Does your 3 point post hole digger dig down 3 feet straight?

[RjCorazza]

For this reason I was looking at something to go onto my loader via SSQA,Lowe 750 Classic Round Auger Drive Post Hole Digger Fits Mini Skid Steer Loader | eBay but the price was a bit more than I want to pay. Even with this, rocks would keep it from digging straight down.

I bit the bullet on a Land Pride ssqa hydraulic auger last year. Even though it was a little more $ than the one you posted the link to, I don't regret it for a minute.
I redid my split rail fence last month, and the fel mounted auger was simply awesome.

In my particular case there is a lot of broken up concrete and tile about 18-24" down on my property from several demolished silos. 20 years ago with a 3 point auger on almost every hole I hit a chunk of concrete and had to bust it up with a digging bar and pull it out of the hole by hand to continue. The hydraulic auger with the down pressure from the fel either busted the chunks up, or moved them into the vanes and out of the hole. Night and day, and the majority of the holes were not in the old locations. I do use a 9" auger, so the hole doesn't need to be that precise.

 

[Rebeldad1]

Some post hole diggers have a hole in the head unit for a pipe handle to control the auger with. You can watch the handle and keep it level to the ground while drilling. (by moving forward as you drill)

If not... make your own guide poll.

 

[grsthegreat]

Some post hole diggers have a hole in the head unit for a pipe handle to control the auger with. You can watch the handle and keep it level to the ground while drilling. (by moving forward as you drill)

If not... make your own guide poll.

Mine has it, but i find it doo dangerous to want someone standing by the auger. I have hydraulic down 3 point auger, and i find its easy to keep straight with my HST tractor and someone standing aways off keeping an eye on it.

 

[tallyho8]

I think that you might be surprised. I am sure that it depends on your soils.

I drive posts in all the time with 8x8 pressure treated. Basically, square up the driver, load the post in, drive it, and move on. Takes 2-3minutes start to finish. If the ground is rock solid dry, I will put a quart or so of water on the ground, and then drive them in. Mostly the soil is clay or gravel, so no big rocks. The post driver runs on rails, so it is vertical, and easy to plumb. I ripped out and put in 1600' of three board fence in about ten days with the driver. I have had only failure; I hit bedrock 2' down trying to put in a 6" peeler core, and cracked the post. Still worked for a decade though. (Power-Trac brand post driver)

Almost every auger that I have seen runs on an arc and makes holes on the same arc, unless you actively manage the tractor position. I tried doing it once on level ground and had a hard time. So, as I am not a "rub your tummy, while patting your head" person, I bought a post driver instead of an auger. If someone made an auger on a rail with power up/down, I would have been all over it.

As always, YMMV...

All the best,

Peter

8X8 pressure treated??? WOW! Those must cost over $50 apiece right now. Mighty expensive fence there.

 

[ponytug]

Let's just say that I did the fence when they were cheaper, and I bought by the pallet load. Much cheaper.

All the best,

Peter

 

[bunyip]

We use 8x8 but only for ends and gates.

 

[tallyho8]

I use old telephone poles or railroad ties for ends and gates.

 

[oosik]

I saw the very thing you are talking about Ponytug ( Peter ). Down south about 35 miles. A fellow putting in a wooden post fence line. I stopped to watch and ask intelligent - ?? questions.

It's very unusual to see a wood post and rail fence in these parts. T-posts & barbed wire are the mainstay.

He was using a BIG driver on about a 125 hp tractor. He said he had tried an auger and it turn out looking like a drunk put in the fence posts. He pulled all the augured posts - went and purchased the big driver - redoing the entire fence line. His wife had horses. Otherwise - T-145's and barbed wire.

 

[bcp]

You need one of the old style that goes up and down on vertical rails. Here are some.










Bruce

 

[ponytug]

@oosik yes, we have horses, hence the wood fences. We do have some perimeter fence in barbed wire and T-145s that are topped and lined with electric rope to keep the horses from of it.

@bcp Those are gorgeous little post augers. Great find! I wonder why they aren't made anymore. When I was looking, I didn't find a single one manufactured, well for sale, in the US. Or maybe I just live in an area with limited agricultural supply for smaller farms.

All the best,

Peter