I need PHD

[lakngulf]

I need a PHD, not the education kind but the kind to dig holes. Is there a place to find them used down in my area? Will need 12 inch auger I think.

 

[300UGUY]

Bigger is better. With a 12 inch auger, I don't have to be as accurate drilling holes, the wiggle room helps.

 

[EddieWalker]

The most important thing when looking at post hole diggers is the tip of the auger. Most of the rest of them is all pretty similar and basic. I have a Leinbach Line that came with a pretty poor auger. I replaced it with a Country Line auger that has replaceable teeth and tip that is just amazing. It cuts through the hardest clay easily.

Tractor Supply sells them and for the most part, I don't like Tractor Supply, but I love this auger and highly recommend it.

I've only had a 12 inch and wouldn't want one any smaller. Getting holes lined up in a straight line, and then drilling them perfectly straight, and having them remain straight as you go down is just about impossible if you do more then two holes in a row. Having a few inches to line up you post makes a huge difference. Even with a 12 inch hole, it's not uncommon to have to dig a little with the clamshells to get it just right.

Eddie

 

[BobG_in_VA]

I have a 12" auger County Line (same model as Eddie)...no joke, if you don't watch it, it will suck the tractor down the hole after it..I was amazed at how fast it digs and I only use it just above idle speed. Good unit. BobG in VA

 

[lakngulf]

I have a 12" auger County Line (same model as Eddie)...no joke, if you don't watch it, it will suck the tractor down the hole after it..I was amazed at how fast it digs and I only use it just above idle speed. Good unit. BobG in VA

Tractor Supply has PHD for about $470 and 12 inch auger for $180. Given the number of holes I need to dig 650 to 700 is probably a pretty good price. Afterwards I could probably sell it on ebay

 

[Buggs67]

I saw one on Craigs list around here which is surprising.

 

[GreenWannabe]

When I was looking for a decent PHD with a 12" auger, I had no luck at all finding a used one I could afford within 400 to 500 miles. My dealer sells Rhino, and used one of his stock units to dig two holes for a new sign he needed to put up. He couldn't sell it as new after that, so he put it in one of his quarterly auctions, and I got it for just a little more than I wanted to pay. So I now have a practically new PHD for a used or less price.

Point is, I would check with your local dealers, see what they might have available. You could luck into a bargain.

Good luck.

 

[lakngulf]

The most important thing when looking at post hole diggers is the tip of the auger. Most of the rest of them is all pretty similar and basic. I have a Leinbach Line that came with a pretty poor auger. I replaced it with a Country Line auger that has replaceable teeth and tip that is just amazing. It cuts through the hardest clay easily.

Tractor Supply sells them and for the most part, I don't like Tractor Supply, but I love this auger and highly recommend it.

I've only had a 12 inch and wouldn't want one any smaller. Getting holes lined up in a straight line, and then drilling them perfectly straight, and having them remain straight as you go down is just about impossible if you do more then two holes in a row. Having a few inches to line up you post makes a huge difference. Even with a 12 inch hole, it's not uncommon to have to dig a little with the clamshells to get it just right.

Eddie

Indeed I did got to Tractor Supply. Couple years back I was able to talk them into a discount on a bush hog and a tiller, but they would not come off the $700 (tax included) price for the post hole diggers and auger. Nine digs so far so I am at $78 per hole, and that will go down considerably with the projects I have over the next few months.

 

[Scrambler82]

Indeed I did got to Tractor Supply. Couple years back I was able to talk them into a discount on a bush hog and a tiller, but they would not come off the $700 (tax included) price for the post hole diggers and auger. Nine digs so far so I am at $78 per hole, and that will go down considerably with the projects I have over the next few months.

lakngulf,

Keep us posted on how the TSC PHD works out.
I was looking at them and not sure yet.
I like the ETA PHD, looks rugged, $760 w/6" auger, they claim heavy duty built.

Ltr

 

[Haoleguy]

Recently I saw a Danuser F8 reconditioned for around $750. It is a brute of a pto PHD and cannot be stopped. At the moment I'm using one that my orchard buddies have loaned me and I can tell you it is a little bit of a hassle to hook up as it weighs >300#. Another thing I've found is that for my Landini Mistral 50 I cannot get 48 inch vertical clearance to do a vertical post but I am able to do a steep angle which is what I need it for. So depending on the tractor you're using and the weight of the PHD you might find some are better for your tractor and easier to get on. At the end of the day if I had some extra cash laying around I would go for a hydraulic PHD that I could put on my bucket. That way you get easy maneuverability, clearance out the wahzoo, easy angling, down pressure, and reversibility.

 

[Indygunworks]

Try using SearchTempest: Search all of Craigslist nationwide & more you can set the limits to w/in say 75 miles and search ALL the craigslist adds within that radius.

 

[lakngulf]

Keep us posted on how the TSC PHD works out.
I was looking at them and not sure yet.

Used the TSC PHD at two locations: 1. in edge of old hay field where I am building a pole barn 2. in lake bed in front of my existing concrete block seawall. I was pleased with how it operated, especially after I remembered some of the techniques to get the hole in the right place. The sandy loam soil of the hay field was no challenge to the auger, easily dug holes more than 3 feet deep. Still have to be aware of the angle of the auger to get a straight hole. There is quite a bit of play in the setup on my 3pt hitch, so kinda like pinning the tale on a donkey to get the right spot.

The lake bed was a different story. Got six holes drilled at good depth but the dig was more challenging. Had to maneuver the up and down of the 3pt hitch to "throw out" some dirt to allow more digging. I was on a bit of an incline so digging a straight hole was almost impossible. On one hole I let the auger dig too deep before clearing out the dirt and the auger got caught on a rock. Snapped the shear pin in short order. Put in another pin and snap. Repeat, snap. I did a little research and learned that I needed to turn the auger in reverse with a big pipe wrench. Had to use a pipe with the wrench to get the leverage needed, but was able to break it loose.

Got some holes dug, and there is NO WAY I could have dug them that deep with hole diggers.

 

[sd455dan]

I bought a Lienbach from the Smart Farmer.com
and that came with the 12 inch auger for under $500 delivered to a local business about 4 years ago

it has been a great PHD. I do agree on the real hard packed ground that the augers could be a bit better at cutting through.

Looks like they have a special going right now for $599- that includes your choice of auger- not a bad price... phone# 865-761-0020

 

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

I have a Farmstar/Worksaver brand that I bought at one of the box farm stores. I bought it with a 12'' auger and the auger lasted about 500 holes through KY rock and red clay. I replaced the teeth twice. I welded some brackets on the "bend" to hang some suitcase weights to help it dig in hard ground. I have used my hand diggers to start a "pilot hole" a few inches deep on hillsides where it may "craw" away. The reason for a 12" auger is because I use a lot 6" post, that just gives you 3" of "wiggle" at best.

 

[Fallon]

I bought a Lienbach from the Smart Farmer.com
and that came with the 12 inch auger for under $500 delivered to a local business about 4 years ago

it has been a great PHD. I do agree on the real hard packed ground that the augers could be a bit better at cutting through.

Looks like they have a special going right now for $599- that includes your choice of auger- not a bad price... phone# 865-761-0020

Leinbach went under last summer. I was looking for a hydraulic down pressure kit for mine, but was to late.

Good PHD though. Got mine from a friend for $300 with a 9" augur. Got a 2nd boom from Craigslist for $20. Chopped one up & re-fit it to work on my quick hitch (only feasible if you have a hydraulic top link). Haven't run it on the QH yet though. Have a pile of fence waiting & the spare boom if it doesn't work out.

You can see photos of mine at the end of the thread. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/327212-quick-hitch-3-point-hole-2.html

 

[sd455dan]

Wow -i am surprised that the smart farmer still has them advertised... Maybe they bought up the stock??

Any way checked out the down pressure thread, really like that mod with a quick hitch and hydraulic top link. Very impressive mod.

If i do much more fence post work i may be modifying my PHD thanks for the link


-- always something new to learn on TBN :thumbsup:

 

[varmint]

Fallon, I looked at your power down mods, and I am impressed! Looks like a good setup. My phd is heavy beast, but there have been times when I had to lean on the control arm trying to get it to bite into a rock. Tree roots have been my bane, and I carry a pipe wrench when I did around trees, just to unwind the auger if it gets caught. Saves shear bolts.

 

[Fallon]

Thanks, although I was just copying the basic design from somebody else on here.

Finished welding on the braces this weekend & started sandblasting it. Just need to finish the blasting & paint it. Then I'm done with until spring when the fencing project resumes.