Posthole Digger Anybody used a Leinbach PHD?

[bialecki]

If you ever get a chance to go to the Leinbach store... Just Do IT!!! It's got a ton of great stuff... Could easily have spent several hours looking around.

teg, were is the Leinbach store? In NC?

 

[RonMar]

You may have seen the term weld hardened edge used. This is one thing that will help with the basic cutter teeth if you have a welder. Run a few beads along the cutting edge, then grind the weld metal down sharp. Weld metal from a wire feed or stick is tougher than the base mild steel that the teeth are made from. I have been doing this to ground engagement edges for many years with good results. The good thing is, that if you weld, you can do it yourself without too much time invested.

As for sand wearing out the auger/cutter, not likley. Wears the paint off so it more easilly rusts, but I don't think you would dig enough holes in your lifetime to wear one out from sand abrasion. Probably the biggest wear will be the sharp edges and the points where the cutters are and that will be from twisting past buried rock.

 

[teg]

teg, were is the Leinbach store? In NC?

Winston-Salem, N.C. Pretty cool place.

Leinbach Machinery

I guess they finally upgraded their web site... may have to spend some time looking it over

 

[Ridgewalker]

I have a L7200 that works great. If you search this forum for "Leinbach" you will find other answers to this question as this subject has come up before. With the model I have, you also get a utility boom out of the deal. The gearbox easilly separates from the boom with a single pin. This makes getting it on/off the tractor a fairly easy 1 person operation without making up a special rig to hang it from. I keep the gearbox/auger and driveshaft standing in a corner of my pole barn and leave the boom mounted on the tractor most of the time for utility use, It has a hook on the very end and a eye welded on the top near the end(probably to hang the whole auger/boom assembly from a single point). I use the boom mainly for keeping my chain harrow behind the tractor when turning so it dosn't get hung up in the rear wheels and to lift it when I don't want to drag. I also use it to lift the front end of log/branch bundels I drag from the drawbar, so they don't hang up or dig furrows across the ground.

The auger gearbox seems plenty durable for occasional/residential use and mine digs very well on my around 24 or so PTO HP, but I have pretty sandy soil. The gearbox also has a handy feature, a molded in hole that runs parallel to the boom. Into this hole you can put a pipe handle that runs back toward the operator seat. This allows you to reach back over the seat and stop any swing and precisely place the auger point on the ground.

The 9" auger that came with mine has bolt-on teeth so they can be fairly easilly changed out or repaired if damaged.

I have done quite a few holes with mine over the last 2 years and have no complaints. In fact, I need a second 6' auger for an upcomming project. Anyone know of one at a reasonable price? Found one at agri-supply for $116 so far.

That hook on the end of your Leinbach is supposed to be used to pull posts for resetting. At least that's what they claim on their website.
I soon may be joining the Leinbach club, I need to dig about 20 holes and I am thinking that the pain saved will be worth the investment.