3 pt Auger not doing its job

[Cantoo]

Find a hill or something to drive on to get the rear end up high, drop the digger and check your linkage to make sure it travels properly. I have never seen tobacco ground have deadpan, it's usually sandy soil and very soft. I'm thinking soemthing is hitting and not allows it to lower.

 

[tpulley]

While I didn't try metal posts there I did put some 3-4 inch round wooden posts. It took nuerous whacks with it in some places. Some hits only drove it down 1/2 at a time. After it rained I was able to drive a post in about a min. way better...

 

[wcampbell47]

There should be not more that 2 bolts that hold the auger to the head. Remove the auger and test the up down range on the 3 point. The tractors I own have a set screw that I can adjust for the down travel of the 3 point. I'm thinking the 3 point is binding somewhere.

If you can dig with a manual phd then an auger should go down as well.

 

[tpulley]

Good suggestion(s). I will test this out tomorrow.

 

[jenkinsph]

Good suggestion. I will test this out tomorrow.

After having this suggested three times I am glad you agree.:laughing:

 

[tpulley]

Well....:ashamed: I must say one of the posts hit the nail on the head. Or was it 3-4 posts....

What it was was... I pulled the bit off altogether (Me thinks I am pretty good at this part as it took me all of about 5 mins this time) let the 3pt down. Same height as I been drilling. Who'd athunk it... This shiny new tractor could get the lift down. Well... In defense of the tractor it wasn't its fault.

The previous time I had borrowed this auger I had used it on my ford 3000. I really wanted something tighter as the 3000 has a lot of slop in the 3pt as well as the hyd need work its almost all down or all up on that.

Anyway I digress... THe pto shaft was a bit short to me, so I put a 6 inch extension on the pto. That wasn't long enough so I put s second 3 pto extender. This allowed the shat to reach comfortably. well... With the second pto extneder on it wouldn't let the pto shaft retract all the way in so it would stop. I took one of the extenders off and got the pto on there. it went up and down all the waty to the motor. So I pretty much knew I was good to go. I put the 6 inch bit on and went to test a hole. It stopped about the same place. Hmmmmm. Sooooo I then stood on the 3pt arm and it commenced to chewing the ground like a hawg eating corn. It went plum down to the motor. Now thats what I'm a talking. I went to one of the holes I had previously tried hit the dead pan stepped on the 3pt and chewed it right through it.

It also helped a lot that we got a good rain last night.

Thanks fellas. I am gonna be a hole digging fool this weekend. Lord willing and the creek don;t rise that is. :thumbsup:

 

[tennmogger]

Well....:ashamed: I must say one of the posts hit the nail on the head. Or was it 3-4 posts....

What it was was... I pulled the bit off altogether (Me thinks I am pretty good at this part as it took me all of about 5 mins this time) let the 3pt down. Same height as I been drilling. Who'd athunk it... This shiny new tractor could get the lift down. Well... In defense of the tractor it wasn't its fault.
...chop...
Thanks fellas. I am gonna be a hole digging fool this weekend. Lord willing and the creek don;t rise that is. :thumbsup:

Glad you got it figured out. I must share this: I bought a new auger a few yrs ago. My tractor has power-down. I drilled the first hole in the soft dirt of the woods near the shop and it drilled really fast. So fast, in fact, that the auger bored in like a screw, over a big root about 3 ft down! No way would it pull out. Guess what, no reverse on a PTO. I had to back that thing out with a pipe wrench. Live and learn.

Bob

 

[schmism]

i tend to keep auger bit running at a slow speed, the faster auger bit turns, the more likely in hard dirt,

You have just explained the perfect way to cork screw the auger into the ground. If that happens you have a helva fun project ahead.

I generally dont recommend slow speeds for the auger bit for that exact reason.

 

[boggen]

You have just explained the perfect way to cork screw the auger into the ground. If that happens you have a helva fun project ahead.

I generally dont recommend slow speeds for the auger bit for that exact reason.

*rubs chin* faster speeds just get me in more trouble quicker. when it grabs and sinks in like a cork screw, it is gone. make it a wooden drill bit, going through wood. to other.

*shrugs* experience perhaps, constantly keeping eye on PHD, with hand on leveler to raise / lower 3pt hitch/PHD. and hand or foot on clutch, ready to press in, when it wants to cork screw, if possible hand on throttle / gas pedal for how fast RPMs the PTO is running.

but slower speeds seems to work better for me. i get larger chunks of dirt to come out and seems to go down faster. perhaps i am playing a very fine line between cork screwing and not. *shrugs* i honestly do not know.

 

[jwelch927]

I experienced the same problem even with a NEW auger. I determined the PTO variable length drive shaft minimum length was about 3 inches too long ! I shortened the variable length PTO drive shaft and now the auger digs 48 inches in a matter of seconds !