I used this tool to dig MANY posts in hard clay. It powered through them without an issue. It starts easily, runs great, and has a lot of power. My only 'complaint' is that it does not have any type of a shock relief system (such as a spring) in the auger path. This means that if you hit a rock, root, or other obstruction you better have a grip on it as it will darned near rip your arms off. It also causes the cotter pins to deform/wear which causes them to jam at times, necessitating a bit of work with a file to get them in/out again. These issues are not deal breakers though; and I am extremely satisfied with the product, you can NOT go wrong for the price, it is a beast.