Best auger drill bit
Updated: 22 October 2026
There is no single best auger drill bit in a list that mixes a joist cutter, a bulb spiral and a 150 mm fence-post machine. The sensible pick depends on the hole. This page names who each pick is for, and who should skip it. Prices and the other rows are on the [auger drill comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/auger-drill). Those amazon.co.uk listings were checked on 19 October 2026. We did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
There is no single best auger drill bit in a list that mixes a joist cutter, a bulb spiral and a 150 mm fence-post machine. The sensible pick depends on the hole.
There is no single best auger drill bit in a list that mixes a joist cutter, a bulb spiral and a 150 mm fence-post machine. The sensible pick depends on the hole. This page names who each pick is for, and who should skip it. Prices and the other rows are on the auger drill comparison. Those amazon.co.uk listings were checked on 19 October 2026. We did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | The hole it fits | Stated size | Skip it if | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Einhell Einhell GP-EA 18/150 cordless earth auger | Many 150 mm soil holes | 150 mm auger | Bulbs, timber, or no Einhell battery | 9.2 | about £148.45 | View offer |
| Alternative |  hsawbit hsawbit 40 mm x 230 mm wood auger | Joists and timber posts | 40 mm x 230 mm | Soil, or a bit that must stay sharp | 9.2 | about £14.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  WORKPRO WORKPRO green set, 4 x 22 cm and 8 x 30 cm | Bulbs in workable soil | 40 mm and 80 mm | Roots, rocks, or a 150 mm post | 9.0 | about £13.99 | View offer |
On this page
There is no single best auger
A best auger drill bit label fails as soon as the material changes. A wood auger is judged on a clean hole in timber, a garden bit on spoil it can lift from soil, and the Einhell on whether a two-handle machine beats leaning on a chuck. Stars do not cross that line. The hsawbit and the Einhell both sit at 4.5, from 322 and 752 reviews, and they are not substitutes.
Use wood auger or earth auger if you have not yet decided which family you are buying. The criteria in order, without a winner’s table, are on the auger drill bit buying guide.
For joists and posts in wood
For a joist or a round timber post, the hsawbit is the pick in this set: 40 mm cutting diameter, 230 mm long, 3-flat shank, about £14.99, 4.5 from 322 reviews. Buyers describe it pulling through joists more cleanly than a spade bit for a waste pipe, overlapping holes in a cut-off fence post about 6 inches deep, and true holes through 6 inch round posts for 32 mm rope. The listing gives a point tip and non-threaded positioning, which a reviewer calls controlled rather than self-feeding. The page also disagrees with itself on metal: bullets say high-strength carbon steel, the spec table says tungsten steel. The edge dulls after a few uses in harder wood, and several reviews are only one line.
For bulbs in workable soil
For tulips and other bulbs with an 18 V drill you already own, the best value in this set is the WORKPRO green pair: 4 cm by 22 cm and 8 cm by 30 cm at about £13.99. The 4 cm bit is the one reviews describe for a single bulb or a lawn hole. The 8 cm bit is there for a small pot plant or a narrow stake, not for a 150 mm fence post. The listing asks for a 3/8 inch or larger chuck, suggests 18 V or higher, and says the bits are not for tree roots or rocks. The 4.4 from 6,370 is the shared WORKPRO figure, so treat it as a family signal. The Thrink at about £7.99 is the narrow option only if the shank grips: the title says 3/8 inch, the spec says straight, and a review says the end slips.
Planting depth is on auger drill for planting bulbs.
For many 150 mm holes
The Einhell is the pick when the hole itself is about 150 mm and you have a row of them. The highlight says a 150 mm auger and 80 cm of depth. The tool is about £148.45, 4.5 from 752 reviews, 5.7 kg, brushless, with reverse, ECO forward and HIGH forward. The box does not include a battery or a charger. Einhell recommends a 2.5 Ah Power X-Change pack or larger. Buyers report about thirty fence-post holes on one charge in clay, about 210 hedging plants in a day in heavy clay, and one battery used on a roughly 1 m square soakaway. Skip it for a dozen crocuses, a joist, or a shed with no Einhell battery. Stones stop it, and two units were returned after a cut-out. A 1.5 cm item-length field contradicts the 80 cm highlight, so quote the highlight.
Common questions
Which bit is the sensible pick for joists?
In this set, the hsawbit 40 mm by 230 mm at about £14.99. Reviewers used it for waste-pipe holes in joists and for rope holes in 6 inch posts, and it has 4.5 from 322 reviews. The edge can dull in harder wood, and the listing names both carbon steel and tungsten steel.
Which set is enough for tulips if you already own an 18 V drill?
The WORKPRO green 4 cm by 22 cm and 8 cm by 30 cm set at about £13.99 is enough for tulips in workable soil, using the narrower bit and stopping at the bulb’s depth rather than the end of the shaft. The listing suggests 18 V and excludes roots and rocks.
Why not crown the WORKPRO listing with 6,370 reviews?
Because the same 4.4 from 6,370, and overlapping review text, appears on four WORKPRO ASINs in this comparison. It is a family signal, not a count for the green short set alone, and not a count for the longer 42 cm sets.
When is the Einhell the pick, and what is missing from the box?
It is the pick for many holes around 150 mm, such as fence posts or a hedging line, when you already have an Einhell 18 V battery. The listing is 4.5 from 752 reviews at about £148.45. Missing from the box are the battery and the charger. Einhell’s page recommends 2.5 Ah or larger.
Who should skip the long LYFETC bit?
Skip the LYFETC 5 by 80 cm at about £23.99 if you need a one-piece shaft, if the ground is dry and hard, or if you read the attribute list as permission to drill metal and glass. The title says a solid shaft. Reviews, 4.0 from 916, say two screwed parts that can undo in reverse.
Is the cheapest 30 mm bit a false economy if the shank slips?
Yes, if your chuck cannot hold it. At about £7.99 the Thrink is the lowest price here, with 4.4 from 75 reviews and a title length of about 60 cm. A review says the end is not 3/8 inch and slips, and the spec field says a straight shank while the title says 3/8 inch.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.
- HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE: hand-arm vibration in tree work (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE INDG480: hand-arm vibration (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Electrical Safety First: drills (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- RHS: planting bulbs (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Einhell UK: GP-EA 18/150 Li BL Solo (retrieved 19 October 2026)