Augers are mechanical devices that consist of a rotating blade attached to a motor. They are used for digging, breaking rock and loosening soil. The auger is the most important tool in any excavation project. It can even attached to a tractor or excavator. This allows the machine to move through hard soil or rock at a steady pace.
Augers are very useful tools for digging holes. They can be used to excavate material such as dirt or gravel. However, they can also get stuck in hard-to-dig places or if they are not properly handled.
If you have an auger stuck, it will make your job much harder than it needs to be. You need to know how to get an auger unstuck so that you can continue with your work. The following tips will help you do just that.
Initially..
Make sure that the auger is turned off before trying to unstuck it. If there is power flowing to the device, there could be serious damage done to the equipment.
Stop using your auger and wait for it to cool down. Once the auger has cooled off, you can try to remove it from its current location. You may need to use some leverage on the auger when removing it from its current position.
If you still cannot remove the auger, follow the below steps.
Table of Contents
Use a Shovel
A shovel is usually the first tool you reach for when trying to dig out an auger. A shovel will help you loosen up any soil around the auger. This will allow to pull the auger out more easily.
Once you have loosened up the soil around the auger with a shovel, you can then start pulling the auger out by hand. You should be able to pull the auger free once you have loosened enough soil.
The best kind of shovel to use is one with a long handle so you can easily maneuver the shovel around the auger.
Use a Pickaxe
You can also use a pickaxe to help you remove the auger from its current spot. Using a pickaxe will give you better access to the area where the auger got stuck.
You can strike the place where you want to loosen up the soil with the pickaxe. Strike the soil until you feel like you’ve loosened up enough soil. Follow this process until you’re able to pull the augur out.
Using a pickaxe is not recommended if you don’t know how to use it safely. It can cause serious injury to you or the auger if you aren’t careful. When using a pickaxe, make sure that you are wearing protective gear such as gloves and eye protection.
Shovel and pickaxe will be a great recovery kit when working with ice auger.
Use More Force
Another option is to increase the force you apply to the auger. By applying more force, you can break apart the soil surrounding the auger.
Using two people you can rotate the auger back and forth while both of you apply pressure to the auger. This way, you can apply even more force to the auger.
You should also do it caution, though. Don’t overdo it. Use too much force and you could damage the auger.
Dampen Soil
Sometimes you can actually dampen the soil around the auger. Damping the soil will create friction between the auger and the soil. This friction will help to loosen up the soil and allow you to pull the auger loose.
To dampen the soil, you can either spray water on the soil or pour water onto the soil. Make sure that you only wet the soil around the augural. You don’t want to soak the entire area because this can cause flooding issues.
When you are ready to pull the auger, you’ll need to pull the auger straight out of the hole. This means that you will need to pull the auger away from the wall of the hole. If you pull the augur towards the wall of the hole, you will end up digging yourself into the ground.
Wiggle The Auger
If all else fails, you can wiggle the auger to get it unstuck. Wiggling the auger will move the auger in different directions. This will hopefully dislodge the auger from its stuck position.
You can wiggle the augur by holding the auger by the shaft and moving it back and forth.
If you can’t wiggle the auger, try hitting the auger with a hammer. Hammering the auger will likely knock some dirt off the auger. This may help to loosen the soil around the augur.
Try Digging Deeper
If you still haven’t been able to get your auger unstuck after trying everything else, you might want to dig deeper. Digging deeper will expose the auger to more soil. This will help to loosen up more soil around the auger’s location.
This method isn’t always effective. Sometimes you just have to wait for nature to take care of the situation.
Check For Issues
Check the auger for cracks, leaks, or joints issues. These issues can lead to problems when the auger is being used.
If there are issues with the auger, then you won’t be able to use it. If you find an issue with the auger, you can fix the problem before you start using the auger again.
Fixing an issue with an auger can be difficult. You might need to call a professional to repair the auger.
How To Ensure Auger Doesn’t Stuck?
Even though you’ve tried everything you can think of to get your auger un-stuck, chances are that you’re going to run into another issue at some point. Here are some tips to ensure that you don’t have to deal with it.
- Make sure that the auger has enough torque. If the auger does not have enough torque, it may not cut into the ground. In this case, it will only dig into itself.
- Make sure that the teeth on the auger are sharp. Sharp teeth allow the auger to penetrate the earth easier. When the teeth are dull, the auger might get stuck in the hole that it is trying to dig.
- Use a drill bit that fits the size of the auger. A drill bit that is too small will not fit the auger. A larger drill bit will force the auger to turn faster.
- Check the oil level in the engine of the auger. If there is no oil, the auger could seize up and stop working.
- Lubricate the auger every time before you use it. Lubrication helps prevent damage to the auger.
- Clean the auger after each use. Dirt and other materials can accumulate inside the auger and cause it to jam.
Conclusion
There are many ways to get an auger unstuck. You can use the methods described above or you can follow a different approach. Try each of these methods before deciding which one works best for you.
The most important thing is to make sure that you do not have any issues with the auger. If you do, you’ll need to resolve them before you can continue digging holes.
