Heavy Duty Rock Augers | Learn More

What Is a Heavy Duty Rock Auger?

A skid steer heavy duty rock auger is an agricultural and construction machinery attachment used to drill holes through rock and frozen ground for various purposes.

This type of auger is designed for use with a skid steer loader, which is a popular machine for construction companies who need to run powerful hydraulic attachments. The skid steer loader connects to the auger with a universal quick connect coupler and two hydraulic couplers.

The skid steer heavy duty rock auger attachment consists of carbide teeth, a drive shaft, and auger flight. The drill bit is made of carbide steel and is designed to drill through rocks.

The auger flight twists around the drive shaft and pulls material out of the ground after the teeth have loosened it. The drive shaft is connected to the power source, typically a hydraulic motor, which turns the auger with high torque. The operator controls the speed and direction of the auger using levers or joysticks on the skid steer loader.

How Big Is a Heavy Duty Rock Auger?

The standard length of heavy duty rock augers is 48". As with most augers, they are designed to support extensions for extra reach when needed.

The diameter of heavy duty rock augers depends on the customers needs, with 6" to 36" models being commonly available.

A solid rock auger can be a fairly heavy pieces of equipment. Typically, a 6" diameter auger will weigh around 60 pounds, while a 36" diameter rock auger can tip the scales at nearly 400 pounds. 

Rock augers can be used with mini skid steer auger drives, however, because of the high weight of large rock diameter augers it may be more difficult to stay within your mini skid steers operating limits.

Because of the high weight of most augers, an auger rack is often suggested, With a properly built auger rack, you can attach and detach to your auger while you have the bit standing in the rack.

How Tough Is a Heavy Duty Rock Auger?

A high quality heavy duty rock auger will be able to penetrate rock, frozen ground and concrete. Many augers wil require several thousand pounds of down force to be able to accomplish this, it's best to check with your manufacturer.

Heavy duty rock augers will often have replaceable carbide bullet teeth which makes them stand apart from the regular dirt auger.

The carbide bullet teeth on your rock auger should have a Rockwell hardness of at least 65. Rockwell hardness refers to how resistant a metal object is to penetration or deformation from another object.

As a rule, the high the number on the Rockwell scale, the harder the metal is. For example, Rockwell 40 describes a metal that is softer and more prone to deformation than a metal rated at Rockwell 65.

A higher rating will hold its edge better than a lower rating, however, it will be more prone to chipping. You can plan on occasionally replacing your carbide bullet teeth. 

Heavy Duty Rock Auger Flighting and Tooth Count

It's common to have double flighting on rock augers, where regular dirt augers will commonly have single flights.

A double flight auger tends to have a smoother flow of material which makes it ideal for rock augers where speed isn't required, but efficient material removal is.

A single flight auger will often clear a whole faster and can allow for a straighter whole to be augured. 

On a heavy duty rock auger the flighting should be welded around a solid steel shaft. Hollow shafts should only be used for light duty dirt augers.

On Star Industries heavy duty rock augers, the flighting is welded around a 2 3/8" solid steel shaft.

The number of teeth on a rock auger varies depending on the diameter of the auger, but is typically between 6 teeth for a 6" diameter auger, and 30 for a 36" diameter auger.

Want to Know More?

If you’re in need of a skid steer heavy duty rock auger for your next project, have a look at our collection of augers and be sure to give our team a call. We can provide you with all the information you need to make an informed purchase and get your jobs done quickly and efficiently. Thanks for reading!