Tiller Post Hole Diggers and Tillers

[Anjou]

Although I do not currently own a tractor, I am planning on getting a JD 2210/2305 in the Spring of 2006, whether I can afford it or not. I simply cannot survive another year of push mowing my 2 acre lawn. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I am now in the research phase and being that I know nothing, I am seeking your input on post hole diggers. First of all, I really don't understand exactly how they bore the hole, but it seems like the weight of the PHD pushes the bit into the ground and the dirt is expelled by the shape of the auger. IF that is true, then what function, if any, does the rear PTO play? Also, how effective would the PHD be in shaly, silt loam. For the most part, the red shale is fairly friable, but I know my neighbors had some posts shattered when they had them driven into the ground and hit something solid. I realize that driven posts are nearly twice as strong as ones in drilled holes, but I figure I can help justify the tractor cost by installing my own high-tensile fence posts (I'll be fencing about 7 acres into a U-shaped pasture). For the corner posts, the holes will need to be 4 feet deep. I presume that drilling holes that deep would not be a problem with a sub-cut, like the JD 2210/2305. You just keep adding extensions to the auger and pray there is nothing solid down below and that you can get the auger out again, right? Maybe that's where the PTO comes into play, lifting the bit up out of the hole? I've seen the term, slip clutch, and wonder if that is something desireable to avoid damage to the tractor?

What characteristics should I look for in a post-hole digger and what brands are best/worst as far as durability? Does anyone have any opinions on the Woods PHDs, or their 52" tillers for that matter? The tiller would be used for sod-busting for my new garden and planting beds.

 

[Nik]

I also live in PA and have rocky clay soil. I use a Danuser PHD for digging fence posts but a PHD can have difficulty in our soil. The hard clay and rock often make it impossible to go deeper than 1 foot. I use a Kubota L3710 which is much larger than the tractors you mention. The horsepower is not the problem but the hard soil is. You can use special bits on the auger to help in rocky soil and I also think they have wing type attachments for the auger to help it dig better. A hydraulic down pressure kit would help and if I were going to dig many holes I would invest in one. A shear pin protects the tractor from damage. Just remeber if you hit solid rock non of these accessories will help much

As far as brands WOODS and danuser are good makes but there are several others.

 

[MadDog]

The rear PTO turns the auger (via a driveshaft just like other rear-PTO attachments) by connecting to a gear unit on top of the PHD that reduces the RPM and converts the PTOs rotation about a horizontal axis to vertical. Raising and lowering the PHD is controlled by the 3-pt hitch (which, if you lower SLOWLY) prevents the auger from simply drilling itself into the ground without bringing the material to the surface. Overall, the process is somewhat like using a drill press.

I have a Danuser, which is very sturdy and well made. I can't compare with other makes, but I bought it because I have very rocky soil and it has to be able to withstand hitting (or getting jammed by) boulders. I don't have a slip clutch on it but you run a PHD at minimum engine speed and thus the auger is turning pretty slowly and you usually get some warning when you are hitting something too big for it to break up and bring up.

Hope this helps.

 

[viking65]

I use a Woods PHD 25 with a 12" bit and a Woods 40" tiller on my Cub Cadet 5234D sub-compact tractor. Both have worked very well. The 40" tiller will definately break sod, the 52" should do the job but it may be a little large for a sub-compact like the JD 2210 or my Cub. I bought the 40" tiller because I wanted to be sure to have plenty of pto power to do the job. I would rather have plenty of power to get the job done and make an extra pass or two with the tiller than to have barely enough pto power, and maybe not quite enough power to get the job done. I spoke to a tech at Woods before I bought and he said the best tiller for the sub-compacts (JD 2210, Kubota BX, MAssey GC2300 and my Cub 5000series) was the 40" tiller, that's what they make them for. The Woods equipment are very well made IMHO, I like them. I also have a Woods rear blade and landscape rake. There are pictures of both the tiller and PHD in my photo gallery.

 

[TheSmartFarmer]

While I have to agree that the Danuser is a very reputablt brand it can be quite pricey. I have personally sold a few of the Leinbach line PHD to areas near yours along with some of the Green brand and the Leinbach's have out done the green's by far. Leinbach makes a very high quality product and I do not believe you would be disappointed iwth one.

 

[hhw]

Hello and welcome;

I'm down in Adams Co. but spent some time up in your neighboring Co., Dauphin. I tend to use a fair amount of green equipment, and I am satisfied overall.

I'm guessing you will be dealing with VallyAg? They have a pretty good rep. They can guide you on tractor/attachment matching. Also, you have Foremost in Dauphin, once again a good source.

In thinking about the 2210-PHD-Tiller combination the one question I would have is;

Will the "limited Cat 1" hitch work with a standard PHD?

I know that on my 4010, my standard PHD is about 4 inches too long. This requires me to "back into" my holes sometimes. Other then that I don't have any problems.

I don't own one, but the PHD's and Tillers I looked at at TSC seem to be put together pretty well.

 

[Anjou]

hhw,

Thanks for your input. Valley Ag & Turf in Hallifax certainly has the lowest prices. I should know since I prices 2210s this past Summer from JD dealers as far as "Sales Tax Free" Delaware. I'm glad to hear that they've got a good rep. I did my tire kicking at Foremost, but wasn't that impressed. No one was willing to let me try out the 2210 at my farm, but they did mention the 30-day money back satisfaction guarantee. One day I dropped in at a JD/Kutbota dealer east of Danville and was pleased how honest, knowlegeable, and helpful they were. I'll be going back there for more technical advice when I get the chance.

Several people have voived reservations about using a standard PHD with the limited CAT 1 hitch. I was told at Foremost that it is a full CAT 1 hitch for limited use. I'm not convinced. The Woods PHD 25 digger brochure states it can be used on a limited CAT 1 hitch, but the same brochure stated you needed a full CAT 1 hitch for the Woods GTC 52 tiller. I know of several 2210 owners who use this tiller, though. It can all be so confusing for a newbie, like myself.

By the way, what dealer do you deal with down in Adams County?

-Anjou from Wila

 

[TheSmartFarmer]

With the small compacts it is better to go with a "junior" model PHD. They are still a high quality machine but they have a higher arched (and narrower) u-frame and a shorter boom on them so your tractor can esily pick these up without the augers dragging on the ground at all times. If your tractor still does not have enought lifting capacity they L7200JR Leinbach model is equipped with a "guide arm" which will allow you to push down the bar and it in return will tilt the auger to give you a little more room when lining up to your potential hole.

 

[RonR]

Don't know about the rest of the models, but my vassar PHD couldn't dig a four foot deep hole without an extension. Then with an extension, it couldn't lift the auger out of the hole. So if I were to use this combination, I'd have to dig a 30-36 inch deep hole, stop, undo the auger, insert and extension, restart it to dig the last foot, then stop it, remove the extenion (while holding the auger to keep it from falling down the hole), reattach the auger, and lift it out. Not a very good or fast plan in my mind.

Maybe if you had a slug of holes to drill that deep, you could dig all of them to 3 feet, add the extension, and somehow angle the auger rearward to keep it clear of the ground, then finagle it into each hole to finish it..... Don't know, doesn't sound very feasible, but maybe if you have a lot of time/patience.

Ron

 

[Anjou]

Ron,

I would be using the PHD for both fence posts and for planting trees/shrubs. I'm not anticpiating problems with the 12"x18" holes for the shrubbery, but the fence posts, particularly the corner posts is where I anticipate problems. I'm looking at about 3200 feet of 6-strand, electrified high-tensile fencing w/8 corners in fairly friable, red shale. The corner posts would need 9"x48" holes; there would also be 16 brace posts (9"x42" holes) and maybe 125 line posts (6"x36" holes). The Woods PHD is only 30", so I'd need at least two extensions, adding extensions as I go (I assume that is possible).

What I don't have a lot of, besides experience or patience, is money, since my wife and I are building a house w/o a bank loan. I was hoping to save some money, but I wonder if that would be the case since everyone recommends a bag of cement per hole with 3" of gravel on the bottom. Plus there's the cost of the PHD. I'm not so sure that having the posts driven by someone would necessarily cost me more. Any thoughts on that?