Post hole digger (3pth). Need advice.

[Sawyer Rob]

I don't agree that all PHD gear boxes are the same...

Some are better quality, better meaning bigger and better temper on the gears ect... BUT, i'd also agree that even the cheaper units hold up pretty good.

I say that, because some of the pole barn builders around here, have wore out the gears and shafts on the cheaper gear boxes... AND moved on up to brand name upper end drills, to get longer lasting gear boxes.

SR

 

[EddieWalker]

I paid $300 for my Leinbach Line with a 12 inch auger. Is there anything else out there cheaper then that? I've had it 1 years, it's stored outdoors and if I don't use it for several months, it's out of oil. I'm on my third driveshave because I've buried it so many times, and every time it gets burried, the drive shaft bends just a little bit. I need to get my fourth drive shaft this year, it's really close to that time. I store it outside.

I agree that there are better quality, bigger, better gears out there. I just don't think they do the job any better then the cheaper gear boxes that last decades and just keep on going.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Well I bought the Woods PHD65. $750 plus new teeth and tip a cost. Plus a free box of old woods spray paint they weren't sure would function.

 

[EddieWalker]

Congratulations. Now you need to build a stand to store it!!!

 

[Erik M]

I recently picked up an older John Deere PHD, a 31 possibly but there is no data plate on it anymore. Not sure what this one was originally rated for but I have a 60 hp PTO so it will have plenty of power to turn it.

It seems to be bigger and tougher than the stuff they sell new these days and is not leaking at all.

Putting on a fresh coat of green paint and I will hunt up a net of new auger teeth, not sure if John Deere still making them but I will find something that fits a 12" auger.

This only cost $300 so not complaining. The pic shows only half a drive shaft but I have both ends, I just removed one end for transport.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Shiny! Heck of a spindle on that auger!

It look to be Cat 1 3pt from the manufacturer. If so, it might not have a 60hp gearbox/drivetrain. $300 is hard to beat even if you did break it. Congrats.

 

[robbyr]

I see many choose low rpm's when drilling holes. I did at first but my experience has been it's way easier to bury it that way. I go at higher rpm's and the unit will come back up faster if it looks like it's fixing to sink itself. Maybe this is wrong but at slower speeds it doesn't come back up quick enough and screws itself in the ground.

 

[Erik M]

Thanks Luke but I am hoping a proper grade 1 shearbolt will keep anything else from breaking. Ground is not hard and no roots to worry about.

 

[Btown]

I see many choose low rpm's when drilling holes. I did at first but my experience has been it's way easier to bury it that way. I go at higher rpm's and the unit will come back up faster if it looks like it's fixing to sink itself. Maybe this is wrong but at slower speeds it doesn't come back up quick enough and screws itself in the ground.

If I were to go faster with all the rocks and roots I would be changing a sheer pin almost every hole. Slow it down and haven't changed one in several hundred. Only went down twice I could not get it back up due to a root. Spent a lot less time getting it unstuck twice then changing sheer pins. If I had better soil then I would go faster.

 

[robbyr]

Maybe it's a difference in soils. We have that black clay type soil. When I was spinning the the auger slowly then it slowly went deeper. At some point it would reach a spot and take off much faster. The response time to get it back up was too late. Buried twice at low rpm's. Never at higher. Of course I clear the hole a few times and work it up and down a lot. First time I buried it I had it on Mahindra 4500. Dug around it just a bit. Used loader and chain on Ford tractor to pick up on it while spinning the auger.