Tool Box Buzz

Ryobi 40V Cordless Auger RY40710VNM

There are two landscape tools that I hope I never need to use again. They are the post-hole digger and a digging bar. Both of them require back-breaking effort to make holes. The Ryobi 40V Brushless Cordless Earth Auger does not eliminate these tools but keeps them on the sideline more when digging holes for fences or sonotube footings for our decks.

Ryobi 40V line continues to impress the TBB Crew. They are turning out professional-grade products at extremely affordable prices. Whether it is their 40v  21″Cordless Lawn Mower or their 40V Jet Fan Blower, or their entire 40v line of outdoor power equipment [OPE]

Ryobi RY40710VNM Kit Components

The Earth Auger comes as a kit with the following components:

• RY40701BTLVNM – 40V HP Brushless Auger
• 8″ x 32″ Dirt Auger
• OP40404 – 40V 4Ah Battery
• OP404 – 40V Charger

Ryobi also sells additional bits separately. They have a total of 4 bits in sizes 10″, 8″, 6″, and 4″. Currently, they do not have an extension yet for deeper holes.

• AC10DRT – 10″ Auger Bit
• AC6DRT – 6″ Auger Bit
• AC4DRT – 4″ Auger Bit

Earth Auger – Assembly Required

The Ryobi Earth Auger assembled very easily. We had a couple of days of rain that prevented us from starting our fence jobs so we decided to assemble the Ryobi Auger in the shop. There are 8 nuts and bolts that hold connect the handle to the motor housing.

There is a small plug that connects the forward/reverse switch on the handle to the housing. You are now connected and ready to operate the auger.

8″ Auger Dirt Bit

This kit comes with an 8″ x 32″ dirt auger bit. As mentioned before there are other bits compatible with this auger. Ryobi tells us they are working on a bit of extension to get deeper into your hole. Currently the max depth is 32″ which means we here in Massachusetts have to dig a little further to make our 48″ frost code, so we cant eliminate the post hole digger just yet!

This unit comes with a heavy-duty locking cotter pin that secures and did not come loose while used.

Ryobi Earth Auger | Job Site Performance

We recently started a large 32-panel fence job and boy did this Earth Auger come in handy. The first thing we noticed was this tool was powerful enough to get through the first few feet of grass and topsoil. We did get snagged up in rocks which the auger didn’t seem powerful enough to chew through or dislodge them. The AKS (Anti-Kickback System) engaged quite a bit.  This machine is a lot quieter than the normal gas auger we usually rent. It is light [weighing 40.0lbs with an auger bit and battery] and was easy to move from hole to hole.

Ryobi Earth Auger | Anti-Kickback System

I swear it does not matter where we dig, we always hit roots and rock. We noticed the anti-kickback system worked well when we tried digging out fence post holes. Several times the auger got stuck on rocks and immediately stopped when kickback was about to happen. This saved us from injury. This drill has almost 54 Ft-Lbs of engine torque which could take you for a ride.

Speed Setting Control

The Ryobi Auger’s main control grip is shaped for comfort. The tool’s trigger safety, which springs into place, stops it from turning on accidentally. The 40V auger from Ryobi has a reverse speed adjustment in addition to two forward speed settings (High/Low). Depending on the work at hand, this amount of user control is highly desirable. As mentioned before, the terrain here in the Northeast is very hard and full of rocks and roots. Higher speed settings make it easier to munch past those obstacles. Cleaning the auger hole is simple by using the reverse speed.

Room For Improvements

We would really like to see Ryobi come out with an extension for their attachments bits. The inability to reach our 48″ frost line depth is frustrating. The whole concept of the auger is to get where you need to be with minimal effort. Having to dig out the remaining 16″ for each of the holes we 32 holes we dug was a pain in the butt.

Conclusion

The 40V Ryobi Outdoor Power Equipment product line merits a lot of discussions. They are selling high-quality tools for an extremely low cost! This Earth Auger motor isn’t powerful enough to get through some of the types of soil that a commercial model is made to handle. However, the Ryobi 40V HP Auger is up to the task of deck building or fencing jobs like ours. We certainly dig it!

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