Earth Augers, and driver head...

DJ54 · Dec 12, 2011

I couldn't find any earth augers to suit me, for anchoring my end, and gate posts for my new fence. The one's at TSC were either too short, or the auger part was too small to suit me, and just pretty thin. And, @ $9.99 ea., and still not what I wanted, decided to make my own.

I bought a stick of 5/8 and 1/2" rod. Cost like $26.00 for both. Heated one end in my home made forge to make the eyes... I made a simple jig, to bend, and make the eyes. Heated the other end, and hammered it to a point.

Had some scrap pieces of 3/16" plate, so took the plasma cutter, and cut 4 1/2" pieces out. Drilled a center hole, 1/16" oversized. Took the torch, and cut a 45 degree slit, from the center out, making the cutting edge. Heated the other side, from the slit, took two pairs of vise-grips, and spread, forming the auger.

Put the rod in the portable vise, slipped the auger piece on, and welded in place. I made 14 of these, and figured I had about $2.50 ea. in them and have what I want..!! After last weeks 3" of rain here, it was too muddy to do much anyway, so built these... AND., besides..., I got to use with some of my tools, I haven't played with, for a while... :thumbsup:

I made the driver head out of some 1 1/2" ID, thick walled tubing. Doubled it on the driver end, with some larger tubing.

I drove 12 of them in today, in about 1 1/2 hours. And that's throwing in a coffee break... Just took time, to put them at their respective post, as there is no place to carry them on the tractor, then get to running them in. Sure beats cranking them in by hand..!!

Had to bring two home, and put longer points on them, as the ground was half muddy/frozen, and the points weren't long enough to hold them in place, until the auger got hold of some semi dry dirt. We'll try those again tomorrow...

Taylortractornut · Dec 12, 2011

I used to build augers like that but bigger for cell phone towers. I made them with a 2 inch thick wall square tube. I had to put two augers in them. We drove them with a 5300 deere with a pto auger like you did but ours were put in at angles. I like the PHD to .

davygp38 · Dec 13, 2011

I like that forge.

Andrewnewy · Dec 13, 2011

Excuse my ignorance but would you be able to post a pic of you finished fence? I've seen earth augers used for all
Kinds of things but fencing is not one of them, I presume you are using them at the end of a fence to make the end post solid for straining , but just wondering how you deal with gate ways / how animals cope? We tend to build fences with a H box which takes a while to construct so if we could do it with earth augers some how that would be so much easier!

DJ54 · Dec 13, 2011

When I get it done, I will.!! It may be a while..., LOL..

I'm assuming when you say "H box" you are meaning at the end, or gate, you are putting a brace post, and a post, 4X4 or something similar in between, then, wire, brace rod, or something similar. I do the same, but sink the earth auger right next to the end post, then run a brace rod, back to the brace post, along with a brace rod, angular. It basically pulls the brace post back towards the end post.

Even with my end, and gate posts set 4' deep around here, in the spring, they still had a tendency to tilt in some, from the strain. Just double protection, and since doing this on the last I built about 10 years ago, it seems to have eliminated the problem.

Andrewnewy said:
Excuse my ignorance but would you be able to post a pic of you finished fence? I've seen earth augers used for all
Kinds of things but fencing is not one of them, I presume you are using them at the end of a fence to make the end post solid for straining , but just wondering how you deal with gate ways / how animals cope? We tend to build fences with a H box which takes a while to construct so if we could do it with earth augers some how that would be so much easier!

DJ54 · Dec 13, 2011

davygp38 said:
I like that forge.

Thanks..!! Made from a F-450 disc brake rotor, a 14.5 trailer rim, misc. 2" pipe & fittings, misc. scrap 1-1/4" square tubing, 1/8" sheet metal, and a 140 cfm squirrel cage blower, from epay..., like $16.00 including shipping... + about 4 hours labor...

I built it mainly to mess around making horse shoe art... Hope to get back into it someday... Below is one of the things I made... A guy was making them in California, and just wanted to see if I could make one... Actually made 2, one for my honey, and one for a charity auction...

Something to play with, on those spring days, when it's 60 degrees, and mud up to the wazoo... A good way to get rid of some pent up frustration, beating the "H" out of something, and making "art"..., LOL... My horse friends love this stuff..!!

nimblemotors · Dec 15, 2011

well done!

travis potter · Dec 15, 2011

Did you make the PH digger and if so can you give some info on it. It looks a lot stronger than the ones you buy. thanks We have lots of rocks and I need a strong head.

Robert_in_NY · Dec 15, 2011

Were fortunate to have vineyard supply shops here that sell heavy duty anchors for less then the ones at TSC. Some have the eyes just bent over but the ones I use have the eye welded closed. I use them at the ends of my rows since when the vines are growing and the fruit starts ripening the wires have a lot of weight on them and the anchors will last for a lot of years without any problems.

It is interesting to see people make some of the items I take for granted. Its a skill I have never had the chance to learn but I think I paid around $8 a piece for the 48" anchors I use so at that price I doubt I will spend too much time trying to build them myself.

DJ54 · Dec 16, 2011

travis potter said:
Did you make the PH digger and if so can you give some info on it. It looks a lot stronger than the ones you buy. thanks We have lots of rocks and I need a strong head.

I got the digger on ebay for like $65.00. I have seen some similar here on TBN, and I believe they were home built. I believe there were plans for them at one time, somewhere. Possibly a farming magazine, or even like Mechanics Illustrated.

The boom is the weak link on this one, as it has twisted at one time, before I got it, and I've torqued it a couple times myself. I have a good round tubular boom from a Bush Hog brand I found along the road several years back I will eventually adapt to it.

I don't really use it much anymore,since getting a Shaver post driver. Just for end posts from telephone pole butts, and these anchors.