Well this gem really works as well as other reviewers have stated. I will say it is best used in combination with a post hole digger. This auger works to rapidly make a hole, however the clamshell action of a post hole type digger will allow you to easily clean up the sides of the hole as well as remove dirt debris from the bottom of the hole. I was able to make eight post holes 30" deep for 4 x 6 inch posts in approximately 6 hours in California hard pan dirt. Note this auger will not work in very rocky soil as it gets hung up on rocks and on tree roots, both of which I was able to address with the post hole digger and then continue augering. Also as noted by others, the hole actually comes out 7-8 inches in diameter, perfect for a 4 x 4 post. Combining this auger with the fence post digger allowed me to easily enlarge the hole for my 4 x 6 inch posts. I am very glad I purchased this auger for my retaining wall project, it saved me a tremendous amount of back work on the post holes.