Using PHD w/TC40DA - need 3rd hand

[lhfarm]

Although I've had my TC40DA for 5 years, I've never used my PHD much, until the latest fence building project. I've only dug 2 of the fence post holes, but it wasn't a lot of fun. On my old tractor, I had control of the PTO with a foot clutch, so had my hands free to guide the tractor and work the 3PH. With the new tractor, I have the PTO lever on my left, the 3PH lever on my right, the wheel in front of me and the PHD behind me. I feel like I need a 3rd hand!

What I am doing now is guiding the PHD into position, putting my foot firmly on the brake. I then lower the 3PH to the ground. I have to turn back around, take my left hand off the wheel and engage the PTO. I quickly turn around to watch what is happening and to raise the 3PT at the right moment, then quickly turning back to the left so I can disengage the PTO. I feel like I'm doing a very bad dance and it also feels a little dangerous.

Am I doing this correctly and do I just need practice, or is there a better method?

Thanks,

[DocHeb]

What I am doing now is guiding the PHD into position, putting my foot firmly on the brake. I then lower the 3PH to the ground. I have to turn back around, take my left hand off the wheel and engage the PTO. I quickly turn around to watch what is happening and to raise the 3PT at the right moment, then quickly turning back to the left so I can disengage the PTO. I feel like I'm doing a very bad dance and it also feels a little dangerous. Am I doing this correctly and do I just need practice, or is there a better method?

Years ago I felt the same way using my TC40D and my Danuser PHD, but I was using too high of engine RPM.

A couple days ago I dug 20 holes that were 2 feet wide for planting trees. This time I was running the tractor at 1500 RPM and life just seemed a lot calmer. Back up the tractor, lower the 3pt to engage the point, move back/forth to get exactly vertical, set the parking brake, look over my right shoulder as I lower the 3pt with my right hand, but the left is on the PTO in case it really augers into the clay. Go down six inches, lift up to clear, go down six inches further, lift up to clear - it worked very well and was much less stressful. You didn't mention the PTO speed you were using, but if it was fast, try slower.

[lhfarm]

Thanks! Just the kind of instruction I was seeking. I was running at high rpm, not to the 540 mark, but clearly too high. Slowing things down sounds like an excellent idea. I'll give it a try later today (or tomorrow) and let you know how I'm doing.

[DocHeb]

What is your soil type? If you have clay like mine - don't try to dig when it is dry. Also, make sure your auger teeth are sharp. If you are going through sod, either plan on digging out the sod with a shovel first, or plan on stopping the auger several times for each hole and climbing down to clear the sod from the teeth.

The other advantage of running slower is that you will never experience the joy of "augering down" - where the auger suddenly gets a really good bite in the soil, or threads around a larger rock or root. In ten turns of the PTO the auger will screw itself completely into the ground. If your PTO is running at 300 RPM - this will happen so fast you will not be able to react. Then you will find that your 3pt will bypass when you try to lift the auger out of the hole. You will have to disconnect the drive head and use a really big pipe to unscrew the auger from the ground. You will only do this once.

Also, never get off the tractor while the auger is turning, or have a helper pull down on the head. To many tales of folk twisted around augers for my liking. If it isn't going down - sharpen the teeth correctly, moisten the soil, break up the rock pan - do something differently - just don't hang anyone on the drive head while the auger is turning.

[jinman]

Am I doing this correctly and do I just need practice, or is there a better method?

Thanks,

For me, it doesn't matter where the controls are, it's the turning to look over my shoulder that is the "pain." After setting the parking brake, I've been known to climb up in my seat backwards on my knees and work the 3PH with my left hand and the PTO lever with my right hand. I can't say that I recommend this though. Most of the time, I keep my feet on the HST pedal(s) and don't worry about steering. I twist around to look back and then start the PTO and lower the 3PH. In some soils, I've dropped the the 3PH and then stood off to the side of the tractor and engaged the PTO lever. If all this sounds confusing, well. . . I suppose that's because I haven't found a way that works for every situation.

[montejw]

I don't have a phd yet for my tc30, but can't/don't you use the clutch pedal to engage/disengage the pto on a tc40?

[DocHeb]

No clutch pedal.

[paul dyar]

I have TC33DA and it has clutch peddle. And yes digging post holes is a lot of work. I recently did 12 holes for pole barn, felt like I had been backing a trailer all day.
Paul

[DocHeb]

There is no PTO clutch pedal on a TC40D (mine), a TC45D (JInman's), or TC40DA (lhfarm's) tractor. The PTO is actuated by a lever on the left fender.

[montejw]

There is no PTO clutch pedal on a TC40D (mine), a TC45D (JInman's), or TC40DA (lhfarm's) tractor. The PTO is actuated by a lever on the left fender.

Just curious, my TC30 has a lever on the left side for the pto, and I still need to disengage the clutch, or I thrash gears. The transmission is hydrostatic fwd/rev with a geared hi, med, low. So you can just shove the pto lever forward and it just smoothly engages, even at full rpm?