GaryBDavis
Gold Member
I’m a "been there and done that" PHD guy. I've owned everything from a generic PHD to a $5000 Belltec and a few things in between.
My first PHD was a generic el-cheapo. One day I was digging in hard dirt and having the usual problem of getting the bit to go down. A neighbor came over to do the usual - leaned on it to add some weight. After a few holes, we got lazy and his shirt tail got caught in the PTO shaft. I had already started to push the clutch in to stop the PTO, but it still ripped his shirt off. You should know both my friend and I grew up around farm machinery. That woke me up.
Being the engineering genius I am, I welded on a hydraulic cylinder to make the PHD frame scissor out which put enough down force on the auger to raise the back of my tractor off the ground. Somewhere, I’ve got a picture of it. But the tractor would lean to one side and the hole would get drilled crooked unless I had someone holding the auger straight. Remember my friend from the earlier paragraph? Even though I succeeded in my engineering feat, the PHD was bound to break from the stress. It was just a matter of time before I broke the gear head casting or stripped out the gears themselves.
So, I sold my modified generic PHD and emptied my pockets on a Belltec. It is the only tractor operated PHD digger that can be safely operated by one person and go through almost any rock. Due to the cost, it’s not a practical solution for most folks.
The sad truth is a generic PHD cannot safely and effectively dig in hard soil. Your only options are to pre-drill with smaller holes, use water, or move to a place with soft dirt.
My first PHD was a generic el-cheapo. One day I was digging in hard dirt and having the usual problem of getting the bit to go down. A neighbor came over to do the usual - leaned on it to add some weight. After a few holes, we got lazy and his shirt tail got caught in the PTO shaft. I had already started to push the clutch in to stop the PTO, but it still ripped his shirt off. You should know both my friend and I grew up around farm machinery. That woke me up.
Being the engineering genius I am, I welded on a hydraulic cylinder to make the PHD frame scissor out which put enough down force on the auger to raise the back of my tractor off the ground. Somewhere, I’ve got a picture of it. But the tractor would lean to one side and the hole would get drilled crooked unless I had someone holding the auger straight. Remember my friend from the earlier paragraph? Even though I succeeded in my engineering feat, the PHD was bound to break from the stress. It was just a matter of time before I broke the gear head casting or stripped out the gears themselves.
So, I sold my modified generic PHD and emptied my pockets on a Belltec. It is the only tractor operated PHD digger that can be safely operated by one person and go through almost any rock. Due to the cost, it’s not a practical solution for most folks.
The sad truth is a generic PHD cannot safely and effectively dig in hard soil. Your only options are to pre-drill with smaller holes, use water, or move to a place with soft dirt.
