Digga tips - the importance of vertical alignment when drilling.

Having trouble drilling? The correct vertical alignment of your auger into the ground is essential to ensure efficient & effective drilling with your excavator. The natural arc movement of the boom causes the dipper arm to move out of alignment as it is raised or lowered, which is why constant operator adjustments are required to maintain vertical alignment. Please consider, that failure to do so will create significant side load on the auger drive and auger!

As Digga auger drives are pendulum drills designed to hang freely from the excavator mount - excessive side load may result in bent auger flights, pipe and hubs as well as potential damage to the auger drive shaft, seals and gearbox. When you are drilling especially into hard ground this may also  cause socket and pilot breakage. So make sure to align your auger and drive correctly, to avoid damager and drill which much better performance.

You can find more info and tips for drilling in harder grounds such as rock or frost here.

You could also try the Diggalign Inclinometer for greater accuracy.