Post hole auger on lawn tractor

[Reverend Blair]

I'll keep an eye for those, bontai Joe. A grand pays for itself in one fence as long as I don't pay myself, and I need something to mow my grass with anyway, so some sort of lawn tractor is in the cards.

 

[Skyco]

Might consider one of these-
NorthStar Earth Auger — 9 HP | Auger Powerheads, Bits + Extensions | Northern Tool + Equipment

I've seen smaller ones that hopefully cost less and are more manueverable.

 

[Reverend Blair]

I'm using one of the towable two-wheeled hydraulic models like the Ground Hog (mine's a home-built somebody put together) right now. They have a little more power. There's that whole thing with my knees though. It's not too bad with the drilling, but a little tough with the pushing around. I'll be keeping it no matter what...I've had it for 4 years and nothing has broken that wasn't my own fault...but I'd like to find something easier.

 

[bontai_Joe]

These Danuser drills are rare enough that if you find one for ANY old garden tractor, perhaps buy it, and then get a tractor to fit. They look like this for most brand tractors:
http://www.weekendfreedommachines.com/danuser/danuser_compactdigger_1.jpg

 

[jas67]

A Bobcat MT52 or a Toro Dingo is probably a good choice.

 

[Baucom]

If you're intending to make money with it, then don't buy an old and rare item. As good as Danuser PHDs are, and as awesome as those for GTs are, if something does happen to it and the part requires some searching to find...well time is money and if you're searching for a part then you're not building a deck.

If you get the Bobcat MT52 or Toro Dingo from a local dealer, it will come with a warranty and a local source of spare parts and service. Also, since you're using it for business, they should take care of you--for example if it suffers a catastrophic failure preventing you from starting or finishing a job, the dealer should have a loaner (or rental) available for you to use while he fixes your machine.

 

[Reverend Blair]

Yeah, I worry about parts a lot. The unit I'm using now was built from what was on the shelf at Princess Auto, so it's no problem.

Today I was up to ankles in mud...new area of town, no grass, two days of rain, but they want it finished because they never bothered to train their dog. I got the auger stuck in the clay.

So I've got 4x4's under the Jack-All and under the axles, and it's just the kind of mess that you can only get yourself into by saying yes when you should have said no. What the heck though, it's not like I had anything else to do today.

The kid walks out (he's maybe 16 and less trained than the dog) and says, "You sure work hard."

"That's what happens if you don't go to school," I said. Which is more or less true, I guess. I know quite a few university graduates, and not one of them was standing there in the mud with me.

Anyway, a while later his mother comes out and hands me a beer and says, "Thank you. I heard what you said and he needed to hear that."

I'm kind of ambivalent about that. I hate to see some innocent kid trapped into a life of wearing a tie and spending his life under florescent lights. On the other hand, I got a free beer.

 

[Baucom]

Good story about the kid--maybe he'll take the lesson from that with him.

Speaking of working in the mud--1 of those tracked Dingos would be pretty easy on folks' turf and would have pretty decent flotation when you have to work in wet conditions

 

[Reverend Blair]

Yeah, I keep looking at those Dingos and their cousins on the internet. I've found a local dealer, but haven't gotten a chance to see him yet. It looks like a good solution though.

I'm just not sure how I feel about the price yet. I haven't used one, haven't seen one run, and they run about the same cost (again, going by the internet) as a compact tractor. They'll get me into places that I can't go with a tractor though.

 

[hemiguy]

I'm didn't read this whole thread yet so I'm not sure this has been pointed out. That is any compact,sub-compact, or heavy duty L&G tractor PTO driven auger is NOT reversible. IE, if you are drilling deep in very rocky soil there is very good a possibly it could get stuck. I live in upstate NY where the glaciers have left us many, many rocks of all shapes and sizes(and sometimes mixed with clay). I have built a half dozen decks and rented the towable, hydro driven , (and reversible) auger each time. If I did not have reverse, I would have been up a creek without a paddle several times. The other issue with PTO driven, 3 point hitch ones is they have lift but not down pressure so you have a manual lever and your muscles for that. Again, from experience, down pressure would be a big help in compacted clay.

I assume the mini skid attachments are hydro driven (and have reverse) like full size skid steers. That sounds like your best bet as others have said for what you need. I know they are very pricy (over $20K ??)and around here rent for about $200 a day. I guess I would rent one first to make sure it works like you expect and gets the job done and most important helps you make money. Just my two cents.