Auger (Auger Bit)

An auger bit bores deep, clean holes using a long spiral (helical) shaft that both cuts and clears waste chips up and out of the hole as it goes, with a threaded screw tip that pulls the bit into the wood rather than requiring the user to push. Traditionally turned by hand with a brace, augers cut a remarkably clean hole with relatively little effort for their size, since the screw tip does the feeding work a modern drill's motor and the user's arm strength otherwise have to supply.

Modern spade and Forstner bits have largely displaced hand-brace augers for everyday drilling, since they're faster in a power drill, but auger bits remain the tool of choice for deep boring -- post-hole and timber-frame work especially -- where their superior chip clearance and straight-tracking still outperform shorter bit designs.