PHD tried to dig to China and take my tractor with it...

[KeithInSpace]

I certainly appreciate everyone's responses. Yes, Mr. AceDeuce, this was the maiden voyage of the PHD you sold me.

After reading the wonderfully helpful posts, it seems I was doing a few things right and a few wrong.
Right: --RPMs down (not idle, but not WOT)--Go slow
Wrong:--Left 3PH hydraulics "open"--Not clearing soil periodically

To clarify: I didn't just let the 3PH drop at whatever rate it wanted. I had the control valve fully closed, then just cracked it enough to get the auger to drop. Two theories: 1) Though I thought the 3PH was controlling the drop rate, maybe the auger wasn't dropping as fast, then it "caught up" in a bite. Or 2) Everything was going OK, but when it DID find something to bite on, it was able to drop down swiftly (rather than break up whatever it hit) because it had that ever so small orifice through the control valve to suck fluid through.

Of course all this was augmented by the presence of 80# of soil built up on the flights...I was over 18" down and had very little soil on the surface. I was thinking of "clearing" it at the very moment that all this happened.

At the end of the day, leaving the 3PH valve open is bad, bad, bad. And so is leaving the soil in the hole, pulling the auger down.

I'll try it again soon, armed to the gills with all this wonderful knowledge. I very much appreciate your thoughts, Mr. AceDeuce, given your experience with this exact unit on a BX1500. I am 100% convinced of critical user error.

 

[stimpee]

yep, read about this a few times on TBN and dceided it was probably more fun to read about than to, so I bought the hydraulic.

I still lift it and clear it every foot or so. Nice to have a laborer helping with the process

How much can you get a hydraulic skid-steer style PHD for, that will work on a B3030 with LA403?

Just wondering what the payback is on number of holes you need to dig before it becomes a worthwhile investment!

Probably just need to get a 3point auger stuck only once, and then the hydraulic unit is a clear winner!

Steve

 

[pitt_md]

I must be blessed. I got a PHD from TSC with 9" bit and put in close to a mile of fence with wood posts. I didn't know what I was doing so I would line things up and let it dig till it hit bottom and start pumping out the dirt. I did bust one pin when it hit a rock in the bottom of the hole once but that was it.

I have about the same amount to put in this year so I will approach this with a little more caution.

 

[Charlesaf3]

stimpee - it was pricey, but luckily I've forgotten the price

However, I enjoy the ease of attachment, downpressure, and revers every time I use it!

It would work better on a bigger tractor though - b3030 works but is marginal no doubt

 

[montelatici]

KeithinSpace,

Mind driving up to Croom (Upper Marlboro) to give me some PHD training? Just bought the PHD everyone recommended (the JR model) and it is arriving tomorrow. I am installing a driveway gate and don't want to tear things up with the backhoe (which I usually use on field fencing posts).

 

[KeithInSpace]

Mind driving up to Croom...

I like Newcastle. Unless it is REALLY hot, then I like Heineken Light.

Honestly, I'd love to. I really would. But it is very tough to find a whole day to do whatever I want with the little ones in tow. Ask me in 10 years when me and my SON can take a day and come up there, and I'll do it in a second!!!

Of course my birthday is coming up...present is a day "off", towing my tractor to a friend's house to learn how to mess up their PHDs together? Hmmmm...MapQuest says it's 1 hour and 34 minues...

 

[montelatici]

Sounds like a plan.

 

[MossRoad]

Hmmmm haven't got around to hooking mine up yet. Doesn't sound like much fun once it bites. I have the JR with a 9 inch augar. Same red clay rock and dirt Be interesting to watch your progress on this topic.

A Power Trac would have had power reverse on that auger.... Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[Bill Barrett]

I love my hydaulic PHD.

 

[gerard]

If you haven't "augured in" using a post hole digger, you've been playing in sand.

I wish I had sand on my property. Sorry - beg to differ a bit. My land is all clay/dirt/rock. I haven't dug near any large roots so I can't speak to that and I DO see how that could be an issue but for the most part I do what other posters here have said - control the drop of the 3 pt manually inching it down slowly instead of just dropping it all the way and letting it dig down at its own speed. Anytime I've tried that it is the time I hit no rocks and it drills in like a big screw (which is why I tend not to do that anymore!) I also don't have a live pto which is the only situation I'm glad I don't because I can just hit the clutch quick and stop the auger from turning - no more problem.