One Man Auger Vs Two Man Auger

Should you use a one man auger vs a two man auger for your next drilling job?

We solve this problem and help you choose in our post below.

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One Man Auger Vs Two Man Auger

One man augers are designed to be used by one person. They are built with lighter parts and typically the holes they drill may be smaller in diameter than a 2 man auger. You can maneuver them easier than a two man auger and their smaller size makes them more portable. One man augers can be cheaper than two man augers too, if you’re on a budget.

A one man auger will have smaller handlebars meant to be used by 1 person and be less powerful than a 2 man auger. One person augers are great for residential projects while 2 person augers can be used for larger, commercial and industrial applications.

One man augers are built with a reverse function so the drill bit will reverse out of the hole, bringing out any soil with it.

One Man Auger Vs Two Man Auger Chart

One Man	Two Man
Not as Powerful	More Powerful
Reverse Function Brings up extra soil	No Reverse Manually remove extra soil
Small Diameter Lighter Duty	Large Diameter Heavy Duty
Smaller Handlebars	2 sets of Handlebars

2 Man Augers Comparison to One Man Auger

2 man augers will have two sets of handlebars: one set for each person. They tend to be designed for more heavy duty work such as drilling through heavy solid, thick with roots and rocks.

2 man augers are heavier than 1 person augers, weighing usually between 45 and 75 lbs. This is because most if not all 2 man augers are gas powered. Gas powered engines are the heaviest of them all.

Some of them don’t come with a reverse function, meaning you and your work buddy will have to manually pull the auger machine from the hole you’ve just drilled in the ground.

You will also have to take out the extra soil to keep the auger from getting stuck.

Most one man augers have around 35-45cc engines while 2 man augers can come with up to 160cc engines which are great for rough soil conditions. Both one and two man augers can be rough on the body, so drilling holes with a coworker or friend is a must.

Two man augers make it easier to drill perfectly straight holes because each person is holding a set of handlebars during operation, which ensures that the auger is perpendicular to the hole at all times.

A one-man auger is operated by a single person and is used for digging smaller holes, such as for planting trees or fence posts. A two-man auger is a larger machine that requires two people to operate and is used for digging deeper and wider holes, such as for foundation work or installing large fence posts. The two-man auger has more power due to the larger engines and torque outputs and can dig through harder soil and rocks than a one-man auger.

How Deep Can a Two Man Auger Dig?

A two man auger can dig as deep as the auger bit is long. Most auger bits are 24 – 36″ long, so that’s how deep your holes will be. But, how deep you can dig depends on the auger you buy, the bits you buy, the soil conditions, and if you use an extension. With an extension, augers can sometimes dig up to 42″ deep.

Can One Person use a Two Man Auger?

We don’t recommend that 1 person use a two man auger. They get through rocks and grind through most roots efficiently. But, part of having so much power means if they hit anything in the soil, the auger kicks back. That kick back can be so strong that using a two man auger as 1 person, you could get injured.

Our Recommendation

We recommend folks evaluate their project needs before buying a one or two man auger. Most will find that they don’t need the large powerful output that comes with a 2 man auger. Nor do they like trying to find someone to work with them drilling holes every time. A one man auger is usually more useful around the house because its easily portable and anyone can use it.