| In order to meet the requirements of mountain orchard digging operation, and to reduce labor intensity, and to improve working efficiency, this paper analyzed the whole structure and working principle of the portable earth auger and tested its performance. The experiments included soil hardness test, vibration test and soil backfill rate test. Experimental results indicated that the average soil hardness of the tested sample was 4.24 MPa. Soil backfill rate was 18.5%, 19%, 20.75% and 22.75% when the portable earth auger carried a bit with diameters as 10 cm, 15 cm, 20 cm and 25 cm, respectively. The average acceleration of the machine was reduced by about 24% when compared with the acceleration from using a portable dibbler. It showed that the performance of the portable earth auger meet the diameterand depth requirements of mountain orchard digging operation. The vibration was transmitted directly to the frame of the portable earth auger, thus there was no hand-transmitted vibration which made the operator feel uncomfortable. It also showed that the portable earth auger could reduce the labor intensity during digging operation, as well as could improve operation safety, which made it suitable for long-time operation. The test results could provide a basis for the promotion and optimization of the portable earth auger. |
