Adding down-pressure to a post hole digger (PHD)

[ayelvington]

My soils, along with the grass, make it difficult to drill post holes.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and I'm cheap. With a neighbour's help I was able to gin up a solution to get the auger on it's way to the earth's core.

Started with a piece of 3/8" plate and drilled a hole to accept a CAT-l lift pin. Another neighbour machined the pin to give 3/8" on the thread end, and 1/8" of shoulder to weld with on the pin end.

I tapered the back hole and the pin end so that the weld had good penetration on the back side. Then I ground it down flush. Flipped it over and and welded the shoulder to the plate.

Took the paint off of the PHD at the weld points and stuck the mounting plate in place.

The plate can hold two 50lb bar weights using a CAT-1 to CAT-2 adapter sleeve. Now I've got some drilling action!

 

[Sawyer Rob]

The way I "fixed" my poor performing cheapo POS post hole digger, was to send it "down the road" AND buy one from Bush Hog... It's one of the smarter decisions I ever made!

The Bush Hog is night and day better!

SR

 

[5030]

Not bad.

 

[RSKY]

When I was a young boy. That is 13-15 years old. We spent three summers fencing our home farm. Dad would operate the tractor. My job was to keep the post hole digger straight and ride it down using my weight to provide downforce.

They would lock parents up for having a kid do that now.

It would get really exiting, really fast, when the digger would hit a yellow jacket's nest.

Long, hot, exhausting days.

RSKY

 

[rd_macgregor]

I assessed the pros and cons when I was looking for an auger and decided on a front-mounted hydraulic one. I have both down force and reverse capabilities with the hydraulic unit. I could even drill angled holes if I wanted to.
Since you already had the standard PHD, your approach is a more affordable improvement than buying a whole new replacement system.

 

[stuckmotor]

I haven't needed down pressure on my POD. The screw at the end seems either soften the ground or pull the auger in nicely. However! I think I'll save the plates when I scrap that old weight machine.

 

[prs]

Same thing as said by RSKY, Dad and I would take turns riding the auger frame.
No pto shield on tractor, no shield on pto drive shaft, and nary a care either.

I was also about 14 Y-O. Our tough clay shale ground would fight even a new
bit and soon the new bit was well dulled. He had a good friend with a shop that
specialized in mining equipment repair. They made a set of set cutters and a
point for the same auger. WHOA! No more riding the auger frame! It would
stand the tractor up in a wheelie if you did not let it down real slow and it would
dig rock.

prs

 

[RPW]

On mine the problem with the augar was not enough bite. I changed out the center point ot a better more aggressive one and added some teeth and re-enforement plates to the cutting edge of the augar. Now I have to be on top of the digging so it doesn't pull down "to" fast. Only problem I've encountered is that when I hit rock instead of skipping it will snag and bend the cutting edge back. I need to re-enforce it more.

 

[buickanddeere]

Don't need down pressure if the proper auger bit is used. would not know that I had the same machine after updating the chisel tooth bit.
The first factory type auger may have been ok in beach sand or wet soil. no good in firm soil or on sod. 2nd link is a superb piece of engineering.

9" AUGER BIT

Cast Auger 1" x 48" w/ 2" Round | Danuser

 

[orezok]

I can tell that many haven't tried drilling in the deserts caliche "soil". There are places that even adding 230# of weight on the PHD and using carbide cutters that the thing will just sit there and spin. Only answer at that point is the jackhammer which I have to use often.

I'm not even sure if a down pressure kit would work.