3 Pt Post Hole Digger

   / 3 Pt Post Hole Digger #1  
andy33

andy33

Bronze Member
Joined
May 10, 2012
Messages
68
Location
Mo
Tractor
Ferguson30 Kubota L 3800
My land is all pretty rocky, rolling Mo Ozark hills. Would a 3pt post hole digger like a Tractor Supply type quality with maybe a 9" auger be worth buying. Most of my holes are dug with a digging bar and crumbing it out with a clamshell post hole digger. Thanks Andy
 
   / 3 Pt Post Hole Digger #2  
Not familiar with the type or shape of your rocks, but here in the north Oregon coastal foothills, I have 40 acres of 'glacial till' which is round rock from 1" to 12" mixed in some pretty decent topsoil. Everything grows well, but is murder on ground engaging tools and equipment. I tried a 9" auger, which did nothing except bounce. I then bought a 12" with wide spacing on the flutes, which works reasonably well, but keep the digging bar close by. There are bits on the market that are made for rocky soil, but the ones I've seen are pretty spendy....Dan
 
   / 3 Pt Post Hole Digger #3  
I have an early TSC 3 point post hole setup with a 12 inch bit. Here in the GRANITE State we do encounter a rock or two once in a while. Absolutely nothing is going to get those big rocks out. Two issues immediately come to mind that may impact you.
1. The bounce off and around.
2. The bit slides by the rock and engages another a bit further down. Lockup occurs and you have no reverse on your auger. Immediate outburst of swearing and other profanity. Walk back to the barn and get shovels and pry bars. Spend most of day digging and continued swearing until you have a heart attack and die. Wife unhooks auger. sells tractor and buries you in the hole you dug.

Only realistic piece of advice is to move the hole and try again. Oh yes, check the digging edves and spear point for damage.
 
   / 3 Pt Post Hole Digger #5  
My farm had lots of round rock bog as o cantalope on down and a few larger ones as well. I had an old 6in auger that I put in miles of fence with and it worked "well" if you kept a digging iron handy, unless the red clay qot dry and then I left it in the shed. O Dick, get a 4ft pipe wrench and just back the auger out.
 
   / 3 Pt Post Hole Digger #6  
   / 3 Pt Post Hole Digger #7  
Beltec=$$$.
 
   / 3 Pt Post Hole Digger #8  
RPW said:
Beltec=$$$.
Click to expand...

I'm sure it is... All I have is clay & roots to deal with, so a TSC PHD will have to do...

David
 
   / 3 Pt Post Hole Digger #9  
andy33 said:
My land is all pretty rocky, rolling Mo Ozark hills. Would a 3pt post hole digger like a Tractor Supply type quality with maybe a 9" auger be worth buying. Most of my holes are dug with a digging bar and crumbing it out with a clamshell post hole digger. Thanks Andy
Click to expand...

Andy I don't have one and it would be useless where I live as we have shelf rock everywhere with just some topsoil on top. But when I live in Willard, people did have them and used them around there.. I think the key is waiting the soil is damp but not muddy and not dry like it is now. Also keep that 4 ft pipe wrench handy!. I have also heard the first thing to build is a stand for the PHD to set on so you can hook and unhook easily. without wrassling the thing around. That is all I know, and that is all hearsay, as I have never owned one.

James K0UA
 
   / 3 Pt Post Hole Digger #10  
hi guys, i started of wanting an auger, but came across an old cable type post driver, and have done a bit of work to bring it up to working order, it can drive a post in as fast as i can drill a hole with no damage, for rocky ground we cut the end of the post on 2 sides so the post stays inline but can move sideways, this is used on a massey65, although my foton 25 carried it home for me, its also been good for fixing up old fences, no need to cut wires ect just back up and redrive the post
cheers stuart
 
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