Hole digger won't dig- ?

ytr1903 · Jan 30, 2008

I don't know if this is a problem to be solved or a solution to the problem in this thread, but here goes. I have an old Farmall M with a 3ph conversion and 2 way hydraulics. The conversion operates from a two way hydraulic cylinder. Recently, I found a 3ph post hole digger at an auction, but have not had a reason to try it out yet. I keep reading about applying downward force to the digger in order to get it to dig. Wouldn't the two-way hydraulics accomplish this by pushing down on the 3ph and thereby helping the auger to dig?

Thanks,
Tom

Heywood Jannockitov · Jan 30, 2008

I do all of my post hole digging in the spring

I have hardpan clay about 18 inches below the topsoil and I start all of the post holes by hand with a shovel. I dig a hole the same diameter as the auger and dig below the grass roots. Otherwise the roots plug the teeth and auger point won't pull down into the ground. I have to pull the roots out of the teeth. I then replace the teeth after 40 or 50 holes and it works like new again. I've tried sharpening the teeth but doesn't seem to work as good as new ones. I would be hesitant to apply too much down pressure to a 3 pt. auger that was not designed to handle that kind of stress on the gearbox. I scrambled the gears on one auger after the cast arch inside the gearcase that supports the input shaft's inner bearing snapped from excessive down pressure. A hydraulic auger attachment on a skid steer is the ticket for sure. I have ordered a skid steer QA plate for the loader on my JD 5425, and maybe some day I'll invest in a hydraulic auger and attach it to the FEL. Does anyone else do this already? My only concern is that a spotter is needed to direct the placement of the auger point since my guess is that the driver can't see the mark on the ground in front of the tractor.

Gsquared · Jan 30, 2008

I have a 3 point PHD and just finished digging 13 holes for my new pole barn in the same red clay. I am about 50 miles south of Hillsborro. The clay is from 1.5 to 2.5 feet below ground and I have sandy loam with good costal grass. The PHD goes down to the clay in seconds and then stops. I don't live there and so only can do this on weekends. One time it had just rained and it dug down a lot better. So the next hole, I added about 2 gallons of water after it hit the clay. It dug through the clay really fast until the auger filled up with clay and wouldn't convey it out of the hole. It took a lot of effort to get it off, enough that I went back to a dry hole the next time. Maybe the answer is some water but not too much? I have also due a few holes where I did not hit clay and instead of digging for an hour or so to get 3.5 feet, it digs it out in seconds so it isn't the auger or the bits, just this really tough red brick clay.

srjones · Jan 30, 2008

A different tip could make all the difference in the world. In woodworking terms, it's like the difference between drilling with a forstner bit verses a self feeding auger bit.

G McCall · Feb 5, 2008

WELL...I got the hole in the ground and all is well...

Here is what we did :

First we sharpened the blades at the bottom, which we were told are too worn and now too short.

Then we bought a very long 1" dia. bit and placed it in my DeWalt HD Cordless Drill. Lowered the POD and drilled a shallow hole with the tractor and POD(all the time wishing the POD would just go down another 3 1/2" feet

)

We then drilled the center of the whole as deep as we could with the 12" long bit with the cordless drill.

Then we attached (wrachet straps) a 4" x 4" x 10 feet treated post onto the POD with it hanging off the back, lowered the POD and began to drill. At the same time two people pulled down on the 4x4 post hanging off the back.
OSHA would not approve. I had my hand on the PTO drive handle if a problem occured.

We had to stop and clean the hole a few times but the drilling went very quick this way. One other thing I did is that when it appeared the hydraulic arms would lower no more, I tilted my bucket down and raised the front of the tractor. This shoved the POD into the whole even further.

It worked for me.

For the future I plan to buy new blades for the POD and weld a basket onto the POD to add weight.

john_bud · Feb 5, 2008

Glad you got it done.

If you keep using the PHD that way, be sure to update your will so the executor will know to update us at TBN on the progress

jb

RonR · Feb 5, 2008

We have HARD clay. 20 yrs ago, when we moved here, I rented a tractor and PHD to put in a fence. From what I know now, the digging teeth must have been shot. We spun and spun it, adding weight--nothing. Some holes were only 6" deep.

We tried filling them with water and letting it sit overnight. Next morning, the holes were still level full of water.

Fast forward to now. I have a Bota and PHD. At idle, it will sink a hole 30" deep in mere seconds. New teeth are the ticket.

ron

rox · Feb 5, 2008

G McCall said:
WELL...I got the hole in the ground and all is well...

Here is what we did :

First we sharpened the blades at the bottom, which we were told are too worn and now too short.

Then we bought a very long 1" dia. bit and placed it in my DeWalt HD Cordless Drill. Lowered the POD and drilled a shallow hole with the tractor and POD(all the time wishing the POD would just go down another 3 1/2" feet )

We then drilled the center of the whole as deep as we could with the 12" long bit with the cordless drill.

Then we attached (wrachet straps) a 4" x 4" x 10 feet treated post onto the POD with it hanging off the back, lowered the POD and began to drill. At the same time two people pulled down on the 4x4 post hanging off the back.
OSHA would not approve. I had my hand on the PTO drive handle if a problem occured.

We had to stop and clean the hole a few times but the drilling went very quick this way. One other thing I did is that when it appeared the hydraulic arms would lower no more, I tilted my bucket down and raised the front of the tractor. This shoved the POD into the whole even further.

It worked for me.

For the future I plan to buy new blades for the POD and weld a basket onto the POD to add weight.

I gotta ask, who were the two people who hung onto a timber post while a PHD was twirling it around?? Surely they had to be family, I can't imagine a neighbor or a freind agreeing to this. Also FWIW, shakes head, I think you are crazy. Now don't take it as an insult or a slam, it is said in the, shakes head and mumbles tone, "Man those people are crazy"

Superduper · Feb 5, 2008

Habits, once established are hard to break. You had trouble getting the auger to go down but there are many other users who have had the auger catch and drill down so fast that it screwed itself into the ground in a split instant. Should this happen with two dudes doing pull-ups on a 4x4 post, the outcome might not be so happy. The next hole you drill with different climatic and spot soil conditions might not be so predictable.

sandman2234 · Feb 6, 2008

I am one of those that drilled with the PHD and got it stuck. (with a Ford 1100). Tractor sure could have used some front end weight to help llift it out, no wait, the hydraulics wouldn't pick it up anyway, so I was just in trouble. Time to break out the shovel, lol!!
David from jax