Posthole Digger Advice on hydraulic post digger for tractor

[mopardude318]

McMillen and Danuser are both very good, high quality units. There is no reason why I picked one over the other, I think they are both excellent units and will last you a lifetime.

Yes, it is offset mounted and you can see the auger from the tractor seat. I think I have $3100 total in my setup, but I went with a $643 dollar heavy duty HDC 12"x4' auger bit. The auger drive unit with cradle & lines was $2491.

I purchased from Everything Attachments and received free shipping all the way out to California. Their price was cheaper than my local dealer by about $350 bucks.

McMillen X1475 Skid Steer, Skidsteer, Planetary Auger Drive Unit, 2" Hex Drive, 15-30 GPM, 30" Max diameter Auger

Everything Attachments is also a dealer for Danuser.

Top Rated Skid Steer Hydraulic Augers at Everything Attachments

As far as what unit is best for your GPM, I suppose you could go with the 10-25 GPM auger drive, but you're near the bottom of the flow requirements, so it'll turn rather slow at 45 RPM. I'm no professional but I'd look at either the McMillen X975 or Danuser 615, both have about 1500-1550 FT LBS, and you would turn at 71 RPMs. I'd call or send E.A. a private message and talk to them

 

[Fallon]

The McMillan & Danhuser look the same to me. I think my 12" auger might actually be a McMillan. At any rate hydraulic units use a 2" hex drive or a round drive some strange fraction just under 3". 3pt PHDs use a 2" round drive. Adapters exist but are $70 or so. The big round or hex augers are around $450 for a 12", the same 2" drive auger is $175-350. The bigger drive ones are a LOT heavier & beefier, hence the extra cost.

I looked used for a while, but the only deal I found was an old Danhuser that was an OEM 3pt gearbox with an OEM hydraulic motor on the input. Not nearly as strong as a setup as the motor on top of a couple planetar gearsets like in both photos above. That was over a grand as well. I think mine was $2k or so new plus the auger. All the used stuff I've seen looking for a while was about the same price or more. They were probably needing higher flow than I can run too.

 

[Bavarian]

All of you, who are puzzling about hydraulic flow. The rates of hydraulic flow from the manufacturer is related to the pump output. Due to flow resistance in the piping and valves and possible quick connectors, you are loosing volume as more of those factors you put in. If your tractor puts out 15gpm for example, you won't have 15 gpm at the front of your loader.

How a crossover valve works: every moving mass tries to continue it's momentum even when the power that drives it is discontinued. Now in a hydraulic driven application, if you let go of your knob or lever, the hydraulic fluid is locked in the piping on both ends, since the hydraulic valve is closed. The PHD is a slow moving implement in this case but imagine a hydraulic driven brush cutter. That mass tries to continue in it's movement even with the oil locked on both ends. Now the crossover valve allows oilflow between the two hydraulic lines and the motor of the implement pumps the oil in a circle until it's stopped rotating. As more momentum the implement is capable of, the further away the crossover valve should be installed from the implement.

 

[Timm250]

You might want to look at some rental stores. I bought a Case auger setup from a construction equipment rental place. It is a rebadged McMillen X1975. Got it & a 12" HD McMillen auger for $2200. The drive unit still looked new.