3ph Post Hole Digger

WVBill · Feb 9, 2001

I'm thinking about getting a post hold digger for my B6100DT but I have two concerns. So maybe those of you who have B6100/B7100's can give me your opinion.

1) Is the B6100 heavy enough? My thinking is that in operation, the auger is trying to pull the back end of the tractor down. How great is that force? I know it's not very far behind the rear wheels so it doesn't have great leverage advantage but it's a concern. I can always carry a load of gravel or something in the FEL bucket.

2) Is the B6100 "big" enough? The rear wheels on this tractor are not as large as the newer B series so the 3ph lift arms do not raise as high off the ground when full up. Will the B6100 lift the drive head of the post hole digger high enough for the auger tip to clear the ground?

3) Is the 14HP of the B6100 even enough to drive one of these? Although I guess the answer to that will be "it depends". I'm thinking mostly of using it with a 12" auger to dig planting holes for small trees & shrubs.

I don't want to get too far down the road of thinking/planning to get one of these if my tractor's size will be a "show stopper".

jyoutz · Feb 10, 2001

Bill take a look at www.worksaver.com/. They offer a digger that is specifically made for low profile, lower HP tractors (they specifically list the B-7100 as one of the tractors this digger was designed for). I would think that this model would work for you.

Anonymous Poster · Feb 11, 2001

I have punched a lot of post holes with my B-7100, just remember to lift it a couple times on the way in to clear out the auger. It gets a little heavy for the lift if you go all the way in without dumping.

GlueGuy · Feb 11, 2001

Bill,

My dealer is kind of partial to the Woods post hole digger. He claims that the gearbox is built better than the others (for small tractors like the B series). He also showed me a couple of features that the augers have replaceable teeth, and seem to be built more heavily.

I have to claim that I am "only looking" as well. I will probably try to absorb as much information here before I actually go shopping for one.

GlueGuy

Anonymous Poster · Feb 11, 2001

For about $450- $550. with 9" auger, take a look at Leinbach Post Hole Digger.

They also make an excellent HD rake for a great price.

Another "sleeper" company. Don't spend lots of ad money, not well known, but very good products.

Rick Jay · Feb 11, 2001

WVBill,

I can't address the issue of an auger on your tractor, but I can tell you of my limited experience on my B2910. I have a Woods 1160 w/12" auger that I used to drill some fence post holes this summer and fall.

Our soil is clay and rocks, aka hardpan, and very difficult to drill/excavate/dig/etc when it is dry.

I'm reasonably sure you will have pretty good success with your tractor, especially if the soil is soft and/or sandy.

I have used a small, hand-held 2-cycle engine (I think it's rated at about 3.5 hp) post hole digger with an 8" bit with remarkable (although much muscle and back effort required) success on our property. However, the slightest rock over 2" required manual digging. I pretty much had to do this several times per hole. Still, it was a big improvement and faster than a clam-shell type digger.

With the B2910/Woods 1160 combo, I still would occasionally have to manually excavate rocks. The differences being that now:

1.) the tractor does most of the hard work, leaving me more energy to remove the occasional boulder.

2.) the larger auger (12" instead of 8") allows most of the rocks to be churned up with the dirt. Still anything greater than 6" or so required manual excavation, but fortunately those are in the minority. Now, on average, I could drill 2 or 3 holes without having to manually remove some rocks.

3.) I don't even have to run the tractor near PTO speed, I usually set the tractor throttle just above idle, and that seems to be sufficient for most holes. It also allows me a bit more time to hit the clutch should the auger get wedged and stop dead...saving the shear bolt. (Oh....have lots of shear bolts on hand.)

If you don't have hard rocky soil, I would not hesitate at all about mounting a lighter duty post hole auger on the back of your tractor.

I also echo the advice to frequently raise the auger while drilling. If you let the auger "screw itself" into the ground, it could be a real hassle to remove. These units don't have reverse, so you have to manually "unscrew it" using a very large pipe wrench. It hasn't happened to me, but just the thought of that forces me to raise and clear the bit every 9"-12" or so.

One word of caution: It's my undestanding that post hole augers are one of the most dangerous accessories used on tractors as the rotating PTO shaft and/or auger can easily catch loose clothing and pull the operator into the machinery. Always operate the auger from the tractor seat with NO ONE nearby.

I think Northern Tool http://www.northerntool.com has Cat. I 3pt hitch unit for around $350 + auger. That might be sufficient for your needs. I think I paid near $800 for my Woods with 12" bit. I chose the heavier duty model only because I know of the abuse it will take in our rocky ground. If I lived in sandy soil, I probably would've got something closer to the model Northern sells.

Good Luck,

Rick

Anonymous Poster · Feb 11, 2001

I farm & have a economy (cheap)PHD that I bought 30 years ago . I've used it on 15hp -100hp tractors. They are all shear bolt protected. Run at low RPM on high hp tractors to keep from damaging the auger. Your tractor has enough hp. The compact tractor augers are basically the same as the regular ones with a shorter auger. I'm also a compact tractor & Worksaver dealer. I sell an economy PHD w9" auger for $420. Feel free to contact me at sheaftractor@coiinc.com or 815-284-3226.

WVBill · Feb 12, 2001

Thanks to everyone for your replys.

Now that I know it will work, I'll ad a PHD to my "definitely want" list.

John: You mentioned Leinbach implements. As it would happen, I stopped by a roadside tractor place yesterday afternoon. They weren't open but I was looking over his implements and saw mostly ones by "Leinbach". I hadn't heard that manufacturer before so I was about to come on TBN this morning to ask if anyone had experience. At $450 - $550 for a PHD with 9" auger, that's about what one from Northern Tool would run.

Len: you said you sell sell an economy PHD w9" auger for $420. Is that a "Worksaver"?. I looked on their web site as recommended by jyoutz and it looks like they have pretty good stuff.

Another question - perhaps for Len or anyone else with experience. Wouldn't the shipping cost on an implement bought through a catalog or over the internet just completely wipe out any possibility of a cost saving over buying an implement locally?

Anonymous Poster · Feb 12, 2001

Shipping would wipe out alot of the savings. The phd I have isn't a Worksaver, but is compareable in quality to the other economy grade phds. Most of them use the same quality gear box. I have a used Kubota that has the same gear box.

Rick Jay · Feb 12, 2001

Oh yes...shipping charges. Certainly on a single item, the savings can get eaten up by the freight charges. One possibility is to order two or more implements at the same time from the same place. This oftentimes minimizes the sting of the freight charges by spreading them out over several items.

Rick