Does your 3 point post hole digger dig down 3 feet straight?

[tallyho8]

Does your 3 point post hole digger dig down 3 feet straight without moving your tractor forward or backward?

I use treated 4x4s for my fence posts and I dig a hole with a 4" diameter bit. Since the 4x4 is square it will not go down in the round hole without pushing it down with my fel full of sand for weight. Then I pack sand in any remaining hole. This makes for a very good tight fit. I have made larger holes and filled them with concrete and they didn't seem as stable as when I do it this way.

My problem is that if the holes do not go straight down, the posts will be leaning. I have drilled some perfectly straight while others come out crooked and was wondering if anyone had some tips on keeping the hole completely perpendicular.

 

[RustyA]

Typically it will start straight and then angle towards the tractor unless it's pulled forward. Having a spotter beside auger works best to tell you when to pull forward to correct angle of auger. Quick shovel work to remove sod helps for less walking of auger at start of hole too.

 

[old and tired]

Are you sure it's a 4" bit, the smallest I've seen is 6" bit.

 

[RickB]

As long as your lift link ends move in a curved path that's what you will get. Pretty much every 3 pt works that way.

 

[ChuckT]

3 point hitches have that peculiarity. They will not move vertically AND plumb without help. If they were "4 point" (ie a trapezoid) then you could expect the verticals to be, well, vertical.

 

[tallyho8]

Are you sure it's a 4" bit, the smallest I've seen is 6" bit.

Yes it's a 4". If it was a 6" the 4x4 would fit in there sloppy and I would have to add concrete or dirt and it would not be as solid as pushing it down. It works even better with 5" round posts from Tractor Supply. When you pound the post down it is much more stable being in solid earth.

 

[tallyho8]

I also dig the hole 2 1/2' deep but pound the post in 3'. The last 6" isn't too hard to do but if I had to pound it down 3' without a pilot hole it would break the post.

 

[ponytug]

I also dig the hole 2 1/2' deep but pound the post in 3'. The last 6" isn't too hard to do but if I had to pound it down 3' without a pilot hole it would break the post.

I think that you might be surprised. I am sure that it depends on your soils.

I drive posts in all the time with 8x8 pressure treated. Basically, square up the driver, load the post in, drive it, and move on. Takes 2-3minutes start to finish. If the ground is rock solid dry, I will put a quart or so of water on the ground, and then drive them in. Mostly the soil is clay or gravel, so no big rocks. The post driver runs on rails, so it is vertical, and easy to plumb. I ripped out and put in 1600' of three board fence in about ten days with the driver. I have had only failure; I hit bedrock 2' down trying to put in a 6" peeler core, and cracked the post. Still worked for a decade though. (Power-Trac brand post driver)

Almost every auger that I have seen runs on an arc and makes holes on the same arc, unless you actively manage the tractor position. I tried doing it once on level ground and had a hard time. So, as I am not a "rub your tummy, while patting your head" person, I bought a post driver instead of an auger. If someone made an auger on a rail with power up/down, I would have been all over it.

As always, YMMV...

All the best,

Peter

 

[Jstpssng]

For this reason I was looking at something to go onto my loader via SSQA,Lowe 750 Classic Round Auger Drive Post Hole Digger Fits Mini Skid Steer Loader | eBay but the price was a bit more than I want to pay. Even with this, rocks would keep it from digging straight down.

 

[grsthegreat]

I always have to crab the tractor while digging holes, otherwise they dont go in straight. The rocks on my place sure dont help matters.