Lubricant for auger

[b2910]

What is the recommended lubricant to use in a Shaver Auger, I believe it is the Mouse model. I haven't used mine recently and need to drill some holes now and thought it would be worthwhile to check the lubricant if I can figure out the fill plug location, etc. I am thinking something like 90 weight gearcase oil would be right but am not too certain. Thanks for any advice.

 

[77bronco]

My Bush Hog auger uses 90w gear oil, so I would think that is what most of them would use.

 

[Soundguy]

I'd always advixe to check your manual.. but in leiu of that.. 80w90 in non severe usage variable, and 85/140 in more severe usage variables.

soundguy

 

[Sandlot]

I copied this right out of my Gearmore auger manual.

GEARBOX -
Fill gearbox with gear oil. Use SAE #140 multigear lubricant or equivalent.
Gear oil should be changed after 500 hours of use.

 

[b2910]

Thanks for the replies. I did some more searching and found my owners manual, or what was given to me as the manual for the PHD. At the time of the purchase the PHD was just a model 301 it appears, which is now called the "Mole", I thought it was a "Mouse" based on the short auger bit. In my manual it says to use SAE 90 EP oil and to replace it after the first 50 hours of use. I don't think I have that many hours on it yet, probably closer to 10-20 so I will just top it off for now and use it some, then replace the oil. I have a lot of holes to dig in some pretty hard Atlanta area clay. My one man hand held auger didn't cut in more than about 12" on the softest spot I happened to try and just about wrenched my shoulders out of place doing that, so I am hoping this will be my saviour since digging by hand is too slow and way too much work in this 95 degree heat.

And if any of you have some advice on another aspect of this project I would appreciate your experience and wisdom for it. My existing auger bit is a 9" but most of the posts I want to put in will be 4x4 pressure treated. I do plan on using 6x6 posts at certain intervals, corners, potential gates, etc. where the 9" auger seems fine. However that size auger really leaves a big hole for a 4x4 so I bought a 6" bit at a nearby TSC store that is made for a different PHD. This 6" bit is too long for my tractor/PHD combination, and the attachment point seems to be a larger diameter than my Shaver gear box output shaft. On this new auger bit the attachment point is a larger pipe welded onto the shaft and the shaft appears to be the same diameter as the original Shaver shaft which directly mounts to its gear box shaft. So my plan is to cut off the oversized pipe section and drill the needed holes into the shaft to attach it to my Shaver.

What I don't know is if the shaft on the 6" bit is as heavy a gauge as the Shaver bit so it may not hold up too well. I also may need to cut off a few inches at the top of the fluting for good clearance between it and the safety shield/gear box. If the shaft is thin material then it no doubt will tear up quickly but I can't determine that without drilling a hole through it making it impossible to return the bit to the TSC store for a refund. Any advice on this plan is welcome.

 

[Soundguy]

I don't think I'd be cutting into the fluted part.

just resizing the shaft and adding a cou8pler pipe.. I'd not be too scared about.

thinner material for a smaller auger seems ok.. again.. just my opinions.

soundguy

 

[b2910]

I don't think I'd be cutting into the fluted part.

just resizing the shaft and adding a cou8pler pipe.. I'd not be too scared about.

thinner material for a smaller auger seems ok.. again.. just my opinions.

soundguy

I'm curious why you wouldn't cut into the fluted part? My reason for that is that the 6" auger is too long for my tractor, Kubota B2910. The 9" auger bit is a short design and I can remember the tractor salesman, owner, telling me I had to use a short auger for this size tractor. If I cut off the top six inches of the coupler pipe it might be short enough but I think the flutes might hit the guard and certainly would drive dirt up against the gear box.

I was just looking at the Shaver 9" bit after I took it off and measured the shaft which is 1 3/8" ID and 2 3/8" OD, 1/2" thick wall. The new bit has a 2" ID and actually has a sleeve welded onto the shaft as the coupler to strengthen it and the ID seems to be the same for the entire length. So the auger bit is much lighter weight material but that probably is not a big issue for a 6" auger but if I cut off the coupler portion it will be too weak most likely for the stress at the coupler.

So my option maybe to put a sleeve inside, probably would use a piece of galvanized pipe if I can find the right size. Since I don't have my welder hooked up, and it has been years since I welded anything, I wouldn't take that option despite being the best one (wouldn't use galvinized). Instead I would just put in a couple of bolts through the shaft and the insert.

I am not too crazy about that option and am thinking of visiting a better tractor store to see what they might have. I saw a thread about a place selling box blades at a good price which I currently have a use for so if they still have them I could accomplish two things. I haven't checked the distance yet, maybe way too far for a long day trip. Thanks for your advice on not cutting the spline, I will note it.

 

[Soundguy]

you asked my opinion and I gave it. IMHO.. you will not get a strong joint if you are cutting down into the fluted parts.. especially if not welding it.

on smaller tractors.. not all big implements can be made to work.. just a fact o' life.

soundguy

 

[b2910]

Thanks for the advice, I truly believe you about not all attachments will work with a small tractor. Seems a bit tricky to find a short 6" auger bit with a 1 3/8" ID coupler joint so I may give it a shot. I think I may have worded my plan poorly as well. Basically I want to cut off a portion of the pipe and also remove a portion of the spiral metal at the top so it won't hit the shields or drag dirt up to the gear box. I won't be cutting the pipe down that low, just recreating the same clearance aspect between the coupler and the auger spiral. This is a great forum, the DIY section looks like a great place for inspiration.

 

[b2910]

I hate to start a new thread to ask a question about my auger again, but maybe that is the preferred method. However here is my question using my old thread: I broke the shear bolt on my Shaver auger and I'm in the process of replacing it when I noticed the manual shows a "Roll Pin" as well as the shear bolt. This roll pin doesn't seem to be connecting the PTO shaft to the gearbox drive like the shear bolt does so what is it's purpose?

Just to finish up on my old topic of using a longer auger bit, I had struggled to make a coupler to attach the new larger ID auger bit to my auger and happened to find that the dealer had given me an adapter for this very purpose. That was several years ago and at the time I didn't really know what it was for. Right now I wish I had some spare shear bolts, seems like a 1/4" bolt is a bit small but a 5/16" won't quite fit. I bought some 1/4" bolts and am going to try that out but am concerned about deforming the auger shaft hole, not to mention that the bolt seems kind of small to do the job.

 

[Soundguy]

if the 1/4" bolt is loose.. don't use it.. it will shock shear fast and you run the risk of galling metal and elongating the hole.

is the roll pin a method to keep the auger attached to the shaft even when the shear pin dies? i see circlips used for this purpose many times.

find the correct OD and grade pin ... save yourself some headaches.

soundguy

 

[Chilly807]

Mine has the shear bolt connecting the PTO shaft to the gearbox. The roll pin is there so that when the shear bolt breaks the PTO shaft remains in place on the gearbox input shaft and doesn't drop down.

If I'd seen this thread earlier I would have advised you to save some money and use the 9 inch auger for the 4x4 posts. It gives you some room for error, and if you tamp around the post when you refill the hole it'll be pretty solid.

I've got some 6x6 posts to set later this year and plan on getting a 12 inch auger for that job. I currently have a 9 inch.

If the owner's manual doesn't specify what to use for shear bolts I'd be surprised. Mine are 3/8 x 2.5, grade 2 bolts.

Sean

 

[b2910]

Mine has the shear bolt connecting the PTO shaft to the gearbox. The roll pin is there so that when the shear bolt breaks the PTO shaft remains in place on the gearbox input shaft and doesn't drop down.

If I'd seen this thread earlier I would have advised you to save some money and use the 9 inch auger for the 4x4 posts. It gives you some room for error, and if you tamp around the post when you refill the hole it'll be pretty solid.

I've got some 6x6 posts to set later this year and plan on getting a 12 inch auger for that job. I currently have a 9 inch.

If the owner's manual doesn't specify what to use for shear bolts I'd be surprised. Mine are 3/8 x 2.5, grade 2 bolts.

Sean

Thanks to both Soundguy and Chilly807 for the advice and what the roll pin is for; I believe you're right but I don't fully understand how it works. I need to look at the point of attachment again very closely. The gearbox drive shaft has a deep groove in it that would appear to be for a ring to hold the PTO shaft to the gearbox when the shear pin breaks; but the roll pin wouldn't seem to serve that purpose because it is listed as 3/16 x 2 which is long enough to pass all the way through from side to side of the connection. In addition I didn't think the hole for this roll pin aligns with the groove.

And now for a new question. The first time I used the 6" auger it snapped the shear pin very quickly and I had a hard time getting the auger bit out of the ground. I had tried drilling a smaller hole at the bottom of a hole my 9" auger bit had made. I understand the logic of using a larger bit to make the hole so you have room for adjustment - and that is what I will be doing it seems. However when I manage to drill a very vertical hole in this clay it is like a concrete tube in the ground that the post can drop into - I have only successfully made 9" holes. I am using 8' long 4x4s and only need 4' above the ground so I was hoping to drill about 3' deep and have a post almost completely solid just by its depth, minimal packing of rock around it. I am not using concrete, would take a lot of concrete per hole and I will ultimately have about 250 posts.

So I chalked up snapping the shear pin to redrilling a hole, probably a bad practice anyway. Today I was able to work on this project again and had put in that 1/4" shear bolt with the 6" auger bit and tried a new hole. As soon as the auger bit into the earth it spiraled down and I could not raise it. I clutched the PTO to stop the driving action but the 3PT would not raise the bit at all. So since I had read about others getting their bits stuck and using a large pipe wrench to get it out and I had done this the first time, I did that again. I did use the 3PT to help power up the bit while I unscrewed it with the pipe wrench, a dangerous practice at best but turning the bit without that upward pull resulted in nothing but a lot work on my part. I got the bit out and very carefully tried drilling the same hole again, feathering the 3PT as best as I could. As soon as the auger bit into the earth or maybe it's tree roots, it buried itself again. Repeated removal process.

I usually operate the auger at a very low speed, probably 1000 tractor rpm and the 540 setting is about 2200. So I thought maybe the speed is too slow and is allowing it to grab the earth like a wood screw rather than like a drill bit. I sped it up to about 1500 RPM - same problem but faster. Now with this new auger bit the cutting bits are sharp and square and they actually seem to extend outside of the radius of the spiral flutes. So is it possible that with new blades the action of the auger is harder to control? The 9" bit has worn blades but they still work fine for me. I am going to give up on the 6" auger and just do a lot of packing around my posts since I know that works even if it is extra work. Is there a secret to drilling a smaller hole such as higher PTO speed? Is it a result of my tractor being too small for this size bit in terms of shaft length, the 9" is only 24" of but the 6" has at least 36" of drilling depth. My 3PT has two holes where the top link (boom in this case) can connect, I usually use the higher one but for this longer bit I discovered that I gained some auger height by using the lower hole. This may come at a cost of leverage for the 3PT but I don't think my tractor has enough power to stop this bit from burying itself no matter what. My tractor has 29hp and is a cat 1 3PT from what I understand. A new bigger tractor is not going to be my solution, now I am just curious why a smaller hole is harder to drill than a larger hole.

I spent the rest of the afternoon getting the 6" bit off the auger, the auger tube bolt got bent, 1/2" and nice snug fit, and I couldn't get it out. I ended up cutting off both ends and then drilling the bolt out. I used a spare 1/4" shear pin bolt as a drift punch but that only moved the bolt about 1/2". I will take a look at my "undersized" shear pin wear on the connection but if it is a problem I really seem to be in a quandry since 1/4" is loose and 5/16" won't fit, not many bolts inbetween those two sizes. Thanks for all your advice and tips.

 

[Soundguy]

low rpm, and little bites at a tim... don't be turning 540 or it will screw it right into the ground... just take a few inches at a time then lift to clean out the hole.. etc.

soudnguy

 

[Chilly807]

It sounds like you're on the steep side of the learning curve, but it'll get better.

The trouble with the 6 inch auger is that there is less resistance for it to go into the ground (easier digging) so it really hogs in. Chris is right, dig at just above an idle unless the ground is really hard, and allow the bit to only go in maybe 6 inches at a time.

Where is your shear pin located? On the input shaft of the gearbox or on the output side? Mine (Kubota BL80A) has a single shear bolt on the input shaft, and two 1/2 inch bolts securing the auger to the output shaft.

Generally speaking the drive ratio is about 3:1, so 540 on the PTO = 180 on the auger shaft. I usually dig just over idle, maybe 1500 rpm or a bit less in soft ground. If it's flinty hard (like now) I'll get up close to 2000 rpm if digging is slow. My PTO speed is 540 rpm at 2350 engine rpm.

The roll pin goes thru the driveshaft yoke, and runs in a groove on the gearbox input shaft on my phd, once the shaft is in place the roll pin can be installed.

You may not have the original drive shaft for your auger, which would explain things not lining up right. Don't know how you'd use the roll pin then, if at all. It's a safety feature to keep things together when the shear pin breaks.

Pics might help.

Sean

 

[b2910]

low rpm, and little bites at a tim... don't be turning 540 or it will screw it right into the ground... just take a few inches at a time then lift to clean out the hole.. etc.

soudnguy

It sounds like you're on the steep side of the learning curve, but it'll get better.

The trouble with the 6 inch auger is that there is less resistance for it to go into the ground (easier digging) so it really hogs in. Chris is right, dig at just above an idle unless the ground is really hard, and allow the bit to only go in maybe 6 inches at a time.

Where is your shear pin located? On the input shaft of the gearbox or on the output side? Mine (Kubota BL80A) has a single shear bolt on the input shaft, and two 1/2 inch bolts securing the auger to the output shaft.

Generally speaking the drive ratio is about 3:1, so 540 on the PTO = 180 on the auger shaft. I usually dig just over idle, maybe 1500 rpm or a bit less in soft ground. If it's flinty hard (like now) I'll get up close to 2000 rpm if digging is slow. My PTO speed is 540 rpm at 2350 engine rpm.

The roll pin goes thru the driveshaft yoke, and runs in a groove on the gearbox input shaft on my phd, once the shaft is in place the roll pin can be installed.

You may not have the original drive shaft for your auger, which would explain things not lining up right. Don't know how you'd use the roll pin then, if at all. It's a safety feature to keep things together when the shear pin breaks.

Pics might help.

Sean

I may get a chance to look at the auger again later today, but I think the roll pin may be on the side riding in the groove which would serve the purpose. The Shaver manual doesn't have a real detailed picture of that part and the pin is gone now, presumable when the shear bolt broke. The shear bolt is loose in the auger drive shaft, the PTO drive shaft has a larger hole. Maybe there is supposed to be a little slack for the shear bolt, I was expecting it to be pretty snug but that might make it difficult to insert. The 1/4" bolt I am using seems to have worked so far, only a #2 hardness I believe but it is galvanized. I will probably keep looking for something better.

I have been operating the auger at just above idle, the problem seems to be that once I lower the 3PT enough for it to start biting into the ground it screws itself into the ground overpowering the 3PT hitch's ability to hold it back. I am wondering if I used the old cutting bits from the 9" auger if it would be less agressive, not bite in so well? I will just use my 9" auger for now since it seemed to work OK before. I haven't tried it since I had all the problems with the 6". Thanks for the suggestions and explanations, if I can't figure out the roll pin I will try taking a photo of the connection pieces.

 

[Soundguy]

don't let it bite too much.. just take like 3" bites till you have a feel for it.

soundguy

 

[Chilly807]

If the auger is biting hard enough to pull the 3 ph down, you may have a problem with the 3 ph, I've never heard of one doing that. Mine will stall the tractor if it hogs in too hard, but that's only happened once. I ended up backing out the auger by hand that time. Not fun.

Sean

 

[b2910]

If the auger is biting hard enough to pull the 3 ph down, you may have a problem with the 3 ph, I've never heard of one doing that. Mine will stall the tractor if it hogs in too hard, but that's only happened once. I ended up backing out the auger by hand that time. Not fun.

Sean

I hope that is not the case, 3PT having a problem, it can pick up my box blade easily and I have used it to pick up a PTO driven chipper that must weigh over a 1000lbs. When this is happening I think the front end is starting to lift off the ground. I don't know how much lift a cat 1 3PT would have but it seems to operate at an extreme mechanical disadvantage turning a splined shaft to rotate the arms up and down.

I won't get a chance to work on this project until Tuesday and then I will try my 9" auger again, if it has problems then I may have to suspect that I have somehow damaged my 3PT hitch. I hope not. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Chilly807]

I doubt that it is actually damaged, so I wouldn't worry too much in the meantime.

What has happened to me before is that the auger is turning and not digging in immediately, so I feed it a little too much downward with the position lever. Of course, the auger doesn't actually move down until whatever it's chewing on gives up, then it digs pretty fast, so much so that by the time I realized it was hogging in it was too late.

On a few occasions where it screwed itself into the ground, I have had luck with holding the position control in the raise position and bumping the PTO clutch, it pulled the auger free after a couple of turns. The L3400 is a bit heavier than the B2910, so that helps too.

Usually what I try to do now is dig a pilot hole in the sod if it's tough and thick. It does two things, first it puts the auger exactly where I want to start the hole with no skipping and sliding around at first (works well on hillsides), and secondly it starts to dig right away. If it starts to bounce on a rock or root, I'll feed in enough down travel that it can dislodge the rock, and maybe go another 6 inches but that's about it.

Once it has clear digging again I feed it down normally.

Sean