The most common use for digger derricks is digging and setting poles for electric power transmission and distribution systems. Construction companies, forestry services, and farms find them useful too. Today we’ll focus on the digger derrick’s auger and its teeth.
Different soils call for different approaches to digging. Digger derricks are designed so you can change out the teeth and heads to fit the soil being dug, and to replace them when they become dull from use. Auger teeth come in many different shapes and sizes. Teeth designs depend on two factors:
- Where they are located on the auger
- What type of material they are cutting into, e.g., dirt, clay, or rock.There are even special auger teeth for ice and tundra.
For a detailed look at soil and auger choice, refer to our blog: When It Comes to Utility Augers, Size Matters!
Auger flighting is the spiral element along the auger’s shaft which moves the material dislodged by the head up and away from the hole being dug. Think of it as a conveyor belt for the dirt and rock being removed by the auger head. Some characteristics of flighting:
- Flighting length determines how much material the auger can lift out of the ground.
- Flighting thickness affects the overall strength and weight of the auger. In addition, thickness determines the wear life of the auger.
- Flighting pitch is the distance between one peak of the flighting’s rotation to the next. The greater the distance, the steeper the pitch. Pitch can affect the efficiency of your work quite easily. For example, a steeply pitched flight will allow lighter, loose material to slide back down into the hole, but it helps move mud, clay or wet materials quickly out of the way.
We will discuss some more fun auger topics in our next blog. In the meantime, if you need help selecting the right parts the UEP guys are happy to help you! Contact us today for any of your bucket truck or digger derrick parts needs.
Speaking of teeth (not auger teeth though) … check out the UEP Guys’ smiles!
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