Best value medium-duty PHD setup?

[timb]

There have been a couple of discussions over time here on post hole diggers and it sounded like a few new owners ended up with PHDs as a result.

Now that the dust has maybe settled a little bit what's the opinion out there now - if you were going to buy a (new) PHD with say two augers (one med-small, around 9"-12" for post work, one larger 24" or so for tree planting) and wanted to keep the entire deal within a certain budget - who makes the best value heads and augers?

Say a couple of budget levels at $750 all up - maybe $1000 total, and for sake of argument $1300-$1400 total. For me - more than that would be very difficult to justify unless I would be using one commercially (not at present) - less than that probably isn't going to buy anything.

Assume it needs to deal with a 50hp PTO (allowing any CUT and some low-end Utility tractors).

What's the most important features to start piling on first above and beyond a very basic unit? Slip clutch? Ability to have (or at least add later) down pressure? Put the money into a basic head but better quality augers?

Any ideas folks?

 

[Anonymous Poster]

timb:

The Danuser F series digger is extremely well made. Will last you, your children and grandkids lifetimes. I have one bought at auction for $450, added new seals (which was all that was needed). Taking the thing apart the spindle gear was a foot or so in diameter. The gears were beautifully machined and the castings excellent. No wear after 50 years! (just seals). These are made in the US by a company in Fulton, Missouri (grandson of founder runs it) and sold through dealers. They have been making PHD since 1943 and the company was started 1910. Nice people.

A new one with one auger will run around $1500-$1700. A lot compared to some, but you are buying a lifetime implement. If you can amortize it over a larger number of holes, or, take pride in owning a first rate american made product I think you would be well satisfied. They also make a smaller 20/40 model which can be had for around $900.

JEH

 

[Rick Jay]

timb,

I think if you're planning on drilling 24" holes, you're going to be looking more towards the "heavy duty" end of most common PHD manufacturer lines. I have a Woods 1160, and one reason I went with that over the lower models was it's rating to handle up to 30" augers. (I don't plan on doing that, but figured with my rocky clay soil, extra "beef" wouldn't hurt.)

Woods website

Follow the links to "Turf & Grounds Care", then "Post Hole Diggers". You can download their brochure in pdf format.

I've heard great things about Danuser, but as long as you get a heavier duty model from any mfg., I don't think you'll be disappointed.

My guess is if you're purchasing new, you'll be close to your upper limit on prices with a 12" bit and 24" bit. I know woods has bits designed specifically for planting trees. It has 2 different diameters of flights on one bit. The first is like 12"(?) for about a foot and then 24"(?) for a foot. Maybe something like that is what you'd want to look into for planting.

Ahhhh...so many choices. Good Luck. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

~Rick

 

[Chief]

I have a Land Pride PD25 PHD and it is definitely heavy duty. I have had VERY good experience with all of their impliments. Their equipment is every bit as good and in many cases better built than the John Deere.

I agree, a 24" hole is a monster hole that will require alot of PTO hp. I think I have the 8 or 10" auger. You can always widen out the hole pretty easily after it is dug. I paid $900 for mine.

 

[HayDR]

We sell the Rhino HPHD for $650 or the Lienbach for $300 both with 12" augers.

 

[JohnMiller3]

<font color="blue">...We sell the Rhino HPHD for $650 or the Lienbach for $300 both with 12" augers... </font>

Those are outstanding prices... Mark...! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Mark (or anyone), dumb questions time. I have a TC18, Cat I, but based on my experience with a landscape rake, it doesn't lift as high as biger tractors. So, DQ #1 - is 14 PTO HP enough to run a PHD? DQ #2 - how does the thing go down 42" and then lift out again if the 3PH doesn't lift high enough?

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Don,
My 670 only has 16 pto horsepower and it is a hole digging monster. I've been borrowing my friends greenline regular size and it works fine on my tractor, but I talked to Leinbach rep at an auction in south Georgia and he said they have a model that is made for our "shorter" tractors. Shorter boom, steeper arc on the boom, and relocated pivot point. I really want a Danuser though.

Jim

 

[Anonymous Poster]

OkeeDon:

HP probably enough-I used a real heavy duty Danuser with a 23hp Farmall (1952 SC) but that was "real" hp. You would more likely have probs with weight than HP. Turning auger boring into ground can shake the whole tractor.

Re digging depth, depends on where the upper link attachment is relative to lower links. I had prob on the Farmall because upper link was relatively high. My 3pt though had a pin to control down pressure on the hitch. Every hole I dug started with pin in, then pulled it (from the seat) and inserted above the cylinder attachment platform and it would bore on down. If the lower link arms are too short (someone mentioned above) you could also have a problem. The issue is the geometry which usually can be adjusted on the fly depending on your set-up. The main thing is it has to lift high enough to clear the auger tip (unless you drag it around!).

JEH

 

[timb]

Thanks for all the feedback guys, I'm getting a "feel" for the class of PHD I'd likely be happy with and some model numbers to investigate.

Don't think I need to go super heavy duty but I think I'd also be too light with the entry-level units. On the 24" hole - that's what I was thinking of, one of the "planting" augers with a stepped design. I wasn't originally figuring on trying to dig 42" or 48" of 24" hole. For poles/fence/gate posts the most I ever see using would be an 8-by but more likely a 6x6 or 8" round. I could see the usefulness of a 24" full depth hole for a concrete footer/pylon though. Hmm. Have to think about that.

In any case as long as the thing doesn't break it's got to beat the current method (manual digging bar, post hole "tweezers", followed by a cleanout with an old shop vac!).

Tim

 

[BB_TX]

<font color="blue"> followed by a cleanout with an old shop vac! </font>
Wow!! Now that's a new one. Never thought about that. Would take a generator or very long extension cord for most holes though.

 

[GlennT]

I also have a John Deere Model 670 and agree that it's 16 HP is enough to dig postholes with a 9 inch auger. I am just finishing an extensive fencing project and have had no problems caused by the tractor's lack of power to turn the auger. However, I have had problems with the tractor's inability to sometimes lift the auger out of the hole. In caliche, clay and just plain hard-packed soil, I have to be very careful to only let the auger go down a few inches (6 inches or soil) before bringing it up and clearing it. I might mention, too, that this problem is augmented by the fact that the PHD boom swings in an arc and this causes the auger to rub against the back side of the hole and makes it even more difficult to bring up the auger. Moving forward a few inches when the auger is about halfway down in the hole helps reduce this friction. Fortunately, if I can't bring the auger up, I can usually get it started again by putting a bar through the fork of the PTO shaft and turning it in reverse. I try to do this gingerly as I don't know if I'm exerting excessive pressure on the gears in the PTD head. The only alternatives that I'm aware of are to dig down around the auger (anything but this!) or to put a big pipe wrench on the auger tube and I really hate to do this because I'll probably deform the tube and it will be difficult to slip on and off. I might mention again here that I store my PTD by slipping off the auger in the shed. This puts that big, heavy, cast-iron head on the ground where I can't tip it over on my head or something else stupid. I have just ordered and received a replacement auger tip from Leinbach. The cost was reasonable and the service was courteous, pleasant and prompt. The original tip wore out from rubbing on rocks and limestone. I took it off and sharpened it a few times to make it work, but eventually the underside of the tip wore so badly that the edges no longer presented an aggressive angle in the hole and there wasn't enough left of the blades to grind down any further. The local dealer offered to sell me a replacement auger with a more aggressive, serrated edge, but sharpening and eventually replacing the tip of the regular tip is considerably cheaper, although more time consuming.

 

[timb]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ...Would take a generator or very long extension cord for most holes though )</font>

I think it only works well here because of the high shale content. Easy to fracture into quarter or half-dollar-sized chips. And we have to be close enough to a decent electrical source to use a heavy 100' extension cord. We've actually used the "technique" to get the last 6" or so of depth when the regular digger really starts to be a pain. In fact one 1-foot hole that we wanted down six feet (antenna mast) probably got the last 3 feet out with the vac!

Does give a very neat and clean hole though! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Rick Jay]

timb,

Sounds like you're on the right track to figuring out your needs. Just another thing to keep in mind. A 6"x6" post has a diagonal measure of approx. 7.5", so the minimum hole diameter must be 8". I usually use the 12" hole for 4"x4" and 6"x6" posts...I like the "margin for error" the larger hole gives. It really helps since the holes are always exactly where I want them. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

~Rick