot wide and 4 foot deep. 4 foot deep footings, fence posts, and others. I also planned on loosening the soil to a depth of 3 feet. Lots of work. My soil is river bottom, with smaller rocks about 1-2". Smaller roots and not many trees (which is why we're planting them). I thought there was a chance it could handle the soil, as it is very rich, with some black mud. But with that said, it has a good amount of clay. It had just rained, and after reading that it might be easier to dig after a rain, I gave it a shot. I mixed my fuel, and gassed it up, and it fired right up, and worked for about 5 holes. Then it shut off, and would not start again. After I had fiddled with it for about an hour, I just gave up. There was no starting it up again. I wondered whether or not I should break it down and adjust something, but I decided against it. The reason I decided this machine was junk, was because it couldn't really handle my dirt. I can post hole a 3 foot hole quicker than this machine by hand. I'll try to explain how it works so you can get a better picture. First, it cuts through sod without a problem, but it just quits turning once the auger is about half way into the earth. With these types of augers, you need to lift the machine out and spin to get rid of the dirt, as it won't just bring the dirt to the surface and make a nice mound. But the problem is that when you get it about halfway, it is screwed into the ground. It could not turn to loosen my soil, just screwing itself into the ground like a display tent stake. Needless to say it is extremely hard to pull this thing out once it is screwed into the ground. After about five holes, and after it quit, I gave up. In my dirt, it is easier to use a post hole digger, which I never thought I would say. If I had not read the other reviews, I would say I got a bad unit, but I'm not wasting any more time here. I am renting a Dingo, and just going to tear up my ground. The rental is going to cost me almost as much as this auger, but I just cannot waste time messing around with the auger. As other reviewers noted, the exhaust blows right in your face. I felt sick after using it for an hour, and then just started to get dizzy. The exhaust is on the other side of the unit, but it somehow makes its way right into your face as you are using it. It's absolutely terrible, and hard to breathe if you are near a wall, like the side of your house. The fumes just have nowhere to go. This is a huge negative for me, but I am not sure how I would fix this if I was an engineer. What I did not notice was any breakage, no danger from the machine, and the parts looked ok, not the most solid, but solid enough. So that was my take from it. The engine just isn't strong enough. This motor is so weak, that I could not imagine it posing any danger to someone. I am a 31 year old male, and I had no problem overpowering the motor. I actually wish it was much stronger, maybe twice as strong. Some tips for those still using the machine, or thinking about using it:

- When you are digging, lift it up and down continuously so it doesn't catch in the soil or the motor will stop turning. This makes it somewhat useable, but is hard to do, as the weight of the machine and soil makes it pretty heavy. - If you manage to get a good depth without it quitting, try to pull it out, and spin the dirt off. It is very messy, but you will get a nice plug of dirt, and a nice hole. I put a tarp, with an 8" hole down over where I was digging. - Like I mentioned before, use a tarp to catch all the dirt you bring up, and then have a wheel barrow handy. Should make your job easier. Have a shovel, breaker bar, and post hole digger handy also. So there it is, 1 star for being a wimpy auger which died on me. If this were twice as strong, I would pay more. I could not imagine having to deal with roots or rocks larger than a few inches with this machine. Some suggestions for Ardisam (hopefully they read these reviews): Make a much stronger unit, with some sort of support that will keep it from spinning out of control (maybe two legs on either side that can lift up and down). I am betting a guy my age with no health problems could handle a 75 cc motor without it being too dangerous. Anything bigger than that would need a support of some kind, as it could break an arm, rib, or when you are down lower, a knee cap (ouch). Also, please do something about that exhaust! It can make you seriously dizzy!