Has anyone built there own PTO Auger?

[BC Dave]

Has anyone built there own PTO Auger?

I have a small 18hp 4wd Yanmar with FEL & box grader ... very happy with her so far despite electrical problemo's; but would like to install some posts without breaking the budget ... I havnt seen an augger for under 500;

Im looking for about a 8-12in hole 3-4 ft deep ...

500 seems pricy for a small job; looking to buy the augger 100? and spend another 100 on parts; it would seem to me to be a fairly straigt forward build; right?

 

[hddnis]

You might look into making it hydro powered off of the FEL control. Maybe mount it hanging in place of the bucket and use the bucket curl circuit to run the auger. You would have cost of hoses and a motor. Your motor will need to be able to handle thrust loads, or else have a thrust bearing on the shaft to protect the motor.



Mr. HE

 

[boggen]

augur is a cheap part.

the frame is a cheap part.

the expensive thing is the gear box at least it seemed to me a couple weeks back, when double checking things before i bought one.

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the other large problem. is 3pt connection on back of tractor. and then as you lower the auger or rather as the hole gets dug and the auger lowers. is trying to keep the auger itself straight.

if you place your pivot spots in wrong place. it could be a rather painful chore of moving forward and backwards to keep the auger in place. and relying more heavily on a second person (spotter) to keep the auger straight.

another problem. is making sure the frame work can handle the augers vibrations.

and last. is making sure the "pto shaft" does not bind up.

and if the gear box has a handle on it. making sure you have place for it. to help position the auger.

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500 is not that bad. considering, Pto shaft, gear box, frame, auger in a bundled deal. it is a good amount of metal. and takes time to bend and weld, drill holes, etc...

though having easily replaceable teeth on auger bit comes in handy.

 

[bcp]

Lots have been made from a car rear axle, like this one.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/178171-vehicle-rear-end-post-hole.html

Bruce

 

[BC Dave]

thanks; the more info the merrier I am :thumbsup:

keep the advice comming ... yes on reading posts I can see there (always) is more to it than meets the eye ...

Like the rear diff idea; how would you engage / disengage the PTO or Diff so you could stop the augger from spinning?

Also like the idea of being able to front mount but then you couldnt use the rear PTO ... dont have a front pto

 

[bcp]

t

Like the rear diff idea; how would you engage / disengage the PTO or Diff so you could stop the augger from spinning?

That is handled at the tractor PTO internal mechanism, same as the commercial units.

Bruce

 

[BC Dave]

That is handled at the tractor PTO internal mechanism, same as the commercial units.

Bruce

.... ! ....

... of course... off & on with the PTO lever!

 

[hosspuller]

I like the handle that allows the operator to tilt the auger. Cool feature. Does the auger have a shear bolt somewhere ? I would be concerned about getting the auger stuck and breaking the tractor's PTO. Something will have to give. I like it to be $.05 bolts rather than the PTO.

 

[Short Game]

I bought a 13 inch auger from an old guy for $20. He'd built it himself many years ago. The arch was a bent Model A front axle and the lower 3pt pins were the original kingpins. The boom was made up from two old Ford truck drive lines. The gearbox was a '47 or earlier Ford truck differential, filled with grease. He told me the auger bit came on the train from Texas.

The arch was made by putting the drop forged front axle into a hot fire and bending it. He warned me that it was going to be too weak, as it no longer had any temper, so I reinforced it after I bent it the first time I used it. I replaced the rusted out hollow kingpins with regular 3pt pins. Other than those two things, it's worked great for me.

Next time I use it I'll get some pics.

 

[boggen]

Also like the idea of being able to front mount but then you couldnt use the rear PTO ... dont have a front pto

That is handled at the tractor PTO internal mechanism, same as the commercial units.Bruce

... of course... off & on with the PTO lever!

i have not actually looked at FEL mounted augers that much, nor ones that mount to a backhoe were a bucket would go.

but if you had an auger with a hyd motor on it. you could get a PTO pump (much like what 3pt backhoes use) and run rather long hoses up to the hyd motor on fel that is running the auger.

or perhaps get another valve / lever and tie into the joystick / levers for fel. and go that way if your tractor has enough PSI and flow rate. and in that skip the PTO hyd pump on back of tractor.

on a side note. kinda prefer having PHD on the rear of tractor. allows me easier view of what the auger is doing. i have a hard enough time trying to estimate what edge of the front bucket is when i am doing something (trying to look over front tires, and around engine of tractor) let alone a auger might be doing. other words, prefer being able to see dirt coming up and out. or if i need to raise auger up and out a couple times to clean hole. or if i hit very hard compacted dirt or what not. though I never have ran a FEL mounted auger before. but *shrugs*

wishes he had a skid steer were PHD is front mounted and right there in front to easily see what is going on. and motor is behind the driver.

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I like the handle that allows the operator to tilt the auger. Cool feature. Does the auger have a shear bolt somewhere ? I would be concerned about getting the auger stuck and breaking the tractor's PTO. Something will have to give. I like it to be $.05 bolts rather than the PTO.

for me shear bolt = the bolt that actual holds the auger (drill bit) onto the gear box.

for the PTO shaft ends, i have skipped shear bolts and went with a stronger bolts. to hold ends of PTO shaft on. due to constantly shortening or lengthening the PTO shaft. and not wanting the shaft to some how disconnect and wrap up on me due to an end came loose / fell off.

for me the handle is only used, when i first drop the auger down onto the ground to position the tip of the auger. once it is down, i turn on the PTO, to get the auger to spin, and i never touch the handle again. hand is way to close to the PTO shaft. and to much bouncing around to were I could easily get wrapped around the PTO shaft and die.

to note it, for this old allis chalmers CA 1950's tractor i have had to bend the handle in a couple different spots. so handle stays further away from PTO shaft, but also when i fully raise the PHD, the handle does not come and whack me in back of head as i drive down the lane.

i take above back, i will bungee the handle to the frame. if i have a long drive. so the auger is not constantly swinging back and forth. but once at work site will unbungee. and just used for that initial positioning thing.