What is it? XCVII

Try googling "champion flat auger" under images. Closest thing I can find.

--humunculus

RH: I suggest you run a 'Best of What Is It' with all the unidentified items from the past. Very cool...

But I've seen earth anchors that were 4 feet long at the local farm supply store. The length is a function of what kind of load you're going to fasten down, and what kind of soil you're going to be driving it into. Around here, we've got very loose, sandy soil or soft, loamy soil that goes down at least 6 feet.

This company has them up to

So if it's the length that's giving you pause, anchors do come that long.

But that spike at the end would cause problems in trying to start it through ice.

'Tis a puzzlement.

I agree that the way the small spike has been made, it doesn't look like it would be effective for drill "It's a swamp anchor for power poles. My dad was a lineman for 27 years so I've seen a few. It's screwed in the ground in soft boggy or wet areas that power lines go through. The loop on the top is for the guy wires to stabilize the pole."

This makes sense and I was ready to declare my vote for earth anchor, especially since I've seen quite a few similar ones on the web, including this 48" model:

This site confirms that the tool on ebay is indeed a post hole auger:

I'm now favoring the post hole digger answer, mostly because I haven't seen an earth anchor with the same type blades, and also based on the auger from

Rob

That's a good idea, I'll probably do that fairly soon and maybe post a separate page of all the close-ups, and possibly other categories if I find the time.

"Jeff R" wrote

I wouldn't think an ice anchor auger would be able to screw itself into ice. They would just use an ice auger to drill out the hole, put in the anchor, fill the hole with water and let it refreeze.

Not to mention the stick that you use to twirl it. :-)

I've seen these used for mobile home tie-downs in tornado country, which, of course, brings to mind an image of a trailer floor with these four or five steel straps arched over it...

Cheers! Rich

To these kids, that's a _very_ long time ago. Some of them weren't even born yet then!

Cheers! Rich

Definitely. To provide an anchor in the ice, you lay a chain on the ice, and pour a few gallons of boiling water over it, and wait for the ice to refreeze.

I'ts a _sand_ anchor - they use them a dozen at a time to tie down mobile homes on sandy dirt in tornado alley. :-)

I guess it could be used for guy wires, but they're usually poured concrete - this unit is either for a temporary installation or used on mobile homes because they're cheap. (i.e., you can afford to buy a dozen of them. ;-) )

Cheers! Rich

Yes, the wooden handle is used to screw it into the ground, and then a clevis bolt goes through the hole and secures a large (say, 3" or 8 cm wide) steel strap that goes over the top of the mobile home and attaches to the anchor on the other side with a similar clevis bolt. I'll email my brother, who still lives in a trailer, and see if he can get a pic of one.

Cheers! Rich

Sand.

Cheers! Rich