3-Point Hitch Post hole digging

[plowindeeper]

Jump on that lienbach (if it will fit). Go get it today it's a steal.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

I have laid many many a mile of fencing using a 26hp kubota w/ Cl.1 3pt PHD. Some comments are below

- posts ned to be much deeper than 1.5 feet. Long run you will not be happy going that shallow.
- overbracing corner posts is key. Do not scrimp in the corner construction.
- slow rpm and some downward pressure on clay is what will work for you. NOT HIGH RPM. trust me on this.
- auger should be 50% larger than the post. If using a 6" post buy a 9" auger. This is because on your size tractor, w/ Cl.1 on inexpensive equipment for a rookie the chances of you getting straight holes up and down is slim. With really good experiance you creep the tractor as you are drilling the hole and then you can drop down to 25% over post diameter.
- tractor is plent big. Bigger always better but in clay you are fine. Rocks is where you will have trouble.
- I have thousands of holes down with the Tractor Supply PHD with 9" and 12" augers and the unit works really well and looks as new as the day I uncrated it.
- when drilling deep do not plung the length of the auger. Down and up many times keeps holes clean and stops the auger from drilling down to gearbox with not enough up force on the 3pt to pull it back out! a stuck auger is no fun on a hot day.

good luck! drilling holes is not rocket science. Keep your rpms down, creep the tractor forward if you find your holes not going in straight. Lots of U-tube how to videos out there.

 

[300UGUY]

I have a 3 pt phd, I went with a 12 in auger. I like having a little wiggle room when putting posts in. It can be hard to get them in just where you want it, so for me, I put in a bigger hole, I can always put some dirt back in. It might take 30 minutes to set up a phd, they are kinda awkward, I used to put it on in pieces, but I built a dolly, that allows me to roll it up to the 3 pt, it makes it a lot easier. You need to be careful, the rotating auger is basically a big screw, if it catches your arm or pantleg, it won't let go. I do everything from the seat, I don't go anywhere near the auger or shaft when it is rotating. Your fencing idea sounds a little scketchy to me. I'd research that a bit more. Around here TSC has the best deal on fencing. Their catalog has a decent diagram of a fence.

 

[oldballs]

As others have noted, 8 ft wood corner posts and 6 ft metal T-posts is the way I went. I even used T-posts to brace the 6 inch corner posts. To the line posts I added 10 ft pvc water pipe attached with zip ties before attaching the deer netting with zip ties. All of this was added to a previous standing 4 ft field fence, which is laughable at keeping deer out. At the bottom I added two feet of chicken wire to really keep the squirrels and rabbits out.

Note this however, the coons still climb this fence and can really do some damage. So I then use trap/release or just shoot the critters. This fence has been standing for about 6-8 years. In the winter, freezing rain really bows the netting, but the pvc pipe bends with it and keeps it from falling down. Every couple years I replace the zip ties that have popped off. The ends of the pvc are capped.

So I'd say that you don't need a PHD for this project. At 80 years old I can still hand dig a few 3 ft holes..."Thank God".:thumbsup:

 

[Sniggle]

My 2 cents, after in the last couple of years digging many post holes with mmy little tractor and a 3-p auger:

- You will have no problem screwing the auger into the clay, the issue will be getting it out!
- You will need to learn how far you can drill before you need to pop the auger out to clear the hole and keep the auger free. Too deep, and the auger will not want to come out. Too shallow, and the process will be painfully slow and it will be hard to dig a straight hole. The sweet spot can be pretty small, if you are in heavy clay.
- Have some spare shear bolt on you....you may need them. They shear at the auger head if the torgue gets too great.
- When I got the auger stuck a few times, I was able to free it by rocking the tractor. This is a little hard on the equipment, but I did this maneuver a few times and never hurt the auger or tractor.....and it is a lot less painful than trying to dig the auger out by hand.
- 3-feet deep is a lot to ask for from a 3-pt hitch mounted tractor, in my opinion. It can technically do that, but
the 3-pt hitch will not like pulling the auger and dirt out at 3-feet deep. If you really have heavy clay, you may be fine at 2 feet or 2.5 feet.
- Consider a flexible fence like Ramm Fence. That is what I installed and it makes the long runs much easier, as only the corner posts (each corner has 3 vertical posts, 2 diagnal posts and cross braces) need to hold a significant loads.

Do be careful....the spinning auger is dangerous.

 

[Ted Summey]

I built a 7' high tensile deer fence last year. It is electric and works like a charm. Most deer prefer to go under a wire fence than jump so several strands down low work great.

Have you considered a double fence? It is highly effective and lower labor and costs. Google double deer fence. I use a double fence on my food plots.

1. You need deeper holes than 18". More like 30" minimum

2. I've had good luck using an auger closer to the same diameter as my post and pressing the post into the hole with the FEL.