Buying a PHD for Kubota BX2200 - will it work, or will it just spin around?

[Howard Farm]

Correct ! Typo it was. Shoulda been 250. In Oz a body truck carries betwen 10 and 15 tons. I'd have to go back to the delivery dockets but I think thats about right. Two days getting a delivery every 1hr or so. (Started faster than that but I cut it down to one truck as I couldn't keep up)
I'ld cut a box 2.5m + wide and 150 to 300mm deep with a mini excavator and the trucks reversed in and dropped it - spreading as evenly as they could. I then pushed dragged and graded with the FEL and a grader blade with wheel.

 

[ctgoldwing]

Thanks for the replies so far, it seems that you all are alluding to the same thing I'm hearing - that it is only driven by the weight of the auger. To follow up on your comments, here is my revised question - is the weight usually enough to get the hole dug? I'm considering buying one for $1,200 and if it usually works, then I'll get it. If it usually doesn't work, then I'll stick to my shovel. Again thanks for your thoughts, I'm learning a lot!

Hi sbowers9 - I had a fence project to do for my dogs. I picked up a 'generic' phd for my L3400 for about $400. The fence is about 700' long and goes down into the woods at a fairly steep angle - it made for some interesting positioning of the tractor. Our soil here in Connecticut is gravel with a nice mixture of different sized potatoes.

I was able to drill 100 4X4 posts in with no additional downforce required, just a boatload of shear bolts. The biggest issue I had was getting caught on the rocks & freeing the auger. . . I sold the phd right after my project for $100 less than I paid for it. At $1 a hole it was a bargain!

 

[doghouse]

Hello. I bought a post hole digger from Everything Attachments. I bought the one with the heavy duty gearbox...model 6900 I think. It drills right in every time. Hard pack, sod, gravel, rock hard clay and pretty much everything. I won't deny that those guys in Texas may have something different - concrete soil - but this auger tip just bites and goes in fast. I see no need for down pressure here in South Eastern Wisconsin soil conditions. In fact, I have learned to lift it out about every foot to avoid it drilling in too fast like a cork screw. $1200 for a PHD? For me the money was not much of an issue either but unless you are drilling hundreds of holes or doing it for a living to me $800 seemed like it could buy one to last my lifetime. Very happy with Everything Attachments delivery too. Digging holes for a fence this week and man it does a great job.

I have one on my BX-25.I have no problem with down pressure, The weight of the PHD is enough to dig. My problem is sometimes it digs in and I have a problem raising it out of the hole.not enough hyd. power to lift lt.

 

[boggen]

PHD are extremely nice. but soil is and always will be a big issue. from area to area. heck every 100 foot could be different soil type.

spring and fall tend to be better times to dig with PHD due to the rain water of those seasons helps saturate the soil better and makes for easier digging.

tend to go with "slow" RPM's vs as fast as possible with RPMs when using PHD. slow RPMs tend to allow things to dig down, vs suddenly dead stop and not going down any further. due to tips of the auger are just jumping over a rock or root or hard dirt at fast RPMS and never really a chance to get tips back down into the dirt.

having a second person help build the fence makes things so much easier and quicker. from being a spotter to keep fence row line straight while digging holes. to keep auger bit straight as you drill holes. to placing posts into holes and then going back and compacting dirt around the posts and getting the posts leveled and lined up with rest of the fence.

have a large pipe wrench, on hand, and extra shear bolts on hand. is suggested for a 3pt hitch PHD. pipe wrench so you can back out the auger if need be, shear bolts in case you shear some bolts.

i tend to go with a larger size hole being drilled than post being put in. so if i do not keep auger perfectly straight as i dig the hole. or just barely off in drilling hole. i can make adjustments when i put the posts in and compact dirt around the posts. also slightly larger hole makes it easier to actual use the hand stamper / hand compacter tool. ((heavy weight on end of a pole))

PHD normally "chew the dirt up" so you get little clumps of dirt. vs large size clods of dirt if you use shovel and hand held post hold digger.

you can normally rent a 2 man small gas engine post hole diggers. but if you have the tractor go with 3pt version. and just contact some local tractor stores and see about rental. including local "machine rental places"

it would be nice to have some sort of down force abilty, and ability to reverse. been there done that without the use of either. it was some extra work, with a spade to get past some hard layers of soil and some water. so i could then re-use PHD again. in other words. if it was not for a PHD i would have never dealt with a fence line. way to easy and no need for bottles of pain meds and trips to doctors to get all the kinks worked out. but *shrugs*

 

[Barneyhunts]

I have a BX2200 with a Woods post hole digger designed for the small tractor....I use a 9" auger and have drilled many holes in northeastern Pa. rocky soil. I've sheared some shear pins, and at times had to "relocate" a hole, but, it has been a useful tool for fences and for digging holes for other chores. I've been using mine for 6 years.