Post Hole Digger bottoming out

[BryceSteiner]

Some times moving the tractor forward and back while lifting the 3 point can get it to break free. Best thing to do is not get stuck to begin with by doing smaller bites, as others suggested.

 

[etpm]

Just to repeat what someone else said, don't unscrew the auger while the engine is running. Don't even consider it. Too many people have been seriously injured or killed when they got caught in an auger. Turn off the engine and then back the auger out.
Eric

 

[ning]

The only time I've gotten an auger stuck (lucky me!) I removed the auger from the post hole digger head (ie removed the bolt), then turned the auger with a big wrench. I've always gone slowly with dig/clear cycles and never just throw the 3ph lever all the way down right away - but you still run the risk of getting the auger stuck in a root or lodged in a crack in rocks.

I also prefer to adjust the tractor position while drilling as otherwise the auger will make an oblong hole, so I dig slowly adjusting the 3ph depth in small increments, very gradually move forward just a hair, then at some point move back a bit, all to keep the auger vertical.

 

[alaarp]

My electrically switched pto doesn't manually turn when off, so I suspect that's what he's referring to. My previous manually operated pto could be turned when the lever was off. I don't know a whole lot about pto brakes, but I would have to separate the auger from the gear box to manually turn the auger out.
Another technique to prevent corkscrewing the auger into the ground is to adjust for a slower 3 point drop rate... Otherwise be real quick raising the 3 point.

I redid by split rail fence a few years ago, and upgraded to a hydraulic ssqa auger. It is a joy to operate!

Interesting. I hadn't thought about a hydraulic auger but several of you have mentioned this. Thanks.

 

[alaarp]

The only time I've gotten an auger stuck (lucky me!) I removed the auger from the post hole digger head (ie removed the bolt), then turned the auger with a big wrench. I've always gone slowly with dig/clear cycles and never just throw the 3ph lever all the way down right away - but you still run the risk of getting the auger stuck in a root or lodged in a crack in rocks.

I also prefer to adjust the tractor position while drilling as otherwise the auger will make an oblong hole, so I dig slowly adjusting the 3ph depth in small increments, very gradually move forward just a hair, then at some point move back a bit, all to keep the auger vertical.

Good stuff! Thanks.

 

[alaarp]

I believe on the 20 series, the lever on the side of the 4x4 lever. It lets you switch between 540 - Neutral - 540 Eco. In Neutral, you can free spin the shaft by hand.

Thanks. I will try this.

 

[EddieWalker]

When I used my 37 hp tractor, I bottomed out all the time. At first I used a 36 inch pipe wrench to unscrew it, but I had to add a 2 inch metal pipe to the handle to get it going. It was very painful. Then I used my backhoe to pull it out. That was easier, but the hole became twice as big when it came out. Then I got the idea to put blocks under the gearbox of the auger so it wouldn't go all the way down, and I could keep it spinning. This worked great. Kind of a pain to have to put the blocks in place, but it worked 100% of the time.



Now I have my auger on a 65 hp tractor and it's never been an issue. More horse power means more hydraulic lifting power on the arms.

 

[ning]

Then I got the idea to put blocks under the gearbox of the auger so it wouldn't go all the way down, and I could keep it spinning.

Did you do this before every hole, or only if it got stuck, and then you set up the blocks and turned it on for a bit to loosen what it had bitten into?

 

[EddieWalker]

I was only using the auger for small things when I came up with the blocks. And I used them every time after I saw how good they worked. I was thinking of making something out of metal that would fold up and be more like a tripod when drilling holes, but then I got the bigger tractor.

 

[BlueKnife]

Interesting. I hadn't thought about a hydraulic auger but several of you have mentioned this. Thanks.

Yeah, hydraulic auger is so much better by a huge margin. They're also significantly more expensive. PTO augers are for occasional use by folks with no rocks and few roots in their ground.