Make a post hole digger?

tnhomestead · Mar 20, 2008

Found where I can get the gear box, cant bend pipe tho, has anyone made tone and can I do it with a straight pipe or square tubing? I just cant see why a hand held digger is 200 and one for the tractor is 400! Thnx in advance for any help!
Greg

shinnlinger · Mar 20, 2008

Homestead,

I will look around the shop, but I did see a book from the 50's somewhere that had had a bunch of farm projects in it. ONe of them was a PHD and it used an automotive rearend as the gearbox. input was where the wheel would have been and the output was the "pumpkin" end. It sat further away from the tractor than a modern one, but it could also dig deeper as a result.

Augers were modified silo augers with leaf springs for the "bussiness end" but these aren't to bad to buy these days but you would proabably need to make your own long ones if you are going to use it with the rig above.

I bet an brush hog gear box would be another good choisce, but now that I think about it Surplus Center had PHD gear boxes for not much bling a while back.

Good luck!

tessiers · Mar 20, 2008

I Priced it both ways from agri supply.

POSTHOLE DIGGER W/9"AUGER 50 HP
**FREIGHT INCLUDED $546.95

PD-24525A 9" AUGER W/SCREW POINT & CUTTING EDGE
**FREIGHT INCLUDED $207.95

40-5793-1 GEAR BOX STD PHD $359.95

exiled · Mar 20, 2008

I built my own posthole digger out of a Ford rearend, small I beam and angle.This is the best picture I have right now. I have a couple more here:http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/jd-owning-operating/116912-breaking-stuff-still-loving.html

txslowpoke · Mar 20, 2008

Checkout harbor freight.com, They sell a cheap pipe bender, upto 2" pipe........mine was 99$ plus tax a few yrs ago.

bobodu · Mar 22, 2008

You can notch and weld square tube,notch and weld round pipe.
You can do what I do....build a fire,toss in the pipe and go have a cup of coffee. When the pipe is nice and hot,bend it under the tractor.
Grandpa never owned a bender and so far neither have I.
You'll most likely have struts coming up from your lift arms anyway so weakening the pipe from the heat should not matter at all.

tnhomestead · Mar 22, 2008

I didnt think of the fire to bend it, just figured I can buy a new gear box for 100 why not make one! Just lost my DOT certification for a bit, Doc says I have diabetes now, so might have some time to work while I decide what I am going to do! Thnx for all the ideas!

Treemonkey1000 · Mar 22, 2008

I was looking at this Stump grinder on a auction place not too far from where I live. I really don't need a stump grinder even though I am in a tree business. But this thing looks pretty tough. It looks like it probably goes on the front of a skidsteer. The hydraulic motor is what interested me. It probably wouldn't be strong enough for a PHD though? If you go to this link they have a little video clip of the thing running.
eBay Store - bidadoo Inc: Industrial Equipment, Construction Equipment, Aerial and Lift Equipment

bx23barry · Mar 25, 2008

exiled said:
I built my own posthole digger out of a Ford rearend, small I beam and angle.This is the best picture I have right now. I have a couple more here:http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/jd-owning-operating/116912-breaking-stuff-still-loving.html

That looks just like the one I bought for $35 at a local antique tractor swap meet. works fine