Tricks to using my 3 pt post hole digger

[powerscol]

I finally put my TSC 3pt post hole digger I got last year on sale (it was on sale and I had a 25% off coupon) to work today. Its made by SpeeCo. I have it set up with a 12 inch auger. TSC told me it would work my tractor - boy were they wrong. I am in heavy damp clay with cobble and I am able to dig at idel.

First trick was the set up to get good lift and depth. Ended up in the first hole on the boom after experimenting. I need to modify my stand for easier hook up
Second tip was to let the 3pt down slowly, a step at a time and just let it work. When the auger was full of fines, quickly pick it up and spin the material off slowly. I had to be careful on how much I let down as it would quickly dig and start to bog.
I have learned to go slow and just let it do the work. I can get a 36" deep hole in a couple of minutes and have very little clean up on the bottom of the hole.

Beats the hand operated digger by a mile. Also having the larger 12" hole makes post placement easy and room for adjustment.

Now if I can find a self operating man bar to pack the dirt back in the hole:laughing:

Well - back to it

 

[jack707]

The hand operated one just think when you work it your getting a upper body workout!!!

 

[jenkinsph]

Just pack the hole with a diesel powered pogo stick.

Most phds work at an idle in my experience, turning too fast can be hard to control.

 

[Fallon]

I just finished putting in a lot of fence. It did a great job of tamping as well. I just put up an add on Nextdoor (great app, kind of like Facebook only restricted to people in your neighborhood, Craigslist would probably work as well)... Trading tractor work for help fencing. Got a couple neighbors to help (mostly the tamping while I drilled the holes & did engineering stuff. Had to mow some pastures & deliver some hay, etc. But it beat running that tamping bar, especially solo.

 

[powerscol]

Yep kids are out of the house, and neighbor kids dont want to do actual work. Tried to have them help stack hay and they lasted less than an hour, so what do you think will happen with the man bar?:confused2:

So for now one hole at a time with plenty of water and ice tee to drink. One thing I wished is if I had a smaller auger for the 4" posts. Maybe the neighbors will fit?

 

[MH8675309]

I welded a 2" round steel cookie 1/2" thick to the bottom of a 3/4 ' bar about 5 ' long. works great for tamping.

 

[powerscol]

Still cant find a self propeled tamper.....neighbor kid took one look at it and said no. He would hold the post while I did it.
Did manage to break my first shear pin when I found my 2" plastic irrigation line. :ashamed: But I needed to move it anyway - just did not need the down time. At least it was easy to replace.

Some pictures of my set up.

 

[Budweiser John]

Still cant find a self propeled tamper.....neighbor kid took one look at it and said no. He would hold the post while I did it.
Did manage to break my first shear pin when I found my 2" plastic irrigation line. :ashamed: But I needed to move it anyway - just did not need the down time. At least it was easy to replace.

Some pictures of my set up.

Back fill those post holes with pea stone or get a pallet of dri mix concrete ( no need to add water) fast and posts are tight from the get go no backfill settling in the future.
B. John

 

[powerscol]

I used dry quickcrete on the gate and corner posts, but that would be a bit expensive for all the line posts. So far I am doing pretty good - just slow, but I have time.

BTW - if you use a concrete mix on the posts it is a real bear to get them out if damaged - I know from experience.:smiley_aafz:

 

[Fallon]

When pulling the old posts at my place I couldn't tell a difference. Some pulled up the concrete. Some left a concrete hole in the ground. Most didn't have any concrete at all. The couple that were the hardest to pull didn't have any.