MikePA
Super Moderator
I want to make sure I am doing this right, with the right auger, because each post hole is taking me 45 minutes and at this rate it will take me over 138 hours to complete fencing my pasture!!!! /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif
Equipment: Leinbach Post hole digger and a 9" auger.
Tractor: TC25D running at idle.
Lower auger to ground and start it spinning. The auger 'jumps' when rocks are hit. See the attached picture for a sample of the amount and size of rocks I am getting out of a 36" deep hole.
I let the auger 'work' on the rocks, i.e., I don't lower the 3ph. If too many rocks appear, I stop the auger, get off the tractor and clear the rocks away. Get back on the tractor and start digging again. Getting on and off the tractor to clear the rocks away is what takes so much time.
If I speed up the auger, when the rocks jam against each other and the auger, the auger stops and a shear bolt breaks. Running the tractor at idle usually results in the the tractor stalling (disengage PTO, take out of gear, restart tractor).
Is there a better/faster technique?? Or am I doomed to 45 minutes per post hole? BTW, 45 minutes is the average if I don't hit rocks that are so big that I have to stop digging, move the tractor and attack the rock with a digging iron!
Equipment: Leinbach Post hole digger and a 9" auger.
Tractor: TC25D running at idle.
Lower auger to ground and start it spinning. The auger 'jumps' when rocks are hit. See the attached picture for a sample of the amount and size of rocks I am getting out of a 36" deep hole.
I let the auger 'work' on the rocks, i.e., I don't lower the 3ph. If too many rocks appear, I stop the auger, get off the tractor and clear the rocks away. Get back on the tractor and start digging again. Getting on and off the tractor to clear the rocks away is what takes so much time.
If I speed up the auger, when the rocks jam against each other and the auger, the auger stops and a shear bolt breaks. Running the tractor at idle usually results in the the tractor stalling (disengage PTO, take out of gear, restart tractor).
Is there a better/faster technique?? Or am I doomed to 45 minutes per post hole? BTW, 45 minutes is the average if I don't hit rocks that are so big that I have to stop digging, move the tractor and attack the rock with a digging iron!