Earthquake 42539 Planting Auger Bits Instruction Manual

Earthquake 42539 Planting Auger Bits

Specifications

• 1-Gallon (3.8 L) – Model: 42541
• 3-Gallon (11.4 L) – Model: 42539
• 5-Gallon (18.9 L) – Model: 42540
• P/N: 43497 ECN: 14002 REV 1: 06/02/2023

Product Information

The Rapid FireTM Planting Auger Bits are designed to efficiently create holes in the earth at the proper depth for planting 1 to 5 gallon potted plants, shrubs, and small trees in landscaping projects. There are three different sizes available to suit common nursery planting pots.

Product Usage Instructions

Rapid FireTM Planting Bit Size Guidelines:
The Rapid Fire Planting Bits come in three sizes:

• 1-Gallon Bit
• 3-Gallon Bit
• 5-Gallon Bit

Rapid FireTM Planting Bit Assembly:
Attaching and removing the Rapid Fire Planting Bits is tool-free using the Quick-Connect Collar. Simply couple the powerhead to the auger, insert the pin of the collar into the corresponding hole in the auger stem, and squeeze until it snaps tightly around the stem.

Rapid FireTM Planting Bit Features:
The Dual flights design allows for smoother drilling and efficient dirt removal. The removed dirt is evenly distributed around the hole for backfilling. The blades are reversible and multi-cut, offering customized cutting functions for optimum performance.

FAQ

• How do I choose the right size Rapid Fire Planting Bit for my planting pots?
  Refer to the size guidelines provided in the manual. Select the bit size that corresponds to the gallon capacity of your planting pots.

• Can I use the Rapid Fire Planting Bits with any powerhead?
  The recommended powerheads are specified in the manual. Ensure compatibility with your powerhead before use.

Get parts or technical assistance online at www.getearthquake.com or call 800-345-6007

INTRODUCTION

• Congratulations on your investment in quality. Thank you for purchasing an Earthquake® Rapid Fire™ Planting Auger Bit. We have worked to ensure that your product meets the highest standards for usability and durability. With proper care, your Rapid Fire™ Planting Bits will provide many years of service.
• Please read this entire manual before installation and use. Earthquake reserves the right to change, alter or improve the product and this document at any time without prior notice.

GENERAL SAFETY RULES

• Read, understand, and follow all instructions on the machine and in the manual(s). Be thoroughly familiar with the controls and the proper use of the machine before starting.
• Use this equipment for its intended purpose only.
• Familiarize yourself with all of the safety and operating decals on this equipment and on any of its attachments or accessories.
• Do not put hands or feet near or under rotating parts.
• Only allow responsible individuals who are familiar with the instructions to operate the machine. Do not allow children to operate this machine. Keep small children away from the area while in use. Do not allow adults to operate the machine without proper instruction.
• Thoroughly inspect the area where the machine is to be used and remove all foreign objects. Your equipment can propel small objects at high speed causing personal injury or property damage. Stay away from breakable objects, such as house windows, automobiles, greenhouses, etc.
• Wear appropriate clothing such as a long-sleeved shirt or jacket. Also wear long trousers or slacks. Do not wear shorts. Never wear sandals, sneakers, or open shoes, and never operate the machine with bare feet.
• Do not wear loose clothing or jewelry. They can get caught in moving parts. Always keep hands, feet, hair and loose clothing away from any moving parts on engine and machine.
• Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses with side shields when operating the machine to protect your eyes from foreign objects which can be thrown from the unit. Always wear protective hearing equipment.
• Always wear work gloves and safety shoes during operation. Wear footwear that will improve footing on slippery surfaces. Leather work shoes or short boots work well for most people. These will protect the operator’s ankles and shins from small sticks, splinters, and other debris.
• Operate only in daylight or good artificial light.
• Do not operate product when fatigued or under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other medication which can cause drowsiness or affect your ability to operate this machine safely.
• Never operate machine in wet grass. Always be sure of your footing; keep a firm hold on the handle and walk; never run.
• Watch for traffic whenever you are operating near, or when crossing roads.
• If the equipment should start to vibrate abnormally, stop the engine (motor), disconnect the spark plug wire and prevent it from touching the spark plug. Check immediately for cause. Vibration is generally a warning of trouble. If the noise or vibrations of the machine increase, stop immediately and perform an inspection.

PRODUCT-SPECIFIC SAFETY RULES

• Do not drill above underground utilities, including water lines, gas lines, electric cables, or pipes. Do not operate the powerhead and earth auger in soil with large rocks and foreign objects which can damage the equipment.
• The auger should not rotate when the engine is idling. If it does rotate when engine is idling, contact Earthquake for instructions.
• If an object becomes lodged in the auger, turn the engine off, remove the wire from the spark plug and secure away from the spark plug; allow to cool before attempting to remove the foreign object.
• The earth blade can be very sharp. Use extreme caution when drilling a hole or replacing the blade.
• Do not carry the earth auger unit between holes with the engine running.

RAPID FIRE™ PLANTING BIT SIZE GUIDELINES

The Rapid Fire Planting Bits are designed to be the best tool available for efficiently and quickly creating holes in the earth at the proper depth to plant 1 to 5 gallon potted plants, shrubs, and small trees for a wide range of landscaping projects. Three different Rapid Fire Planting Bit sizes are available to accommodate the most common nursery planting pots between 1 gallon and 5 gallon sizes. See the size guide below.

RAPID FIRE™ PLANTING BIT ASSEMBLY RECOMMENDED POWERHEADS

• Earthquake® Ace 43cc 1-Person Powerhead
• Earthquake® Dually 52cc 1 or 2-Person Powerhead
• Earthquake® 173cc Kohler® 2-Person Powerhead

ATTACHING RAPID FIRE™ PLANTING AUGER BITS TO EARTHQUAKE® POWERHEAD WITH A

SPLINE SHAFT

• The Earthquake® Rapid Fire Planting Bits are designed with a splined stem that receives the splined shaft of the Earthquake auger powerhead for increased durability under high-torque conditions and for ease of connecting the auger. For older Earthquake powerheads that are not equipped with a splined output shaft, the Rapid Fire Planting Bits include an adapter to convert standard round shafts to a splined shaft.
• Attaching and removing the Rapid Fire Planting Bits is quick and easy, and doesn’t require any tools with the use of its one-of-a-kind Quick-Connect Collar. After coupling the powerhead to the auger, simply insert the pin of the Quick-Connect Collar into the corresponding hole in the stem of the planting auger and squeeze the collar until it snaps tightly around the auger stem. No need to align holes for a bolt or pin to pass through. (SEE FIGURE 1).

ATTACHING RAPID FIRE™ PLANTING AUGER BITS TO EARTHQUAKE®

POWERHEAD WITH SPLINE SHAFT ADAPTER

RAPID FIRE™ PLANTING BIT FEATURES

DUAL TAPERED FLIGHTS

• The Earthquake® Rapid Fire™ Planting Bits have uniquely tapered auger flights that will form a hole in the ground with tapered walls that mimic the shape of common pots used for nursery plants. This allows uniform space all the way around the root ball of the plant and, even backfilling of soil and optimal establishment of plant roots.
• Dual flights allow for smoother drilling and efficient removal of dirt from the hole as compared to single flight augers. The dirt that is removed is evenly distributed around the outside of the hole, ready to be used to backfill once the plant’s root ball is positioned into place

DRILLING DEPTH FOR PLANTING AUGER
How deep to drill a hole for a given plant will depend more on the height of the plant’s root ball which doesn’t always correlate consistently with the size of the container that the plant is in. Additionally, nursery pot dimensions can vary significantly from one pot to another within the same general size category. Hole depth will also depend on the type of plant being planted and the relative density of the plant’s root ball. It is always best to follow the planting depth recommendations for each respective plant type. However, as a general guideline for each planting bit size that forms a hole for its corresponding sized pot, the auger can be drilled at a depth to where the top edge of the auger’s flight comes flush with the top of the dirt mound that is formed around the hole from the soil that is discharged by the auger (SEE FIGURE 2). The shape of the planting auger is designed to be self- limiting so that it is difficult to drill the planting hole too deep. If the hole does end up being too deep for the plant, simply backfill some of the soil into the bottom of the hole, tamping it down before adding the plant so as to minimize future settling of the plant. Each plant should be planted on a firm foundation, then backfilled firmly but not tamped too tightly around the plant. Tamp soil around the plant just enough to allow water to penetrate to the roots and for the roots to be able to spread into the surrounding soil.

REVERSIBLE, MULTI-CUT, SEGMENTED BLADES
The Earthquake Rapid Fire Planting Bits utilize a unique Reversible, Multi- Cut, Segmented blade design that can be arranged together in tandem to customize the cutting function of the blade sets (SEE FIGURE 3). Blade segments can also be repositioned to increase the usability and longevity of blade cutting performance. Each blade segment can be configured to perform one of two different cutting functions as described below:

STRAIGHT (SCRAPING) BLADES
One end of the blade segments has a flat edge and when joined together with other blade segments creates a straight edge that is effective at scraping up soil particles and remnants left from the previous pass of the excavator blades. The soil is then able to lift cleanly out of the hole.

EXCAVATOR (CLAWING) BLADES

• The other end of the blade segment has a single projected tooth that when joined together with other blade segments creates a claw-like edge that can effectively tear up soil whether it is loose organic or compacted clay. Like bear claws ripping and digging into the soil, it is also effective at dislodging and pulling out small to medium sized rocks that are stuck in the hole which would otherwise stall the auger’s drilling progress requiring the rock to be pulled out manually by hand.
• Working together, the Excavator and Scraper arrangements of the blades are extremely efficient at drilling into and clearing out the planting hole quickly. Unlike the large clods of dirt that can result when digging a hole with a hand spade/post hole digger or shovel, the earth auger planting bit leaves behind small uniform particles of dirt around the perimeter of the hole that are then easy to backfill into the hole around the root ball of the plant without leaving large air pockets that can hinder root growth.

RAPID FIRE™ PLANTING BIT MAINTENANCE

ROTATING AND REVERSING BLADES FOR EXTENDED USABLE LIFE

ROTATING BLADE SEGMENTS
When drilling holes in the earth with any earth auger, the outer part of the earth blade furthest away from the center stem of the auger will wear the most. On the Earthquake Rapid Fire Planting Bits, each blade segment mounted on each of the two wings can be periodically rotated into alternate positions so that a “fresher” blade can be moved to the outermost position that experiences the most wear when drilling (SEE FIGURE 4 ). The frequency of blade segment rotations will depend on soil conditions and the number of holes drilled.

REVERSING BLADE SEGMENTS
Once all the blade segments are worn on the end that engages the ground such that rotating their positions no longer maintains optimal drilling performance, then the blade segments can be flipped, or reversed, so that the opposite unused “new” end of each blade segment is now engaging the ground to do the work of drilling the hole (SEE FIGURE 5).

ABOUT COMPANY

• 1730 Industrial Avenue
• PO Box 666
• Cumberland, WI 54829
• Phone: 800-345-6007
• Fax : 715-822-2124
• www.getearthquake.com

References

• Earthquake | Groundbreaking Power Equipment – Earthquake Outdoor Power Equipment
• Earthquake | Groundbreaking Power Equipment – Earthquake Outdoor Power Equipment

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