Another stuck PHD auger- modification of the standard pipe wrench methodology

[sdef]

Making post holes in my soil is a combination of trying to start the hole with the auger and when it stops digging after a couple inches, get out the digging bars and manual rock post hole digger. Then back on the tractor with the auger for a few more inches- or none at all or dig a foot if one is lucky. To be even luckier is to have someone available who can run the tractor while I am directing, digging and trying to fracture rocks with the digging bar. One of the most recent 9" holes took four hours to dig with me on my knees with the digging bar and the wife on the tractor moving the auger in and out of the "hole" so I could dig.

On the next to the last hole (have been digging holes for 6 weeks or so), the auger was all of the way down and apparently hooked a rock with the flight and sheared the shear bolt. After a couple more shear bolts it was obvious it was not going anywhere the easy way. And because the auger was all of the way down with all three safety shields in place, it was nearly impossible to get access to its two mounting bolts to disconnect the auger from the gear box. It took the first couple hours just to get one of the shields removed and the auger disconnected from the PHD gear box.

Tried various things and the next day purchased a 48" pipe wrench which would not budge it. So in the end a chain on the end of the wrench attached to the tractor's draw bar did the trick- 1/4 turn at a time for a couple complete turns and then was able to lift it out with the FEL. One more "primary" hole left to go and it will be the worst one yet. Then will try and drive some T-posts and see how many will not require the PHD and concrete...

BTW: I have the ETA 6900HD PHD and it uses the Speeco HD augers. Previously using a TSC (SpeeCo) HD PHD with the TSC (SpeeCo) regular duty augers (go figure). I mangled a 9" auger and damaged a 12" auger. So far the Speeco HD augers are true to their name and no damage to this one yet.

 

[joefromga]

What about a gearbox on the pto that had a reverse lever?

 

[bcp]

I've been mentally designing a small reversing gearbox made from car differential gears. Maybe mounted temporarily on the PTO shaft for fixing a stuck auger, or with a shifter and permanent mount.

Now that I've posted the idea, someone should build one.

Bruce

PS: just using this part

 

[coralhead]

I had one stuck on my MF 135. Luckily it had ground speed PTO setting. Jacked up one rear tire and put the tractor in reverse and it unscrewed itself from the hole.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Only had a stuck auger a couple of times and the trick is to never try to turn the auger, Turn the drive shaft in opposite rotation direction. Usually just a round or so will free up a stuck auger. It may take a lot of rounds on the drive shaft but they are easy to turn compared to trying to turn the auger. An 18" pipe wrench works well or even a bar stuck in the U joint will work.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Can you post another pic of you stump bucket. Homemade from a backhoe bucket? Brilliant!

 

[Rustyiron]

If you have a lot of posts to put in, rent a Skid steer with a phd. Down pressure, reversable, & great visability! The only thing that might be better is a phd on an excavator.

 

[sdef]

A lot of great ideas. I tried turning the PTO shaft to no avail. It took the tractor pulling on the 48" pipe wrench to budge it most likely due to the damp, sticky, red clay. Had it been sandy loam soil it never would have gotten stuck. I read an old TBN post this afternoon about a gentleman who had the easiest idea I can think of and it was to weld a large diameter pipe across the top flight and insert a smaller diameter pipe through the welded on pipe for the leverage and solid connection needed. Pretty simple in construction and use. But it still would not have worked for me as my auger was all the way down. Maybe weld a cross pipe immediately below the gear box mounting collar but that may have been too deep for my use this time also. I think this was just the perfect storm of stuck auger.

My usual method of when an auger starts to bog the engine down if I have not been paying close enough attention and is a bit reluctant to raise, I increase the engine speed along with the 3PH lift and the auger spins through whatever was bogging it and does not go any deeper as the 3PH controls are in a lift position. Works well for me in rocky clay or sandy loam, especially sandy loam. But I think would not work well on a smaller tractor.

I believe the difference this time was the auger screwed itself past a largish, protruding rock and the flighting just kept screwing on down and would not allow me to raise it due to the protruding rock. Notice in the pic of the auger after being removed, the top half of the flighting is clean and the bottom half is caked with clay. This not not a normal auger condition in my dense clay.

Luke'sScreenName: This stump bucket is actually a production item from Construction Implements Depot (CID). I think a relative of the Everything Attachments firm. This bucket is great for everything except carrying a lot of material due to its small size. It has dug out many 300# - 1000# rocks, along with stumps and is reasonably priced. Here is a similar unit: Bobcat Skid Steer Attachment Stump Bucket Dig Spade with Teeth Free Shipping | eBay

My normal method would be to dig multiple large somethings out with this and then go back with the grapple bucket to carry them out. Or to also dig with the rock grapple.

 

[buickanddeere]

Reversing gear box and breaking shear pins ? Both are a lost cause . Use a hydraulic orbit motor with a torque spec /relief valve setting equal to the current shear pins rating.
Once you use a hydraulicly driven post hole digger mounted to a loaded bucket. You will never go back to fooling around with a pto driven three point hitch PHA.
Could you post an image of the auger's cutting tip when cleaned off?
I upgraded my PHA from a cheapo version of this bit Auger 12" x 4" Serrated Cutting Edge w/ 2" Round | Danuser To this Auger 12" x 4" Hole Digger Head with Teeth w/ 2" Round | Danuser

Wouldn't know it was the same machine . Have to ease it into the ground now and hold back. Instead of using down pressure .

 

[sixdogs]

I drilled hundreds of holes and only got it stuck when I was in the learning stage. After a few traumatic experiences, I learned to dig in small increments, reduce the PTO speed and raise the auger back and forth so it could clear itself out. After figuring that out, I didn't get it stuck for the next 10 years. Just a thought here that may not apply.