Post Hole digger Clay !!!

[wawajake]

So I tried out my new post hole digger with the 9 inch auger and 48 inch length on my BX 2660. I had to have the arch bolt on the closest one too the three point to have the 48 inch auger clear the ground while I moved around, and I did try it without auger to make sure the three point would drop down to the ground (proving full length of auger would get into ground)
So then I chose a practice location. Unfortunately ALL my land is clay , and this time of year it is fairly wet and sticky enough to require a big stick to scrape it from your boots !..........Anyway I tried to be careful and only go down 8 inches at a time and then pull up to clear the hole. Then go back down a bit more , unfortunately the clay was really sticking to the auger and would not fling off, but it did keep biting, and sure enough, one time when I was not paying as much attention it dug in and pulled the auger right down to the gear box. Interestingly the auger was still turning, I think it was basically like turning a post because the auger flights were filled solid with clay. The three point would not budge up out of the hole and even when I rocked it back and forth, and even tried pulling up while using the winch on my ATV. Eventually had to disconnect, dig around by hand enough to get to the auger bit shear a remove it so I could do the big pipe wrench and pipe extension and slowly back it out of the hole.
Nowmy question is , has anyone got any tips for dealing with clay, wait till it is dryer ?? , or maybe someone has tried lubricating a clean auger so the clay slips off ??..any thoughts ? Also did the tractor three point just give up it did not whine like happens when you overload the FEL, it just did not react to the lever at all when it was unable to pull up, (it works fine still now)

 

[newbury]

We really need pics.

If the clay won't fling off when you lift the auger out of the hole it reads like your stuck. I'd try dipping the auger in oil but don't know if that would work.

I've had trouble with sticky clay and my backhoe bucket, and usually ended up waiting fpr the clay to dry before I dug.

 

[pmsmechanic]

There is an easier way! Instead of digging the auger out enough to remove the bolt just unhook the pto from the tractor and turn the auger backwards with a large pipe wrench. At least that's what I can do with mine.

To comment on the backhoe bucket. Around here contractors weld a heavy chain into their narrow buckets. The chain is welded behind the cutting edge and to the top in such a way that the chain lays loosely against the curve of the bucket. The loose chain helps sticky material release from the bucket.

 

[CobyRupert]

There is an easier way! Instead of digging the auger out enough to remove the bolt just unhook the pto from the tractor and turn the auger backwards with a large pipe wrench. At least that's what I can do with mine.

To comment on the backhoe bucket. Around here contractors weld a heavy chain into their narrow buckets. The chain is welded behind the cutting edge and to the top in such a way that the chain lays loosely against the curve of the bucket. The loose chain helps sticky material release from the bucket.

At first I thought you were saying just turn the PTO shaft backwards. - Which I thought was a good ideal, -no need for a big pipe wrench because of the mechanical advantage of the gearbox. Other than taking a lot of turns (3 (or 4) to 1), this seems innovative and easy. Has anybody tried this?

But if both of you are saying use a pipe wrench on the auger itself, which I always read here on TBN is the "standard" technique, why the need to disconnect auger from gearbox; or PTO from tractor? Shouldn't tractor PTO freewheel?
Or do people disconnect auger from PHD for clearance issues to get a good grip on auger?

 

[wawajake]

In my case I had to disconnect auger from tractor because it was so deep and no clearance area for pipewrench unless I dug all around. Also there was a sheet metal guard under the gear box , that I have now removed permanently , it required that the auger attachment /shear bolt be perfectly aligned with the holes in the guard.....that never happens !!. Of course I left the guard on the driveshaft where it enters the gearbox on the side.
But next time (and there will be a next time ) I will free wheel the PTO and I suspect my pipewrench access will be enough for half turns to back auger out.............but I was curious about whether coating the auger with fluid film or some other trick would work for the dam wet clay !

 

[Egon]

Maybe a little water in the hole will make things slipprier. ???

 

[pmsmechanic]

I thought of turning on the pto shaft too as I was writing those lines. I'll try it the next time I'm stuck. I now try not to do that though.

The reason for unhooking the pto shaft is that my tractor has a pto brake that doesn't release even with the engine off.