Frequently Asked Questions

The Power Planter is the attachment that goes on the end of your own drill. We figure that most households already own a reasonable 18v cordless drill so all they need is the Power Planter attachment.

If you think it’s time to buy a decent cordless drill that will last, then then we do recommend the Dewalt 996 or 995 or 985. All three are excellent drills and include a side handle and large capacity batteries when you buy the kit. It is the one Brian uses in the demonstration videos and has proven itself to be excellent. Doesn’t miss a beat. We have sold lots of these and the reviews coming back from customers has been consistently 5 stars.

The Power Planters are very easy to use. We have customers all the way into their 80's using Power Planters and absolutely loving the way it breaks up hard ground that they had given up digging by hand.
BUT -
The ABSOLUTE, MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do BEFORE using your Power Planters, is to watch the Instruction Video Below.
Please note it is different to the videos you may have seen on Facebook which are more demonstration focused.

Sorry if we sound like a School Teacher, but we get a few people who don't watch the Instruction Video (mostly blokes of course) and end up saying it doesn't work well, or worse, end up hurting themselves.
It only takes 7 minutes to watch and I promise you, it will make a big difference in getting excellent results with your Power Planter.

If you haven't yet bought a Power Planter, you are welcome to watch the video early so you fully understand how to set your drill up and the correct digging technique.
We have had so many customers write to us saying.. that once they watched the Instruction Video, they realised where they were going wrong and now the Power Planter works brilliantly.

If you are still having trouble with your Power Planter. We also have an extra Troubleshooting Video below. Remember you can always give us a call as well and we will be happy to support you. Tel Mark Jones 0423 248 746  7 days 8am till 8pm. (Yes we are dedicated to provide the ultimate customer service)

We get this comment a lot mainly from the blokes who have used Powerful Drills and had it suddenly stop and twist their wrists.
The good news is that THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN if you use the Power Planter how we show you in the Instruction Video. The reason there is no risk of hurting your wrists is to do with the cordless drill settings.

When you run it on slow speed and on screwdriver mode, the drills clutch disengages the motor instantly if you hit a rock or tree root.

So whilst the person who told you it was going to hurt your wrists is very well intentioned, they have not taken into account the drill settings and clutch.

If you are at all unsure, please take a look at all the Customer Product reviews for the Power Planters. There is literally thousands of them and they come from both men and women of all ages, even customers that are well into their 80s and those with arthritis and limited arm strength are using Power Planters.

Take care because there is someone out there selling Power Planter Copies which are made in China. They are junk by comparison. Low quality steel, bad inconsistent welds, thinner shaft. One customer has already written to us saying he bought the Chinese one and it went blunt after the 3rd hole and now he is very big Power Planter Fan.

Please save your self that heartache and get the Genuine Power Planters. You won't regret it.
Note: We are the only one that sells Genuine Power Planters in Australia and NZ. The rest are fake Chinese copies.

Short Answer: Yes you get your money back so there is no risk.

Extended Answer: We have a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee on your purchase, so that means you can really run it through its paces in your garden. If you have any troubles getting it working well, we will be there to support you with the right advice. There is very few situations where the Power Planter hasn't proved to be excellent. Keep in mind there is over 45000 Aussies using Power Planters in every part of Australia, so there is a darn good chance it is going to work at your place too.

But we do understand, buying a new tool with big promises can be a bit of a risk, so instead we are swapping that risk onto us. We lose money when Power Planters are returned but we do believe and stand behind this product 100%.

Here are the return rules which we are making as generous as possible.

• You have 30 days to try the Power Planter out at your place. If you want to return it, you must do so within a 30 days of purchase. We will allow a few extra days for postage, but if you stretch it too far we will have to say no. We have had a few people try it on with us, wanting to return a used Power Planter 4 months after purchase saying it doesn't work! (But with the wear and tear on the Power Planter we can see it has been well used) This is abusing the generous guarantee we have given and spoils it for everyone else.
• You will be paying the postage to return it. (Usually about $10-$12) Sometimes customers expect us to pay the return postage but if you think about your other purchases from Bunnings or other stores.. you still need to drive back to the shop and return the item. They don't generally come out and pick it up. Paying for return postage is just like driving back to the shop.
• You are free to really use the Power Planter (following the directions in the Instruction Video) during the 30 day period. We don't expect it to be returned in unused original packaging as you will often see in the fine print of other stores that offer money back guarantees. Ours is genuine. We really do want you to run it through its paces because we know it works and there is a very high chance (99.5%) that you will have no desire to return it. In fact many customers come back and buy more Power Planters because they are so brilliant to use.
• Details of our Guarantees and Warranties are available at THIS LINK
• Returns MUST be done through the Returns tab on the website. You will be given a Return Authorisation Number and a dedicated address to send it to. It's a simple process if you follow these basic rules. (Do not just return it without using the Returns Tab as it will NOT be received safely and you WONT get a refund)

We have to give an 'official answer' here.
This product might not be suitable for you, as it does require a reasonable level of strength when operating the drill. Sometimes the auger bit may hit a solid rock or tree root which can cause the auger to stop spinning but the drill will then have to spin whilst you have your finger on the trigger. So if this happens. let go of the trigger immediately so that you don't twist or injure your wrist. (Please note: If you follow the directions in the instruction video at this LINK - this does not happen)

Make sure the drill is running on the slowest speed (often marked '1') and use a side handle on the drill so that you can have 2 hands holding it firmly.

*If you have limited arm strength it is best to stick to a cordless drill set on slowest speed and then adjust the torque control (the dial around the chuck) up to a level that you are comfortable with.
MAKE SURE the drill is in screwdriver mode.
DO NOT USE the Impact driver setting if your drill has this as an option. It is too fast and powerful for use with the Power Planter.

If you are unfamiliar with how to adjust the settings on a drill, please get in contact with us and we will help.
Tel Mark Jones 0423 248 746
Mark@powerplanter.com.au

But if in doubt, please don't use a Power Planter as we don't want you to injure yourself.
The thousands of reviews at this LINK may give you an indication of whether it will suitable for you.

No this is not necessary and would likely damage the hex shaped end with the repeated piston like action.
Impact Driver settings run at too high a speed and also are likely damage the hex shaped end. Please ONLY run the drill on the slowest speed and screwdriver mode as explained in detail in the Instruction Video at this LINK

Slow Speed on a drill gives you the greatest amount of torque (digging power) Trust us.. we have well and truly tested these and know what settings work.

We cannot replace units that have had the hex end damaged by your drill. Please take care to make sure the chuck is very tight and periodically check that it hasn't loosened off due to the vibration of digging. It is normal practice to retighten your chuck as needed whilst digging. Better quality drills with full metal chucks have a double lock mechanism which is explained in the instruction video at this LINK.

With proper use and care, the end will not get damaged.

When you use it in the ground, the paint will wear off, but it is only cosmetic.
The main shaft is unlikely to wear down and it will take a lot of heavy digging before you will see any wear on the flighting (that's the spiral bit)
These units are commercial grade, excellent quality.

I too, am wary of buying things online that look great in the pictures, but when they arrive can be disappointing. That is definitely not the case with this product. Each unit is beautifully made and welded and as soon as you hold it in your hand, you will know it was a good buy. But you don't have to believe us... head to the reviews page and see what people just like you have written after trying out the Power Planters.

And just to give you complete assurance, we have a 30 day refund return policy in place.  

I'm wary with buying things online as well. Particularly with all the stuff being pushed on Facebook and other places at the moment, most of which is coming out of China and the quality is very poor, but looks fantastic in the product photos.

I just want to say - That is not how we run this business. The Power Planters are nothing short of excellent. They are hand welded in the USA and come with a genuine 30 day Money Back Guarantee plus a lifetime warranty on materials and craftsmanship.

I know other stores probably say similar things, so the only real way I can prove it to you is to point you towards the customer reviews. At the time of writing there is over 4000 reviews from all over Australia. Yes 4000 - every single one with a full written review and many with photos of their gardens and what they have done with it.

Also if you ask around in your own neighbourhood or garden groups, you will likely find someone who is already a Power Planter owner and they will tell you if it's worth it. Keep in mind there are over 45000 Aussies using Power Planters. If they were no good, it would quickly get around.

There is a bunch of fake Power Planters being sold now which is really disappointing for us as we know it is going to harm the genuine Power Planters reputation because they look so similar. Unfortunately China runs by its own set of rules and has no hesitation in making products that look virtually the same but are made with far inferior raw materials and methods.

We have already had a customer write to us after buying the Chinese copy version and he said it went blunt by the third hole so he tried to return it. Well you can guess how that might have ended.

Now he is a very happy Power Planter customer and loves using the genuine version.

Genuine Power Planters are hand welded in the USA with USA steel. There is a significant difference to that compared with the low quality cheap steel that Chinese manufacturers are using to make the copies. We even bought a few and put them through various tests. When you cut one in half, you can see the bubbles in the steel. A sure sign it is low quality.

You will also find there are little or no reviews online for the Chinese copy ones. There is a reason for that.

Genuine Power Planters are sold around the world and in Australia alone these is over 4000 customer reviews. 93% gave it 5 stars and further 6% gave it 4. You cant get much better than that. Yes they do cost more. But so they should.
They are built tough and will cope with Australias dry baked ground.
The last thing you want is to have a poor quality chunk of steel spinning around on the end of your drill, likely to break at any moment. The injuries could be severe.

Here is a bit of side by side comparison of ours and theirs to give you an idea.

Firstly, Thank you for buying a Power Planter and giving it a go.
and most importantly, we are here to help you get it working well. Usually it is just a few small tweaks that are needed to fix the issue. It is pretty rare to not have it work, so don't give up hope just yet.

Step 1. It is really important to watch the instruction video at this LINK. 95% of people who have had a digging issue had NOT seen the instruction video and simply watching that showed them what to change and then they were back to digging their way to China!  

Step 2. Call us up and ask for help. Mark Jones is our Customer Support guy and he will be happy to have a chat and work through it with you.
Tel 0423 248 746 7 days 8am till 8pm. If he is on another call and doesn't answer, please just leave your name and number and he will get back to you usually within the hour. (But sometimes he gets busy so it may take longer. We appreciate you being patient and knowing he will get back to you)

Step 3. If your ground is bone dry, the Power Planter will have trouble 'biting' in. Other customers have said they solved this by having a hose trickling on the area as they dug or presoaking the area before digging.  

The simple answer is, they have never approached us.

But to be honest, we haven't pursued it with them either, because once it goes on the shelf we won't know who has bought it and cant be there to provide good service.

Instead we have decided to be an online business that services all of Australia so that everybody can have access to a far easier way to dig. We also are adding more clever products so we want to be able to show them to you when they get released.

Maybe one day it will be in Bunnings, but for the moment we are happy having direct contact with gardeners all over Australia.

There are some nurseries stocking Power Planters as well as some of the independently owned hardwares. If you have a local nursery that you think would benefit in having Power Planters on their shelf. Get them to give Mark Jones a call 0423 248 746 or email mark@powerplanter.com.au

Yes you can as long as you use a cordless 18v drill on slow speed and screwdriver mode. In the Instruction Video at this LINK I explain how to do that safely.

We know that lots of customers don't own cordless drills with side handles and they are all doing fine.
It is just more comfortable and balanced with a side handle and if you are a keen gardener it is worth indulging in a good quality cordless drill.
Be sure to speak with us before making a purchase so we can give you guidance.

Yes there is common knowledge amongst gardeners that using a Post Hole Digger and drilling a smooth sided hole will often lead to the sides being 'glazed' and the roots can't penetrate into the surrounding soil.
This is mainly the case when digging deep into clay soils.
It is important to note that whilst the Power Planters look similar to a Post Hole Digger, they are instead designed to be easy to manoeuvre so you can approach the hole at different angles and really break up the surrounding soil. Many customers in the product reviews have said they love how the Power Planters dig the hole but DON'T leave it all smooth and hard sided. 

You can use the Power Planters to easily cultivate a whole garden bed in a fraction of the time it would take to do it with a mattock and fork. You simply drill a lot of holes near each other in a grid pattern and then with it spinning you move sideways to break up the bridging soil. It's actually a fun task to do.

So don't be stuck on the idea this is no good for plants. Quite the opposite as it really does cultivate the ground well and you can pour on your gypsum, manures, and compost and use the Power Planter to mix it all in.

We have hundreds of photos sent in by customers showing off their gardens and what they have achieved with the Power Planters.

On top of that we have heaps of professional gardeners and landscapers using these now instead of manual digging because they work so well.

Think of it as technological advancement in gardening.

Its a new tool design that does the job about 5 times faster and with less than half the effort. Similar to the difference between using a push mower compared to a nice ride-on.

Give it a go. We are pretty darn sure you will be smiling from ear to ear when you see how well it works.