Posthole Digger Home built post hole digger

[Steve C]

I like the design but what it it gets caught on a root or rock. What keeps the gearbox from twisting off the hook?

M.D.

The hook is just to use the beam as a boom pole. The attachment point for the gear box is a couple of plates that are welded to the gearbox about 12 inches apart. A large diameter rod is inserted through these plates and it passes through a pipe that is welded to the end of the support bole just under the hook and reinforcing plate. It forms a giant hinge that should resist twisting rather well. I will post a picture of it now that I have it mounted. I actualy used the hook and boom pole and a nylon sling to lift the gear box and auger into a near vertical position, where I could balance it to make the final connection with the rod and pipe.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Normally the shear pin is on the drive shaft side. From your photos I could not see how the drive shaft is attached to the car differential but if it is bolted, that should work as a shear pin. You also have a shear pin in that the auger is bolted with a thru bolt which should shear off if you lock it up. I dont think you would have to worry about damaging your PHD with a 25 HP tractor as that set up should be good for more than that> Your tractor's PTO should be stronger than the engine, so I would think that you would be ok in that department.

 

[Steve C]

You got yourself a great deal it would seem! Congrats to you, I'm a craigslist junkie myself and have made many great deals though it over the years, even turned around and resold some of them for small profit.

I have always thought of a PHD as the most unwieldy and rather dangerous imlement to ever attach to a tractor IF you are picking it up off the ground (with it assembled). It can fold up quite easily and pinch not just a finger, but a whole hand. Yours looks like you could attach the main I-beam first, then attach the gearbox. Next time get someone to help you! Better yet, build a A-frame type rest out of wood to park it on.

I would like to see a picture of it attached to the tractor, if you get a chance.

Thes pictures aren't the best but the weather has been bad and my old barn is a mess, I had to trim the top flange of the lower part of the support arm to clear the bracket on the tractor rear end (Cordless Milwaukee sawsall "hatchet" one of my favorite tools) and I had to shorten my upper link arms as much as possible. I also had to slide the mounting position for the lower lift bracket towards the tractor a lot the have it positioned nearly perpendicular to the boom at max lift to achieve clearance for the drive shaft.

If I ever recover from my fire and get my welders wired up I will probably make up a better lower bracket, but this one will work for now. Every thing I do is a challenge, all my tools got burned up and I am left with a couple pair of channel locks and a cresent wrench. Doing anything is a real beach. The gear box and auger got away from me when I was getting it out of the trailer and I dropped it in the mud backfill around my new barn and broke the handle off where the bolt went thru it.

Not a big deal, I just have to drill another hole and put it back on. At least I got my foot out of the way. That sucker is heavy! I did pinch the crap out of my left index finger when I tried to catch it. It got caught between the gearbox and the door frame of the trailer. I am sure glad that I heal fast.

You are right, there are a lot of flopping heavy parts and pinch points to be concerned with when handling one of these things. And since this thing is home made they were not concerned about the weight. This puppy is heavy. I think I will just chain it to a post in my barn when it isn't being used.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. In the back ground you can see some of my other tractor treasures.

I didn't realize that the paint matched my tractor until I saw the pictures.