Last updated Mar 27, 2026
Store Your Earth Drill Properly this Winter
Most contractors and rental centers that employ earth drills will experience an approximately 3-4 month winter period in which the equipment is not being used. Before storing your Little Beaver earth drill for the season, take some time to thoroughly examine the drill and ensure that all components are in working order. The simple steps below will ensure your machine is ready to go in the spring.
Hydraulic Hibernation
To prepare a hydraulic model for storage, remove the shroud between the tank and the engine to inspect the coupling component. Make sure the rubber spider is not worn or missing pieces. Check for hose leaks or loose connections and look for any cuts or cracks that might be causing them. Additionally, lock the drive head into the “storage” position by pivoting the handle.
Don’t leave your machine out in the cold all winter. Hydraulic oil thickens as it becomes cold, which could damage the hydraulic system and the hoses. The hydraulic oil needs to be changed every three months or 100 hours of use, so it’s more efficient to simply drain the oil for the storage period; just don’t forget to replenish it in the spring. You should use premium mineral oil with anti-wear and anti-foaming additives. If you are using the drill in frigid temperatures, we recommend ISO VG 32-grade oil (46 for normal temperature operation and 68 in warmer climates).
Year-End Mechanical Maintenance
Routine maintenance during active drilling periods of the year keeps your machine primed for the most rugged applications. This includes inspecting, cleaning and lubricating applicable parts for every 30-40 hours of use. But when your drill’s hard work is done and it’s time for its seasonal slumber, ticking off some end-of-the-year checkboxes will make sure it’s ready to go next spring.
Store the drill so that the flexible shaft is stretched straight and not curled up; check for cracks or wires on the outer housing. Look for rust on the push button connector and if you find any, wipe it down with WD-40. Check out the throttle cable as there’s a good chance you’ll need to take things apart to clean it. If frayed, it should be replaced.
Ready for Spring
Some storage preparation steps apply to both hydraulic and mechanical units. There are a couple of options for winterizing the gasoline-powered fuel system of your mechanical or hydraulic drill. The simplest is to completely drain the gas tank. You can also add fuel stabilizer solution, which forms a protective layer by bonding with gasoline to prevent evaporation. It also stops the buildup of sticky resins that can destroy a carburetor and remains effective for up to one year.
Fuel stabilizer is recommended any time a gas engine, especially an older one, will be out of use for three weeks or more. Fill up the rest of the tank upon taking it out of storage, as this will diffuse the stabilizer. Non-ethanol gasoline is best for this type of equipment, especially when putting it away for storage or filling up in the spring. Ethanol’s corrosive effects increase the longer the machine sits idle, and the blend doesn’t always mix well with stabilizer. Once this is done, grab a couple wrenches and tighten up all bolts, as they can become loose through the course of routine drilling and transportation.
Always store earth drills in a warm, dry space. Left to the elements in a high-moisture area, the steel will eventually develop rust. Make sure to keep them in a space that doesn’t get heavy foot traffic so it won’t get knocked over or otherwise disturbed, especially if there is a chance of animals or small children being nearby.
Don’t leave the blades dull or rounded since drilling with them can damage the flighting of your auger. Install new blades if they are replaceable or sharpen your carbide blades. Sharpen with a carbide bench grinding wheel tilted to a 5-7 degree relief angle. Clean your blades with warm, soapy water. Do not use a pressure washer, which is too abrasive and can cause damage.
Your Little Beaver Needs a Little Love
Properly storing your earth drilling equipment will keep it running smoothly for many years to come. For any maintenance questions, reference your owner’s manual, check out our online service videos or contact us for direct consultation.
Last updated Mar 27, 2026
Little Beaver’s Efficient Tool for Tent Anchoring
As anyone in the event industry knows, there are several different ways to anchor a commercial tent. Weighted options include sandbags and water barrels, as well as concrete and iron blocks. These methods are best deployed when setting up in a parking lot where driving metal anchors into the ground is not feasible; or on soft sandy beaches where an anchor might not hold. Stakes are ideal for smaller outings like tent camping or setting up a backyard canopy to host a family barbecue.
But for those looking to put up a large tent in dense soil covered by grass, gravel or plain dirt, auger anchoring is the best option. It goes without saying that screws hold better than nails. Earth auger anchoring is the most economical and efficient way to secure such a tent.
Unmatched Speed and Efficiency
Achieving stable tent placement demands effective options. That’s why we offer a tent anchoring adapter for our Hydraulic Earth Drill. We paired this adapter with a hydraulic drill because it has the torque needed to power through tough sediment. When done properly, each anchor can be set up in as little as two minutes. Our hydraulic drill also offers a reverse option to quickly remove the anchors when the event is over.
Offering this tent anchoring adapter is a no-brainer for rental centers. If you already have a Little Beaver Hydraulic Earth Drill, adding this attachment to your lineup brings excellent potential for a high return on investment, particularly in warmer seasons. It requires minimal upkeep, so you’ll have very little concern until a rental opportunity arises — which probably won’t take long considering how many businesses and organizations use huge outdoor tents for special occasions.
Stand Out from the Crowd
Anchoring adaptors are perfect to set up large tents for county fairs, carnivals, weddings, car shows, outdoor expos and many other types of gatherings. Additionally, many of these venues have the potential to be regular annual customers. Providing a quick setup option will attract new customers for a niche product, keeping your rental center one step ahead of the competition.
To learn more about our earth drills and other equipment, give us a call today at 936-327-3121 or fill out our online contact form and one of our team members will reach out to you.
Last updated Mar 27, 2026
Maximize potential while minimizing expenses
Providing quality services while maintaining a healthy bottom line will forever be high on a contractor’s priority list. Renting drilling equipment is one way to maximize productivity and potential while minimizing expenses. For specialty projects and testing the waters on new services, equipment rental can be a cost-efficient option if you’re looking to provide more without over-investing.
There are endless opportunities that rental centers can help a fencing crew tackle. For example, rental centers offer a range of machines and attachments for safe one-person operation. Availability will vary from center to center, but you can often find our Mechanical and Hydraulic earth drills as well as the Kwik-Trench in a variety of sizes — perfectly scalable for construction and landscape projects.
Drilling Through Soft Soil
Looking for a post-hole auger that is lightweight, high-speed and digs quickly and cleanly? See what your local rental center has for mechanical earth augers. Little Beaver Mechanical Earth Drills power through sand, silt and loam, creating clean 6- to 8-inch diameter holes for applications such as fencing, deck building, landscaping and more. Digging a post hole takes less than a minute, meaning a crew can accomplish a lot with just a two-day rental. Need to bore under something? With Little Beaver’s optional horizontal boring attachments, you can easily rent the equipment to bore under sidewalks and driveways to install landscape lighting, water systems and much more.
Tackling Tough Soil
For tougher soils — like clay, rock or frozen ground — a Little Beaver Hydraulic Earth Drill may be the best choice. These machines offer more power than mechanical drills, and our models still allow one-person drilling. With their extra torque, hydraulic earth drills can handle augers up to 16 inches in diameter and can drill depths of up to 30 feet with the right auger. Little Beaver Hydraulic Earth Drills also include a reversible feature that makes them ideal for quick removal from the ground.
With even more power and potential, UN-Towable and Towable Earth Drills have a balanced torque-free design to enhance operator safety when drilling through uneven terrain. These earth augers are ideal for fencing, landscaping, decks, sign installation and recreational applications.
Effortless Trenching
Mini trencher machines at your local rental center are a great solution for digging trenches. Little Beaver’s Kwik-Trench can dig a 12-inch-deep trench at speeds of up to 30 feet per minute. They make installing lawn sprinklers, electric dog fencing, low voltage wiring, plumbing and drainage lines and wire cable the work of an afternoon. Silt fencing, landscape edging, root pruning and bed preparation also become faster and less backbreaking.
Can Renting Work for Me?
When it comes to one-time projects — those special requests that pop up in conjunction with a current project but aren’t something you’re looking to offer regularly — renting lets crews get the job done without a costly, long-term commitment. Depending on the length of the rental, the team can even knock out several small projects with the same machine, optimizing efficiency. Planning will help ensure you get the most out of the rental.
Repeatedly renting the same equipment can also be cost-efficient, to a point. It’s a great way for small businesses looking to expand their services to test out different machines and attachments before committing. For equipment you don’t plan on using every day, renting rather than buying saves money since the rental center takes on the initial cost of the machine and any maintenance needs. However, it’s important to keep in mind there’s a limit to the cost benefits of renting if your crew is frequently using a specific machine.
When used wisely, renting can be a valuable tool for contractors looking to provide more while spending less. The fastest way to assess rental potential is by taking a trip to your local rental center or talking to the manufacturers who supply their equipment. We’re happy to answer your questions. Contact our team today.
Last updated Mar 27, 2026
Which Earth Drill Features Lead to the Highest ROI?
Versatile equipment is the hallmark of successful rental centers. A good earth drill rounds out the equipment fleet, bringing infinite rental possibilities. It’s important to consider all the features of each earth drill before making the final decision on which to purchase. To maximize ROI, rental centers should focus on durable construction, strong safety features, easy maintenance and simple auger installation.
Durable Construction
Every rental center needs durable equipment to stand up to years of tough use. It’s no secret that equipment that lasts 20 years has much higher ROI than equipment that only lasts 5 years. Wear-reduction features are some of the most important when it comes to extended equipment life. Look for earth drills that feature welded steel plates and tubes. They hold up against hard use much better than other, less durable materials.
Another feature to look for is a centrifugal clutch. When the drill hits a buried object, the clutch reroutes the drilling pressure away from the drill’s components to protect them from damage. It’s an automatic protective measure and lowers the chance of the engine stalling and requiring repair.
Little Beaver earth drills are manufactured in-house at our plant in Livingston, Texas. This both increases the quality of construction and decreases production costs for customers. Little Beaver thoroughly tests each piece of equipment before shipping with the goal of continually improving each drill and auger.
Ease of Maintenance
Durable construction means nothing if maintaining the earth drill is too difficult for a rental center. At Little Beaver, we design our mechanical and hydraulic earth drills for repair with ordinary hand tools. Quick and simple maintenance keeps the drill out on rent instead of in the shop. Easy access to the throttle, flex shaft, transmission oil bath and other areas makes routine maintenance a breeze. We also offer online maintenance videos for our mechanical and hydraulic earth drills.
Another benefit some manufacturers offer is a free service or technical consultation from the factory itself. Some, like Little Beaver, also offer factory repair. You can return damaged parts to our facility with a description of the problem, and we will repair the item and ship it back to you. Knowing the maintenance and warranty of the earth drills in your fleet ensures you can get the most ROI.
Safety Features
Safety features are essential and a strong consideration for renters choosing a drill. Little Beaver earth drills feature a steel torque tube. The torque tube transfers dangerous kickback to the engine carriage as opposed to the handles. This makes Little Beaver earth drills safe for one-man drilling, which is an additional benefit for contractors looking to optimize their crew or DIY customers who are tackling a project alone.
While the centrifugal clutch protects a mechanical drill against damage, it also contributes to operator safety. If the drill’s auger encounters an object beneath the surface or if the drill is overloaded, the clutch automatically slips to protect the operator from serious injury.
We incorporate a pressure relief valve on hydraulic earth drills. The pressure relief valve engages if the auger becomes overworked and the drill reaches a certain hydraulic pressure. This automatically stops auger rotation and halts the drill before it reaches a dangerous overload point. The feature increases safety for the operator and prevents damage to the machine.
Easy Auger Changeouts
Easy auger changeouts are a great way to get the most out of an earth drill both as a customer and as a rental center. Quick and consistent auger connection options expand the earth drill’s capabilities, opening the door to more rental opportunities and applications. Little Beaver augers feature a snap-on connection that allows operators to switch between augers quickly without specialized tools.
The Final Decision
When it comes to deciding which earth drills to invest in for your rental center, the best options are the safest and easiest to maintain. By working with Little Beaver, you can feel confident you’re getting strong construction, easy maintenance and the most up-to-date safety features. To learn more about how a Little Beaver earth drill can benefit your rental center, contact us today.
Last updated Mar 27, 2026
Improving ROI for Rental Centers
At both the collegiate and professional level, great quarterbacks are few and far between — and for good reason. In addition to the hard work and dedication it takes to reach that level of competition, quarterbacks face a slim margin of error on every down. To complete a single pass, a quarterback must know the roles of defenders and anticipate their actions, account for the speed and timing of the receivers, and, of course, make a precise throw into a small and fleeting window of opportunity.
Running a rental center can feel much the same. Discovering efficient, safe and durable equipment, like Little Beaver Mechanical Earth Drills, is a game-changing play.
The One-Man Approach
Rental centers should think of equipment in terms of usability. A greater emphasis on user-friendly equipment attracts a broader variety of renters. This is true for both crews looking to supplement their fleet with additional equipment options, and for individuals needing a tool for DIY landscaping.
Little Beaver Mechanical Earth Drills provide high auger speeds — up to 360 rpm — for fast hole digging. Many drills require two operators to mitigate the risk of injury from the torque and kickback associated with the drill’s power and speed, but our drills take a different approach. Little Beaver Mechanical Earth Drills feature engines that are mounted on a separate carrier attached to the drill’s handles via a steel torque tube. The drill’s torque and kickback are transferred to the engine carrier, as opposed to the operator, making safe one-person operation possible. This means you can offer unmatched efficiency for contractors, and a one-operator option for homeowners tackling their own projects.
Add Opportunities
Solutions to expand an earth drill’s capabilities — and, in turn, your rental opportunities — are another option to consider. At Little Beaver, we offer snap-on augers that take seconds to change, allowing for a quick adjustment to match your customer’s drilling requirements. We offer a full range of diameters between 1.5” to 16” in both 36” and 42” lengths, meaning you can provide a versatile line of augers for a variety of rental needs.
Meanwhile, our horizontal boring kits add to our Mechanical Earth Drill’s capabilities. These kits give the earth drill capabilities similar to a horizontal boring machine for drilling underneath sidewalks or driveways, increasing the equipment’s rental applications.
Benefit from Durability
Equipment repairs inevitably take time to complete. Even a basic repair can lead to as much as a full day of lost rental time both from the renter and your rental center. That’s why our Mechanical drills have features such as a heavy-duty transmission and centrifugal clutch to lessen the likelihood of untimely breakdowns. When drilling, it’s common to strike rocks, roots and other buried objects. If the auger hits an object, the centrifugal clutch releases, stopping rotation and preventing damage to both the auger and transmission.
Solutions for Success
While quarterbacking a successful rental business is no easy task, finding solutions that increase the gap between revenue and ruin is a great way to work toward this goal. Simple solutions to versatility and maintenance times are among the easiest ways to manage both margins for error and profit margins. Any equipment that can single-handedly increase a business’s capacity to take on additional renters while reducing the cost of maintenance is worthy of an MVP award.
To learn more about how rental centers can benefit from our earth drill options, contact Little Beaver today.
Last updated Mar 27, 2026
Using an Earth Drill to Install a Mailbox Post
If you’re wondering how to install a mailbox post, you’re not alone. Mailbox installation is a very common do-it-yourself (DIY) project many homeowners take on. For the least labor-intensive option, we suggest renting an earth drill to get the job done. Using an earth drill, like Little Beaver’s mechanical or hydraulic earth drill, will not only be more efficient than alternative methods, it will also reduce the strain on your back and other potential injuries.
What You’ll Need:
- Little Beaver earth drill with an auger 3 times
wider than the post - Mailbox post (we suggest a 4×4-inch wooden post or
two-inch diameter steel or aluminum pipe) - 50-pound bag of concrete
- Mailbox
- Bricks or stone for landscaping (optional)
After gathering the necessary items, we suggest starting by calling 811 to mark buried utilities and checking the manufacturer instructions that came with your mailbox model. Once you have your Little Beaver earth drill rental, make sure to read the owner’s manual or work with your rental center to learn how to operate the drill. Once you’re ready to go, watch our easy set-up video to see the step-by-step process for setting up the drill and disassembling it for transportation. You can also contact the Little Beaver team with any questions!
Per USPS guidelines, a mailbox should be placed six to eight inches back from the curb and 42 inches off the ground. Once you’ve found the right spot, you can start a pilot hole using the earth auger. This is a small hole drilled into the ground to help guide the larger drill for a more precise drilling location. Once the pilot hole has been created, it’s time to put the earth auger to work! After you’ve drilled to your desired depth, typically 20-24 inches, simply lift the auger from the hole and you’re ready for the next step!
Although it’s possible to install a mailbox without concrete, we suggest taking this extra step for improved security and durability. After preparing a bag of fast-setting concrete, place the post in the hole and pour the concrete into the hole around the post. Make sure to allow a few inches of space at the top of the hole and use a level to double-check that the pole is straight. If it has shifted, adjust quickly before the concrete dries.
After the concrete has set, it’s time to attach the mailbox to your post! Most manufacturers have their own instructions for how to get this done, so we recommend following those closely. Once the mailbox has been attached, don’t forget to add your address. If your mailbox is on a different street than your home, USPS requires that you put the full street address on the mailbox.
Even though your mailbox is technically complete after adding your address, you can always go a step further by landscaping around the mailbox before returning your earth drill to the rental center. Earth drills have many uses, including DIY landscaping such as planting small shrubs around your mailbox post.
