In the history of the equipment rental industry, certain elite categories of products have developed reputations for delivering an extremely high return on investment and corresponding profit. One such category is portable hand-held hole digging equipment. For decades these machines have consistently found themselves on the list of top five revenue generating products.
What accounts for this revenue producing capability is the hole diggers popularity with both contractors and homeowners alike. Placing any object into the ground requires that it either be pushed with a driving device or that a hole is dug first. Usually, digging a hole is more cost effective and produces more desirable results. When you consider the wide variety of objects that are routinely placed in the ground, the number of job applications for portable hole digging equipment is virtually endless.
In the Beginning
Remarkably, the development of portable hole digging equipment traces its origins back to the rapid expansion of recreational winter ice fishing in the 1950s. The first ice drills were adapted from 12-volt starter motors. Besides being crude in appearance, the units were awkward to operate and limited to a vehicle battery as a power source. As the ice fishing industry matured, the need for increased mobility became a priority. The development of lightweight, two-cycle engines prompted a rapid progression toward gasoline engines as the power source of choice. It wasn’t long before these same ice drills were being pressed into service for digging earth. In response to the increased demands of drilling earth, manufacturers modified castings, gears and auger designs accordingly. With the inevitable demand for larger and deeper holes came the introduction of two-man machines with higher horsepower and greater digging torque.
To the Marketplace
The late 1950s and early 1960s witnessed a prolific expansion of outdoor power equipment in the U.S. Small chainsaws, rotary push mowers and even home generators became available to an eager public headed for life in the suburbs. This rapid growth of powered equipment was made possible with the introduction of compact,  low-cost gasoline engines. The demand for privacy fencing in the growing residential areas was a driving factor for the use of portable hole digging equipment by an infant fencing industry. For the first time, the fence installer was not limited to using a mechanically-operated, tractor-mounted auger. One- and two-man operated hole-digging equipment offered increased profitability and newly found productivity over traditional methods. Without the need to purchase a tractor and mechanical auger mount, holes could be dug faster and at a much lower cost.
The sign and landscaping markets were next to discover the concept of portable hole digging equipment. Their specific demands prompted the introduction of augers greater than 12 inches in diameter. The machines being produced by a growing number of manufacturers gave crews unmatched productivity over conventional hole digging methods. It wasn’t long before an emerging equipment rental industry took notice of this new equipment and found the machines to be a logical solution for many of its customer’s problems. The rapid growth and expansion of the equipment rental industry signaled a similar growth and acceptance for portable hole digging equipment.
Something For Everyone
 Today’s portable hole digging equipment has evolved from the original one-man, hand-held machine to include a wide variety of types and configurations addressing endless applications and operator preferences. Other than the still popular hand-held units, the one-man concept has been further expanded to include cantilevered and torque-tube designs which minimize kickback effects to the operator. Gasoline engines still provide the necessary power through conventional mechanical transmissions or high-pressure hydraulic systems. Additionally, small trailer-mounted drilling rigs and hydraulically-powered attachments for skid steers and backhoes have expanded the definition and utility of the original one-man concept.
Even with these further equipment developments, the most popular machine in the equipment rental industry continues to be the gasoline-powered, two-man hand-held machine.  Through years of continual alteration, manufacturers have produced machines incorporating a wide range of two- and four-cycle engine configurations up to nine horsepower. A combination of market driven factors, including engine availability and product liability concerns have resulted in most manufacturers standardizing on the five-horsepower category with two- and four-cycle engines. Digging performance, general operating characteristics and job-site portability continue to be the primary reasons for the popularity of portable hole digging among contractors and homeowners alike.
Looking into the Crystal Ball
Will a pocket-sized, nuclear powered laser capable of piercing through the toughest soil conditions replace the portable hole digging equipment currently in your inventory? If there is such a creature, it is safe to assume it will be very expensive to purchase, not to mention operate and maintain. However, changes are destined to occur – each prompted by the competitive nature of a free enterprise market. But the nature of and the reasoning behind the changes might surprise you.
Just as the dirt shovel has evolved very little since its inception thousands of years ago, there’s very little rocket technology going into new earth auger designs today. The Pengo®-type boring head configuration that was widely utilized in the earth drilling industry almost 50 years ago is still standard today.  Also, the same concepts are in use today with small two-man, hand-held augers as they are with large, truck-mounted augers used by specialized drilling contractors. Reputation is built around a simple design concept that balances power requirements, digging performance and service life. The interchangeability of wear parts along with replacement parts inventory considerations are also logical reasons why these proven designs are still the best choice for any equipment rental operation.
It can be expected that manufacturers will continue to place a greater emphasis on operator ergonomics by continuing to make hand-held machines easier to use. Operator handle configurations and materials will change as new concepts are introduced. Aluminum and steel castings will eventually be replaced with high-strength composites. Future machines will be lighter, but still have ample strength to combat the most abusive operators and environments.
Probably the most requested innovation is reverse gear for hand-held machines. Current gasoline-powered units do not incorporate a reverse capability in the event the auger becomes stuck while digging. Reversing the auger clear of a buried obstruction can require substantially greater torque than provided in the forward direction. The exact torque needed to free the auger can exceed the physical endurance and capacity of an operator. Thus, because of this important liability concern, it is highly doubtful that future hand-held machines will include reverse capabilities.
Cantilevered or “teeter-totter” type one-man units will likely experience a significant increase in popularity over the next few years and become a feasible alternative to the two-man, hand-held machines. A number of manufacturers have recently introduced these machines to the marketplace. The implementation of this concept is expected to be more pronounced in the homeowner segment where topography considerations and operational simplicity are of greater concern. There are many advantages with these machines. First, with a properly designed hydraulic system, the cantilevered hole digger can deliver substantially greater digging torque than a typical two-man, hand-held machine. Also, these units offer the maintenance simplicity of a hydraulic system and significantly reduce kickback force to the operator. Downsides include the higher initial purchase cost, problems when encountering job-site obstructions and the requirement that the customer have a vehicle equipped with a tow hitch.
Perhaps the most significant change on the hole-digger horizon will focus on new engine technology. Federal engine emission standards have already influenced dramatic changes by small engine manufacturers and more can be expected. Four-cycle, all-position engine technology will eventually expand from the current string trimmer products to include higher horsepower, larger displacement engines. As soon as they are available, look for these engines to power future hand-held hole digging equipment. This is the perfect application for the design concept because the technology delivers the lubrication advantages of a conventional four-cycle engine combined with the all-position operating capability of a two-cycle engine equipped with a diaphragm carburetor. Four cycle, all-position engines will eliminate many of the operational and service related problems inherent with portable hole digging equipment, including spilled crankcase oil, hydro-locked combustion chambers and leaking carburetor float bowels. A high percentage of transportation, starting and refueling problems will also be eliminated.
Being Unique Creates Problems
Each manufacturer’s unique diversification of product design and capabilities will always be present in the industry. If digging a hole was as simple as pumping water or generating electricity, the equipment produced by various manufacturers would be almost identical in appearance and operation, with the possible exception of paint color. Unfortunately, digging a hole can be a far more complicated process. Soil types and digging conditions vary greatly across the street, much less across the U.S. A process or specific machine that performs well in one location might be a complete failure just a few yards away. The wide diversity of digging conditions is further complicated by operator experience and expectations. Both novices and seasoned experts alike will operate the same machine in your rental inventory. Will the next customer fall into the 50 percentile for height and weight? Or will he or she be in the 95-percentile classification? At what point in the product design process does horsepower or machine weight become a limiting factor? These factors, and many others, will continue to be the driving force behind product design.
As manufacturers continue to improve their products and refine the hole digging process itself, the marketplace will continue to benefit. What is today considered current technology will eventually fade into the texts of future history books. Years from now, if present manufacturers are still in business, rest assured machine appearance and operation will be very different. Given enough time and money, that pocket-sized laser auger will eventually become reality. After all, you never saw Captain Kirk dig a hole by first starting an engine. |
